General update and some finger wagging!

MotoGP riders and rockets have been resting up during the winter ban, and are now ready to begin again for the first test session of 09 in Sepang on Thursday.

Yamaha will officially unveil their new livery of YZR-M1's on Monday for all the world to see.

Kawasaki... you SUCK!! I am indeed wagging my finger of shame at you! Last month, it was announced (after torrents of rumors) that Kawasaki was pulling out of MotoGP. Okay, I get it, the economy sucks, it's expensive to run a MotoGP season, the particular bikes that are run in MotoGP are not marketable to the public (as opposed to the AMA bikes).... you have many viable reasons for evaporating from the competition.

The reason you are getting the finger of shame is Marco Melandri. For nine months, Kawasaki wheeled and dealed to pull Marco from his Ducati contract, only to pull the plug on MotoGP a couple of months after they signed him. WTF?? Randy deP found his way into the Honda paddock and secured a ride for this season, but Marco... CLEARLY a world-class rider has been thrown to the wolves!! Not cool Kawasaki... not cool.

Not only does this unseat one of the better riders in the circuit, but it narrows the field down to 17 riders... which, according to the rules, are not enough riders to warrant a racing season. No doubt, nerves are a little frazzled, but I don't think for a second that they can't scratch up another bike for a satellite team and perch a rider on it to fill in the gap and complete the necessary 18 rider field.

STILL!!! How bad does this suck?? Honda has already pulled out of F1, and at least one of the other teams (which escapes me at the moment) has cut less-popular sanctioned events from their itinerary (such as Motocross and Motorcycle Trials) all in the interest of the dwindling budget.

I find it all very disturbing. I must admit, I felt extremely defeated for a moment when I learned of the 18 rider rule and discovered that as-of-yet there are only 17. I would go NUTS without my season of MotoGP!

So, here's hoping that things will turn around... and Marco... you best be straddling a bullet in some last-minute contract signing, and lead us all to believe that this was just a bold PR stunt.... cause I DON'T LIKE IT!!!

Until next time ....

Rubb'er Down :)

Kristen