MotoGP Indianapolis extravaganza

An astounding race in Indianapolis this afternoon. Pedrosa snagged pole for the start of the race, and came into it on fire after breaking the track record in qualifying. He led the race for the first couple of laps, and looked as though he was poised to give Rossi and Lorenzo a run for their collective money..... right up until he crashed. He did recover, and ended up with a well-earned post-crash 10th place spot. Several laps later, it was Lorenzo leading Rossi after a smooth overtaking by the Spaniard. Rossi was left to do what Rossi does best.... pressure from behind. This time however, it backfired on him. He tried to make up the gap with a hard drive into the corner and tapped the brake - I was a little - nay, a LOT - surprised to see him make such a rookie mistake. He went down hard, but managed to get back on his faithful Yam and return to the track..... only to retire a few laps later after being passed by Pedrosa, due to the effects of the crash on the bike. The irony was palpable as we viewed Rossi and Pedrosa swapping licks for 16th position not 2 minutes after they were swapping for the lead - and off rode Jorge Lorenzo with a 10 second lead over the rest of the pack... to victory.

Nicky Hayden did very well as he carried not only himself, but the weight and nerves of his entire family and gaggle of friends that attended this race with him. He made us all proud as he held up under the pressure of Dovizioso's barrage of attacks and ended up with a 3rd place spot on the podium. By the way, props to Nick who wore a specially designed "Make a Wish" helmet that will be auctioned off after the race for the benefit of the Make a Wish Foundation - solid charity and a solid show of character from Nicky.

Alex de Angelis claimed second place and ran a fine race indeed. Marco Melandri - who by the way snagged a contract with Gresini Honda for next year - suffered a spectacular crash near the end of the race. He made a fine mess of his Hayate machine and was not able to rejoin the race. His moment of enlightenment was clearly visible as he walked up to his bike and discovered that he did such a thorough job of crashing it, the back tire came off. Niccolo Canepa did not finish the race either. It appeared that he had a mechanical problem with his Ducati.

All in all, a very good race with very unexpected results.... just the way I like 'em :) A couple of last-minute mentions before I conclude my ramblings, Chris Vermeulen is now seeking a ride after Rizla Suzuki confirmed the signing of 250cc super star Alvaro Bautista for the 2010 season, and Jorge Lorenzo put rumors to bed about his contract, by signing another year with Fiat Yamaha.

That'll do it for me.

Until Next time

Rubb'er Down!

Rossi eeks out 0.099 second win over Lorenzo in Germany

The boys of MotoGP did not disappoint today in Germany. The race was a battle among the top four riders in the championship series - and there is no doubt why they are the 4 fastest men on two wheels. With only 28 points seperating first from third in the standings and half a season of racing to go, the claws are coming out.

Casey, Jorge and Rossi each shared the pressure of leading the race today at some point. Rossi led off the start and was eventually overtaken by Stoner, who volleyed the lead back to Vale, only to have Jorge Lorenzo swipe it again. Dani Pedrosa held his ground like a champ and ended up with the third place position over the line. Casey was remanded to fourth.

The last three laps of the race were a balls-out battle between Rossi and Lorenzo which ended in Rossi claiming victory with Jorge only 0.099 seconds behind him - or next to him as it were. It was indeed 30 laps of full-on entertainment.

Nicky Hayden got shut out and swallowed up at the start, backing him up to 13th position at the end of the first lap. He battled his way up to 8th by race end.... with some very impressive riding and aggressive overtakes.... looks like the Nikcy of yore may be on his way back. Yesterday during a wet qualifying session, Nicky suffered a tremendous high side and took Nicola Canepa out from behind.... with body to body contact. If you can find the clip, it's worth watcing. Canepa said later that he had no idea what hit him - I guess not!

Randy De Puniet made a brilliant start, finding himself in 4th position for nearly a whole lap before he duffed it. If you blinked, you missed it... one second he was right there behind Pedrosa, and the next second there was nothing but sparks and parts.... no Randy. Amazingly enough he didn't take anyone out with him.... and everyone else remained on two for the rest of the race. Andrea Dovizioso retired from the race early due to a tire problem.

The drama will continut next weekend in Donington followed by a short summer break. After the first half of the season, these guys will certainly be looking forward to that.... if for no other reason than to heal their wounds.

Pedrosa breaks dry spell for Repsol

Very uncharacteristic of the European flat circuit terrain, the Mazda Raceway succeeded in tossing a lot of riders over the weekend. Many that rode on Sunday were riding injured from their tangles with the track during free practices and qualifying. Several riders feel victim to the track during the race on Sunday as well. Andrea Dovizioso, Sete Gibernau and fresh-meat G. Talmacsi all went skittering off into the gravel traps. Loris Capirossi didn't finish the race, however, his DNF was chalked up to mechanical problems, and James Toseland was "excluded" from competition for a refusal to take a ride-through as a penalty for jumping the start (which even on the replay.... in slow motion.... I did not see).

Dani pulled well away early after a perfect start, and maintained his lead throughout. There was a fantastic last-lap rally by Rossi, who ALMOST overtook him on the last turn before the line. In the post race interview, Dani admitted to being a little too comfortable with what he thought was a formidable lead - until he heard Valentino's bike. As he came to the realization that Rossi was a fraction of an inch off his six, he tipped his Honda in a hair earlier than necessary to close the gap and ran like hell for the line. I must say, it was amusing to see his reaction - equivalent to that of a fourth grader that got caught napping in class. Nice save Dani - and a well-deserved win.

Nicky Hayden with his fantastically festive Ducati and leathers, once again bettered his best, finishing 5th. He rode a spectacular race - who knows.... we may even see him back on the podium before season's end. Mika Kallio did not participate in this weekend's race due to a severely injured finger as a result of last week's untimely crash on the last turn at Assen. He will be back for Sachsenring.

Over all, it was a good race. Aside from the crashes, Jorge's hail Mary pass-attempt on Rossi (which damn near took them both out of the race) and Rossi's last minute sneak attack on Pedrosa kept it interesting. In two weeks, everyone should be healed from the beating inflicted by the infamous US circuit and back in form to entertain us with what will no-doubt be a close race at Sachsenring.

1	D. Pedrosa	Honda
2	V. Rossi	Yamaha
3	J. Lorenzo	Yamaha
4	C. Stoner	Ducati
5	N. Hayden	Ducati
6	T. Elias	Honda
7	C. Edwards	Yamaha
8	C. Vermeulen	Suzuki
9	R. De Puniet	Honda
10	M. Melandri	Kawasaki
11	A. de Angelis	Honda
12	N. Canepa	Ducati

Until next time....

Rubb'er Down

Kristen

Epic shoot-out yields victory for Rossi at Catalunya

In a race that will no doubt be included in highlight reels for years to come, Valentino Rossi eeked out a win over Jorge Lorenzo at Catalunya in a last second, last corner overtaking that had over 90,000 fans on their feet and at least two announcers on the floor of the booth.

Today is what MotoGP racing is all about. Lorenzo and Rossi put on a superb show that will not soon be forgotten. Veteran Valentino swapped licks with rookie Jorge Lorenzo until the bitter end - landing Rossi in the top spot with only .095s of a margin over Lorenzo - and making his 99th premier class victory well-earned and hard fought.

Casey Stoner who had been ill over the past few days, nearly rode himself to death wrestling the big red Duc over the line for a third place finish. Visibly weak from what was reported later to be severe dehydration, Casey stepped off the bike and was immediately escorted to the garage and tended to by the circuit physician. I believe it took all the strength he could muster to make it to the podium ceremony.... where he looked like he could drop at any moment. Good on ya Casey..... once again, a lesser rider would have hung it up or not even started in his condition, and he still pulled out a third place finish. The list of adversity this kid rides through seems to grow with every race, and yet he has not fallen out of the top three in the overall standings. Impressive.

Andrea Dovizioso ran a superb race and found himself right on the heels of the big dogs again, coming in fourth. Teammate Dani Pedrosa ran a brave race on painkiller injections for his hip, in which he has seperated the muscle from the bone. He finished an extremely respectable 6th.

Loris racked up another top ten spot for Rizla Suzuki finishing 5th with teammate Chris Vermeulen rolling in just outside in 11th. Colin Edwards finished a solid 7th followed by De Puniet in a slightly-better-than-typical 8th postition. Mika Kallio smacked down some talent and found himself reaping the satisfaction of a 9th place finish, and Nicky Hayden scored his best finish so far this season for Marlboro Ducati rounding out the ten fastest riders on the track.

Yuki Takahashi had another disappointing DNF after crashing out on the first lap. There are whispers of concern over his fate with Scot Racing Honda Team - especially after the last-minute addition of Hungarian rider Gabor Talmacsi to their paddock. Gabor is apparently quite the accomplished 125cc rider (7 years if I remember correctly - and yes, I am too lazy to look it up right now) who landed in the 250 class and was subsequently sh*t canned a month ago by Balatonring. Although further chatter reveals that Honda is not likely to release it's only Japanese rider, me thinks Yuki better nail it down for a few races.

Bridgestone debuted their first line of asymmetrical, dual compound "tyres" at Catalunya. Very interesting concept and apparently quite effective as well. The circuit has 8 right hand turns, and only 5 left hand turns, which prompted Bridgestone to wow us with a crooked tire that would result in more consistant wear. Genius in it's simplicity.

Okay, this is getting out of hand, and it's nearly Beer : 30 - feast your eyes on the results. If you haven't already watched the race, watch it... then watch it again... and I bet you'll wanna see it one more time after that (consecutively of course...cause it was that good!).

The Assen TT will run on June 27th - with a THREE WAY TIE for first place in the championship standing among Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner - we will no longer be on speaking terms if you miss it.

1	V. Rossi	Yamaha
2	J. Lorenzo	Yamaha
3	C. Stoner	Ducati
4	A. Dovizioso	Honda
5	L. Capirossi	Suzuki
6	D. Pedrosa	Honda
7	C. Edwards	Yamaha
8	R. De Puniet	Honda
9	M. Kallio	Ducati
10	N. Hayden	Ducati
11	C. Vermeulen	Suzuki
12	A. de Angelis	Honda
13	J. Toseland	Yamaha
14	M. Melandri	Kawasaki
15	S. Gibernau	Ducati
16	N. Canepa	Ducati
17	G. Talmacsi	Honda

Until next time....

Rubb'er Down

Kristen

Wet - Dry Victory for Stoner in Mugello

Mugello began as what looked like a nightmare repeat of Le Mans as the sign was held up at the flag stand declaring it a wet race. However, it seems the Kings learned their lessons two weeks ago and were much better prepared for what was to come.

Jorge Lorenzo suffered the idignity of crashing out on the sighting lap, so he began his race on his back-up bike with quite a shot to his confidence (and dirty leathers). Dani Pedrosa was riding with yet another physical compromise as he somehow managed to tear ligaments in his hip resulting in a sudden loss of feeling at one point yesterday, and a subsequent crash during the race today. He was rendered completely immobile after becoming unseated and was removed from the gravel trap on a stretcher.

The race was indeed an exciting one. The switch to dry set ups went rather smoothly (as opposed to Le Mans) however the conditions created quite an interesting mix of race leaders. We even saw Loris Capirossi lead the way after overtaking Valentino in a power-move that seemed to stop the Suzuki garage in it's tracks - it's entertaining to see a team surprise themselves. Marco Melandri was podium bound for several laps too as he made a triumphant come back from a 15th place start. Ultimately, my favorite pseudo-Saki jockey was swallowed up by the pack and remanded to 11th place by race end.

Andrea Dovizioso put on quite the show by taking the lead for several laps as well. He turned out to be quite the formidable opponent, running with the "big dogs" for enough laps to prove he meant it, and finally just missing the podium as he crossed the line a hair off Rossi's back tire - fantastic effort by the rookie!!

Jorge Lorenzo found his confidence, his pace and his way back to the podium finishing second. But it was Casey Stoner who stole the show in Italy giving Ducati their first win in the Mother Land - and making it all happen with a burned out clutch. Dammit boy!!

Feast your eyes on the results posted below and get ready for some hard core racing in Catalunya in two weeks time. Casey is back on top in the championship standings after today's win. With Rossi and Lorenzo nipping at the heels of his Alpinestars, nobody is running away with the championship so far..... which means it only gets better from here!!

1	C. Stoner	Ducati
2	J. Lorenzo	Yamaha
3	V. Rossi	Yamaha
4	A. Dovizioso	Honda
5	L. Capirossi	Suzuki
6	C. Edwards	Yamaha
7	J. Toseland	Yamaha
8	R. De Puniet	Honda
9	N. Canepa	Ducati
10	C. Vermeulen	Suzuki
11	M. Melandri	Kawasaki
12	N. Hayden	Ducati
13	M. Kallio	Ducati
14	T. Elias	Honda
15	A. de Angelis	Honda

Until next time....

Rubb'er Down

Kristen

Pedrosa snags pole at Le Mans

Dani Pedrosa will start closest to the finish line in tomorrow's Grand Prix De France. Joining him on the front row are Fiat Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati Marlboro superstar, Casey Stoner. Where's Rossi?? Never fear, he qualified fourth and will share his second row start with Andrea Dovizioso and former teammate Colin Edwards - who by the way was brilliant in both FP rounds as well this week.

FP1 was marred by rain on Thursday and ironically cut short after being bumped back up to an hour-long session. FP2 was run for the full hour, and probably very exciting, although I missed it, so I can only report to you that Sete Gibernau suffered yet another collar bone fracture as a result of a one-for-the-books high side and is subsequently out of the race tomorrow . Here's to the fast and flawless [recovery] Gibbers - we'll miss you tomorrow!

Randy DePuniet qualified in the 10th position as a result of today's round. He is coming in strong after a fourth place finish in Motegi, and may have pushed just a little too hard amidst the cheers from his hometown crowd. He lost the front end of his Honda coming out of the finish line stretch into the fastest corner on the Le Mans circuit. They estimated he went down at nearly 160 mph. His bike was reduced to confetti, but his recovery was amazingly graceful. He never stopped his forward motion from the slide, got his feet under him, ran for the bike, abandoned the bike (after a .0005 second assesment of the damage), jumped the tire wall and made his way back to the garage where his back-up bike was waiting for him.

Marco Melandri washed out in the same corner on his pseudo-Kawasaki Hayate racing machine. He too got back on and finished the round, resulting in a 9th place start for tomorrow. It sucks to see man and machine hurdling off the track at triple digits - what sucks worse is the fact that Melandri and his pit crew have to salvage as many parts as possible from the downed machine in order to be able to continue racing - due to lack of factory support. I'll stop there before this gets ugly :)

Rizla Suzuki's pair, Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi made the top ten today and will start 7th and 8th respectively. Mika Kallio slapped down some very impressive times early on in the session, but was only able to finally eek out a 14th place start on the grid - still watching that kid (I'm sayin'..... mad skillz.... seriously).

Nicky Hayden is working with a new crew chief. The paddock chatter reveals that this should lead to better communication and overall improvement for Nick - aaaaand GO!

Okay - before this write-up shotguns itself any further into the depths of asshattery, here is the official starting order for tomorrow. I'm off to find some trouble to get into - cause that's what I do best!

1	D. Pedrosa	Honda
2	J. Lorenzo	Yamaha
3	C. Stoner	Ducati
4	V. Rossi	Yamaha
5	A. Dovizioso	Honda
6	C. Edwards	Yamaha
7	C. Vermeulen	Suzuki
8	L. Capirossi	Suzuki
9	M. Melandri	Kawasaki
10	R. De Puniet	Honda
11	T. Elias	Honda
12	J. Toseland	Yamaha
13	N. Hayden	Ducati
14	M. Kallio	Ducati
15	Y. Takahashi	Honda
16	N. Canepa	Ducati

Until next time....

Rubb'er Down

Kristen

MotoGP News - Qatar results

The first MotoGP race of the 2009 season in Qatar is now history. It was a good race, not a great race. Casey Stoner rode a brilliant race from grid to flag. He was never even challenged by Rossi, who finished second - over 7 seconds off Casey's pace. Another 3+ seconds behind Rossi, his teammate, Jorge Lorenzo crossed the line in 3rd.

Marco Melandri, riding for team Hayate was well into the action until he ran wide and off the track. He caught up to the tailers of the race, and claimed a few positions before the end of the race. James Toseland was a victim of the same mistake, running wide and taking an unplanned agricultural excursion, but he stayed astride and finished as well - although out of the points. The only rider to crash out was Loris Capirossi who suffered a spectacular low side mid-race.

Dani Pedrosa, who is still healing from his winter surgery on his left knee, was nailed by Alex DeAngelis during a corner pass. He clung to his bike like a champion, recovered his composure, banged his lever back into place and finished his race like a true professional. Obviously spooked by the close call, and most likely re-injured from the concussion that pinched his injured leg between the two bikes, Pedrosa was overtaken several more times, finishing just ahead of his former teammate, Nicky Hayden, 11th and 12th respectively.

DeAngelis made his way to 6th before the crossing the finish line, Dovizioso landed 5th, and Colin Edwards, who rode an absolutely solid, clean race on his Monster sponsored Yamaha (which, I might add, is sporting a rockin' paint scheme this year!) finished 4th.

All in all, a good race, worth the extra 22 hour wait. It can only get better from here!! 13 days from today, the boys will hammer out the Twin Rings of Motegi. Here are the finalized results from Race one in Qatar:

1	C. Stoner	Ducati
2	V. Rossi	Yamaha
3	J. Lorenzo	Yamaha
4	C. Edwards	Yamaha
5	A. Dovizioso	Honda
6	A. De Angelis	Honda
7	C. Vermeulen	Suzuki
8	M. Kallio	Ducati
9	T. Elias	Honda
10	R. De Puniet	Honda
11	D. Pedrosa	Honda
12	N. Hayden	Ducati
13	S. Gibernau	Ducati
14	M. Melandri	Kawasaki
15	Y. Takahashi	Honda

Until next time....

Rubb'er Down

Kristen

Qatar Canceled

The first race of the 2009 season in Qatar has been canceled due to weather conditions. The 125 class ran only 4 laps before it was red flagged for rain. The result was a half-point race. 45 minutes later, the kings of MotoGP were on the grid, 2 minutes from starting the first race of the season, and the rains came. Qatar is in the middle of the desert, where it rains only 4 or 5 days a year. The races there are run under the lights in order to escape the extreme desert heat of the day. Because of the primarily dry conditions, there is no drainage on the track. On top of that, the lights that are required for the racers to run at night, reflect on the wet track and create a white-out effect. So, ultimately, it was an impossible race to run.

Nicky Hayden, who was injured yesterday during qualifying, did show up for the race, appeared relieved, as did Dani Pedrosa, who is still healing from his winter-break surgeries on his knee.

As it stands now, the officials are discussing possibly running the race tomorrow. This is posing a problem with riders and team members who have flights booked to leave Qatar tomorrow and head for Japan for race 2. Updates will be posted as they become available.

Until next time ....

Rubb'er Down :)

Kristen

MotoGP News - Rough Day for Dani and Nicky

Qualifying proved interesting indeed yesterday. The end result found Casey Stoner and his Ducati Marlboro machine taking pole, followed closely by Valentino Rossi aboard his Fiat Yamaha beast. The top three was rounded off by Vale's teammate, Spaniard, Jorge Lorenzo. The second row starters will be Loris Capriossi, dropping the hammer for Rizla Suzuki, Colin Edwards, piloting the newly sponsored Monster Yamaha (Tech 3) and Randy dePuniet on his as-of-yet-unrashed LCR Honda, sponsored by Playboy.

Repsol Honda's anchor rider, Dani Pedrosa, struggled through qualifying, landing in 14th. Dani is still healing from the surgeries he had over the winter break. His knee is not 100% healed, and it showed. Nicky Hayden was not entirely on his game. As he tried to wrestle his Duc into submission towards the end of the QP session, he had a horrific high speed high-side. He was carted off track on a stretcher and is undergoing a round of x-rays due to the extreme back pain he is experiencing. His participation in the premier race this afternoon has not yet been decided.

Until next time ....

Rubb'er Down :)

MotoGP News - Pedrosa, Stoner and Monster

Dani Pedrosa has flown home to Spain after a fairly serious crash at Qatar during testing. His injuries will require surgery; a screw for the fractured radius bone in his left arm, and surgery/ skin graft for his now further damaged left knee. I know I poke fun at the Pud a lot, but I hate to see a rider down.... so here's wishing you a fast and flawless recovery Dani. You are a formidable opponent on track and make for some interesting races.

In other Qatar-related news (that's about all there is now anyway), Stoner topped the timesheets early and maintained his standing even though he completed fewer laps than any of the other riders, proving he has not lost his edge through the winter break despite his recent wrist surgery. Valentino rolled in just under Casey. The top five was rounded out by Nicky Hayden on his new Duc (appears to be settling in quite well!), Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki.. GET IT old man!!!) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) respectively. Marco on his last-minute-Kawasaki-effort machine ended up 16th on the sheets for Hayate Racing, over 3 seconds off of Casey's pace.

Monster Energy Drink has agreed to sponsor Tech 3 Yamaha for the 2009 season (and beyond). They have now been dubbed Monster Yamaha Tech3, and the infamous M Claw will adorn the rockets piloted by Colin Edwards and James Toseland. They also scored a small sticker on Rossi's helmet in a personal sponsorship deal - which is relatively old news, but I thought I'd throw it in here anyway as fodder.

Ducati ran the first tests on their new swing arm design, and got the basic thumbs-up. They admit it's going to take some fine tuning, but judging by the lap times for both Nicky and Casey, I don't think it will need much. Valentino reports that he is generally happy with his machine in these early stages, as is his teammate Jorge.

April 12th is right around the corner (but still can't frickin come fast enough for me) and with all the drama, rule changes, last minute seatings (ah hem... Kawasaki) and rookies in the field, this will no doubt be a fantastically entertaining season.

Until next time ....

Rubb'er Down :)

Kristen

A fond farewell to the 2008 season

This afternoon's race at Valencia marked the end of the 2008 MotoGP season, and yet another World Championship title for Valentino Rossi. Casey Stoner ran away with the event today, with Dani Pedrosa, a not-so-close second, and Vale closing out the trio de podium.

There were no Hail Mary laps, no spectacular shoot-outs, no heroes and no tragedies. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior. Nick and Dovisioso mixed it up a few times, and The Doctor did not lack awesome as he rocketed to third after a tenth place start. Oh yea, as if I have to even mention it, Randy crashed..... on the first lap..... and didn't even get any camera time for it. You know you are a habitual offender when your bins don't even warrant a replay.

Casey is going to be testing the new Duc over the next couple of days. There is much excitement over the new design and carbon fiber frame. After testing, he will be shipped off to hospital for his surgery. He is getting a bone graft (from his hip) to repair a crack in his wrist that is not healing properly.

The gloriously short winter that I boasted about in my last post will not be so short after all. Qatar, the 2009 season opener, has been pushed back to April. I will dig up the schedule for next year and post it.... and maybe even update my rider profiles, which I think are a whopping 2 years old.

Okay, it's time to thin the herd of brown bottles in the fridge and slip off into my coma :)

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

Sepang!!!!

Okay, I kept myself away from my computer all day today so as not to give into temptation and read the spoiler to another spectacular showing by the MotoGP boys.

Dani winning pole came as a bit of a surprise, but Good Onya "Pud" :) Not only did he win pole, but he ran one hell of a race to hang on to it. Although he could only hold Rossi off for about half the race, he piloted his bullet with nothing but heart. The will to win was there, but (yes, I'm gonna go ahead and give him a good excuse) the tires weren't. By the end I think he had dropped back by 7 seconds...... a formidable gap..... if you will.

Tangent...... apparently next year (and subsequently 2 years after that) the playing field will be leveled as far as tires are concerned. If you are breathing and have a flicker of interest in MotoGP, you have heard that BridgeStone signed a deal to be the only "tyre" (take that Mikey!!) provider for the World Championship for the next three years. So now, everyone will be riding on BS - I just made me laugh.

Back to the race, the shootout for the 3rd podium spot (we have already learned that Rossi and Pedrosa tied up the first two spots, and yes, you will be quizzed on that later) was no less than breathtaking. Hayden and Dovizioso hammered it out like mad-men. Solid entertainment..... thanks boys! In the end, Nick couldn't pull off a permanent overtaking and ended up 4th. Congratulations D... that was a righteous win indeed.

Only one more race left for the season. I will leave you now to look forward to Valencia, and know in my heart that it will be a gloriously short winter. The test season is right around the corner, and from there we move into 09.... come on March!!!!

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

MotoGP results for Brno

Once again, I wag my finger of shame at SpeedTV. It appears that they are not airing the Brno race.... at least not for the premier class. Nay, the 250cc riders will get some air time at 2 this afternoon.... but what of the kings?

Race reports, still shots and podium results revealed an interesting race. Rossi pulled out the win.... however it was once again attributed to Casey Stoner's misfortune. Stoner, who started from the pole position, crashed on the 6th lap. He was enjoying a comfortable 1.5 second lead over Rossi and the rest of the bullet herd when he lost his front end in a corner and low-sided.... unrecoverable (thank you Captain Obvious). Rossi maintained his lead after the crash and crossed the line first, extending his overall point lead to 50.

A surprising finish for Toni Elias riding for Ducati who landed a podium finish. After starting THIRTEENTH, he walked away with the silver. Very nice.

Completing the trio of excellence was Loris Capirossi, riding for Rizla Suzuki. This was the maiden voyage for Capirex and his fresh, newly-updated GSV-R. Apparently the updated version worked well for him. With his new chassis and completely different weight distribution, he began his journey to the podium from the end of the third row after an unspectacular qualifying round. Welcome back to the podium Loris.... we missed you! By the way, this was Loris's 276th MotoGP event.... sweet Jesus old man!!! You've still got it :)

Shinya Nakano landed in fourth..... the top finisher for the Honda paddock. Dani struggled to pull out a 15th place finish, and Nicky wasn't even on the roster for this race due to a foot injury sustained at the X Games Supermoto event on August 2nd.

Okay, feast your eyes on the results from the GP at Brno.... it's time for me to run along and see what kind of debauchery I can drum up :)

Position	Rider	Manufacturer
1	Rossi	Yamaha
2	Elias	Ducati
3	Capirossi	Suzuki
4	Nakano	Honda
5	West	Kawasaki
6	Vermeulen	Suzuki
7	Melandri	Ducati
8	de Angelis	Honda
9	Dovizioso	Honda
10	Lorenzo	Yamaha
11	Hopkins	Kawasaki
12	Guintoli	Ducati
13	Toseland	Yamaha
14	Edwards	Yamaha
15	Pedrosa	Honda
16	de Puniet	Kawasaki

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

QP results from Qatar

The 2007 season has FINALLY begun. The boys completed their practices over the past couple of days, and dropped the hammer in qualifying this morning. Rossi, in his irreverent Rossi style, took pole (was there ever any doubt?). He sported a furry 46 on his leathers for the premier event, stating that he had managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat in '04 and '05 to clinch the championship, but the rabbit had died in '06. The rabbit-fur covered 46 was in memory of the aforementioned hat-rabbit.

Rounding out the top three for this weekend's race is Casey Stoner in position #2 (didn't see THAT coming) and Collin Edwards at #3 (Go!!!!!! Yamaha). Toni Elias rolled in to claim position #4 on the grid, followed by Dani Pedrosa, John Hopkins, Loris Capirossi, RANDY DePUNIET!!!, Nicky Hayden and Marco Melandri to seal the top ten.

The race kicks off at 7:00 a.m. our time tomorrow morning, available live online at MotoGP.com, or, if you can wait for it, it will be televised on SpeedTV Sunday night at 6. I personally can't wait for SpeedTV to air it, so I will be here, like a moron at 7 tomorrow morning to catch it live :) If you want a spoiler, check back after the race.... if not, stay away until after Sunday night.

Jeremy McWilliams, who rides for the virgin Ilmor team, suffered another crash in today's QP. There was a concern that he had re-injured himself (re: the crash during winter testing) but X-rays confirmed "no break", so he will grid-up as planned for tomorrow's race.

Okay, I'm off to participate in whatever debauchery I may find for the weekend :) Damn, I love me some debauchery!!!

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

So close I can taste it!

March 10 is right around the corner (Happy Birthday Spaz!!!!) and so will begin the 2007 season for the boys of MotoGP. The camps have been busy running tests over the past few weeks, dialing in their new 800cc rockets. Casey Stoner binned one of the shiny new Ducs last week in Jerez (who's surprised??). He suffered a concussion which resulted in some blurred vision in his left eye, but after a visit to the local hospital and a subsequent MRI, he was released with a clean bill of health. He chalked it up to "tyre" discrepancies (that one's for you Mikey!). Rossi walked away with the Beemer :)

Most of the teams have unveiled their '07 liveries, with the exception of Yamaha, who ran the factory colors this past weekend to honor Yamaha and the crew for all of their hard work. I don't buy it.... they are working the suspense angle!! The unveiling of the '07 Yamaha bullets will take place on March 5th, just 5 days before the season opener. I have my money on Fiat as the team sponsor.

Ducati clearly dominated the boards this weekend. Dani "Pudrosa" was firmly in the mix atop his snub-tailed Honda, rolling in with the fastest non-Ducati time (2nd, 2nd, 4th , 6th and 3rd respectively). All of the Ducs present held top-ten times all weekend. It's been rumored that Honda is running special "power-up" parts on the RC212V's, but judging by the times of the reigning "world champ", the Hayden who is knownst as Nicky (19th, 9th, 8th, 11th and 6th) , me thinks this is not the case. Unless, of course, Honda really has strapped him with the lesser bike in order to groom "The Pud" for a championship. "The Numbers Don't L1e" do they Nick???

Okay, on to the visual portion of my post... first up, a few pictures of the Yams. These are the "commemorative" colors that flew in Jerez this past weekend:

Kenny Roberts, Jr. on his freshly clad rocket:

Nicky Hayden:

Marco Melandri and Toni Elias of the HANNspree Honda paddock (Gresini)

Randy DePuniet (YAY!!)

Olivier Jaque :

Alex Barros (Pramac d'Antin Ducati):

Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki):

Dani "Pudrosa":

On a personal note, I will be traveling to Daytona this weekend to support my good friend Mike Haile (on his trusty Kaw) who will be competing Friday, Saturday and Sunday (March 2nd-4th). Also, my buddy Jeff from Colorado, will arrive in Daytona the evening of the 5th with Jessica (Jessica Zalusky - Pro AMA #172... www.roadracinggirl.com) to kick off her 2007 season, riding for Kawasaki as well. I expect to see all of you there!!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to promote the efforts of my good friend Jim (Jimmy with the bad ass bikes!), who is participating in the 2007 Racing To Save Lives charity event that will be held in Utah, May 3rd-the 6th. This event is a 4 day showcase of motorcycle road racing, which raises money for children’s' charities. Local and national competitors will ride from sunup to sundown for 4 full days.

His goal is to raise over $ 2500.00 for the various charities. Contributions of $50 or more are tax-deductible, and Racing 2 Save Lives is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. At the conclusion of the event, you will receive a receipt via postal mail for any donations of $50 or more. If you can’t give $50, he'll take contributions for as little as $5 or $10, every little bit helps. If you are in a position to support the effort (and I KNOW you are), please make it happen!! I did :)

Alright, that will do it for me... it's time to lighten the load on the Smirnoff "jug", it's lookin' a little too full.

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

Testing concludes in Jerez

The fastest men on two wheels have concluded their last round of testing in Jerez before the ban. All of the teams seem to be very pleased with the way things are looking for the 2007 season. Dani Pedrosa put down the fastest lap in the final round, followed closely by Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri. Blazing into the 4th and 5th place positions were the Suzuki boys, Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins, respectively. Suzuki has made a FINE showing since testing began, surprising not only most of the MotoGP fans, but themselves as well. I am counting down the days with exhuberant anticipation until the 2007 season finally kicks off on March 10th.... It's just too damn far away :(

Jeremy McWilliams, one of Ilmor's test riders went down hard this weekend. Although he only refers to it as "taking a bit of a tumble" he will require surgery to repair his broken bones, which include a collar bone, a fractured femur, and a finger (which he will lose part of.... but says that it's been broken before and didn't really do him much good anyway... no love lost there huh Jeremy??)

Nicky Hayden didn't participate in the last round of testing. He is at home awaiting surgery for an injury to his shoulder that he sustained in the infamous Estoril crash. Dani represented the team well in his absence though as he brought Honda home on top of the time board..... good on ya Midget :)

There's not much more going on in the world of MotoGP, or the world of Motorcycle Obsession. It's been eerily quiet around here. It's a crappy, rainy Saturday afternoon and Sue's Busa, Spaz's TL and Ducati Mike's Duc are all in the patient ward at Mitch's shop awaiting repairs/upgrades so there will be no riding this weekend anyway. I am getting ready to suit-up and take the SV over to Spaz's house to see what kind of obnoxious sound we can get out of the factory cans... JOY!!!!

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

Nicky's broken :(

Early last week it was reported by a not-so-dependable news outlet that Nicky Hayden had suffered a shoulder injury during his tangle with teammate Dani Pedrosa in Estoril. I was intrigued by this news, but I was waiting for a more solid source to report on it as I am not one to pass on "tabloid" fodder. It has become official over the course of the week... trickling out slowly from the recesses of the MotoGP news vaults. Nicky did indeed sustain an injury in the crash in Estoril.... a shoulder fracture. He kept it on the "down-low" (if you will) so as not to hand Rossi any more of a psychological advantage than he already had leading up to Valencia. Props to you Nick! He went in with his "All In" poker hand represented on his bike and the mental attitude of "Crash or Win".... no excuses. I must say I have gained some respect for The Kentucky Kid in light of this news. In all fairness though, none of us know what would have happened if Rossi hadn't crashed. Did anyone check Nicky's leathers before the race to see if he had a banner tucked in there prepared to be unfurled at the finish had he not won? Something along the lines of "I am riding injured somebody hug me". Me thinks the news would have been shouted from the rooftops during the post-race interview had the victory escaped him. Alas, this is merely speculation. Nick will miss the final testing session in Jerez, and fly home to have the injury assessed by a doctor and possibly schedule surgery.

The 800cc testing is going well. Suzuki, to everyone's surprise, has found a lovely spot at the top of the time-boards. It looks like they may have gotten it right this time around. Ironically, Honda .... (yes, the same Honda who proclaimed that, in the interest of safety, the machines should be slashed down to 800cc) is struggling a bit with their set-up. Nicky has been quoted as saying the bikes "need more power". Maybe so, but Suzuki has managed to find themselves a second quicker than the track record, set by Loris Capirossi on the liter-class Ducati, in Sepang. There is still much more testing to do before the season cranks up for 2007.... then the tale will be told ;)

Valentino Rossi has been droppin' the proverbial hammer as a contestant in the WRC (World Rally Championships). He finished an extremely respectable 11th in his privately entered '05 Spec Impreza in NZ. Seriously.... where does the coolness end with this guy? He was considering a switch to F1 for 2006 (which never happened... but he still got out there and drove the thing like it was his duty to God and country) and now he's dabbling in the world of rally racing to gauge it as a possible post-MotoGP profession. *** Post MotoGP*** Translation.... after he tires of being THE fastest man on two wheels. I heart me some Valentino Rossi.... he does NOT lack awesome.... and he accomplishes all of this while being at least one nugget short of a Happy Meal.

Tech 3 Yamaha's new edition, Sylvain Guintoli, has managed to injure himself during a tire-testing run on one of the 990cc M1's. They were wet-weather testing and Guintoli was "kicked off" after a sudden loss of rear grip at nearly 145 MPH. He fractured his bone of the collar variety in the accident, but sources say it does not require surgery, and he should be fully recovered in 6 weeks.... ready to get back to testing after the ban is lifted in January.

That's about all I have in me for today.....

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

Sponsors and such

We established in the November 3rd post, most of the teams have confirmed rider appointments for the 2007 season of MotoGP. There are a couple of undecideds still floating around, but I am confident all i's will be dotted and t's crossed before too long. Team Roberts may take on a second rider next year. It's not officially confirmed, but there are rumors (wink, wink). Sete still hasn't signed with anyone as far as I know. This still saddens me, and will continue to do so unless someone picks him up. I don't want to see retirement looming for the Gibbers, but I understand that all good things must come to an end. Still, a shot at ending his career on a higher note would be well-warranted for Sete.

Gresini Honda has cut Fortuna loose from their sponsorship agreement for 2007. The only speculation I have heard thus far is the possibility of Telefonica returning to the MotoGP scene and picking up where they left off. Telefonica (Movistar) withdrew from MotoGP last year after Dani Pedrosa signed with HRC and Repsol refused the request to share sponsorship. They took their money and turned their attentions toward F1 and Alonso. Alonso is going to McLaren next year who is sponsored by Vodafone, thereby leaving Telefonica out in the cold... With Gresini sponsorless at the moment it is certainly possible..... nay, probable, that Telefonica will make nice-nice with the MotoGP kingdom and pick up a team.

Yamaha chose not to renew their contract with Camel in 2007. Rumors abound as to who might sponsor Vale and Colin. It's not likely that Telefonica would bid to sponsor them, however Gauloises might be poised for a return.

I find it quite ironic that many of the major sponsors of our beloved MotoGP teams are well recognized members of the tobacco industry. The rules are changing in many countries as to the advertising of tobacco products, prohibiting the companies from displaying their names on the bikes for the public to see.... yet they continue to sink gobs of money into these teams. The advertising restrictions are silly... mmmm hmmm.. just silly. Just because they remove the actual words from the bikes doesn't mean we (the public) suddenly become ignorant as to who is sponsoring the riders or from what industry they hail.... after all, the color schemes and logos don't change... they are merely blank. I just don't get it.... but it's not for me to get, so I digress......

As I was wading through the sea of past, present and future sponsors, I realized that many of the logos and names were very familiar after seeing them on countless bikes through countless races, but I was unaware of what a few of these sponsors actually represented in the real world. So, off on my little tangent I went, to read up on the sponsors and gain a grasp on what they contribute to society. Then I decided it might be fun and even mildly educational (don't panic) to post my findings right here. Mind you, I have included some obvious sponsors, as well as a few of those that were not so obvious to me... it is a sparse list that represents only a handful of sponsors. I did not run-down every last one....that would be a daunting task and one that I am not willing to take on for the sake of useless trivia. Some of you may grow tired of this little adventure as you may well know the societal impact of the entire expanse of sponsors.... you are now excused.

	A familiar sight on those big Ducs, Alice is the name of a Telecom Italia communications package
	Also spied on the shiny fairings of the Ducs, but more prevalent on the Pramac d'Antin sponsored rides. This logo belongs to BNL, or, Banca Nazionale de Lavoro.... the banking industry (appropriate!)
	Ding ding ding! Here's a familiar sight. Although the Camel contract will not be renewed with Yamaha for 2007.... I thought they deserved mention.
	You can find Elf, a member of the lubricants industry displayed on the bikes in the Kawasaki Racing Team paddock (Yay! Randy)
	Another sponsor that has not been renewed for the 2007 season, Fortuna of the tobacco industry will not be backing the boys of Gresini Honda next year.
	A fine representative of the lubricant industry.... and fun to say!
	The familiar blue check plastered all over the likes of Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa belongs to none other than Gas, a representative of the clothing industry
	Although not active in 2006, this familiar logo is the trademark of yet another member of the tobacco industry. Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau are a couple of the riders that have straddled their logo on the track. They are rumored to be making a return to MotoGP for 2007.
	Here's one that you'll see smacked across the face of Rossi's helmet and sewn onto his leathers. KeraKoll has taken quite an interest in The Doctor. They manufacture modern construction chemicals.
	You may have seen this logo tagging along on Melandri's bike this season. It belongs to Valsir which deals in waste and water supply systems.
	Also rumored to be making a comeback to MotoGP in 2007.... who will they sponsor?? Telefonica Movistar (the official sponsor name...sometimes seen seperately, but they are the same company) is a Spanish telecommunications giant.
	Proud sponsor of Ducati as well as one of the most recognized names in that big, controversial tobacco industry. Set to be sponsoring Loris Capirossi and Casey Stoner in 2007
	The Pramac Group... recognizeable in the sponsorship of Ducati through Pramac d'Antin. They are makers of generators and handling systems (i.e. forklifts, etc.)
	If you have watched one MotoGP race, you are familiar with this logo. Repsol Lubricants proudly sponsors Honda riders Daniel Pedrosa and the 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden
	The company for which Suzuk riders Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins can thank concerning not only their opportunity to pilot some of the top bikes in the world, but also that obnoxious blue color scheme. Rizla manufactures rolling papers... ummm... for cigarettes, of course
	Breil, a maker of fine watches can be found prominently displayed on a Duc here and a Duc there.

So, there you have it.... the results of my weak look into just a few of the companies that help make MotoGP happen. I have succeeded in boring myself at this point, so it is well past time for me to move on to another project. I am off to stalk the various forums and racing news sites until I can gather up enough new information to warrant another round of incessant yammering :)

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

It Lives!!!!

Yes, I have been absent for quite some time. I have been doing some serious upgrades to the site (many more to come!) and I got a little busy/distracted with my own racing schedule... which should be winding down for the winter soon. I have almost gotten the entire site switched over to the new format. This excites me. The "Links" page is finally up.... scantily populated at the moment, but up. If you have a site that you want linked here, or want to put an MO banner on, the info is there. The "Helmets" section is coming along nicely. I don't have all the brands up yet, but I have shopped around for the best prices on the ones I have, and found some fantastic deals. SO, if you're in the market for a new lid.. you know where to go :) Now on to more exciting things.....

MotoGP... Bloody hell!! SO much is going on, I don't even know where to start. Estoril was simply out of control. I believe "WTF???" came out of my mouth an easy 2 dozen times. Dani Pedrosa.... shame on you for pulling such a stunt. Supposedly all is well in the Repsol camp now, but I was FURIOUS when it happened. Clearly not as furious as Nicky, but angry nonetheless. Rossi cracked me up. As Elias shot past him, he turned completely around on his bike in the middle of a corner.... as if to say "Where the hell did you come from.... and who did you bring with you??" CLASSIC MOMENT!! The battle between Rossi and Elias was epic. I was 100% entertained.. thanks guys :)

Valencia looks like it's going to be a nail-biter. Rossi took pole this morning in QP, followed by Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi. Nicky and Dani ended up in the second row with Shinya Nakano. I am racing the Moose tomorrow, but it's a semi-local race. My goal is to be off the track, home, and sipping a tasty adult beverage by 3:30 in order to catch the coverage on SpeedTV. That's the plan anyway.

Many riders have signed with new camps for the 2007 season. Casey Stoner did make his move to Ducati (farewell Sete... I'm NOT happy about this!!), Makoto Tamada left Konica Minolta, and Edwards didn't make the suspected move to SBK, but rather resigned with Camel Yamaha. There's more to tell, and I will follow up as time allows and more contracts are signed :)

On the personal front. I competed in the long-awaited Subaru Challenge last weekend, and successfully completed my contract with the Subaru camp :) I did my job and brought home a win for JMS in BSPL, and went on to run the Moose Sunday and bring home a win for Team W.A.R.P. Speed. All-in-all it was a good weekend. Here are a couple of pictures from "Subi Day"...

Another noteworthy nugget... El Turdo, Motorcycle Obsession's official mascot bike has found a new home. Yes, we were all very saddened to see the Turd go, but, alas, a new project has taken his place. It's a project of the four-wheeled variety, American made and clad in fiberglass... any guesses?? Yea, it's one of them... yet another one of them. The hunt is on though, for the next two-wheeled mascot.. stay tuned!!

As I wrap up for the day, and begin preparations for tomorrow's race, I'll leave you all with this parting shot of our beloved El Turdo. And remember, when next you crack a beer in celebration..... Tip One For the Turd!!

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)

Results from Motegi

Alright, so it's Monday afternoon and I have just gotten around to watching the Motegi race. I found myself in Hutchinson Island, GA yesterday racing the Moose, so I was unable to watch the MotoGP broadcast live during the wee hours of Sunday morning. Okay, that's a lie, I was not unable... nay, I was unwilling.... I needed my speed-sleep Saturday night, cause I sure as hell didn't get much Friday night. We won't go into my personal antics from Friday night, but I will let you nibble on this little nugget..... the parts that I DO remember were indeed entertaining (although, I would venture to guess that onlookers and neutral third parties may have been further entertained by the parts that I do NOT remember) Good times!!

I digress.... the race was worth the wait. I cheated Sunday morning on the trip up to GA and looked briefly at the results, so I knew what the podium order was, and I knew that several had crashed out. A little bit of a spoiler for myself, but not enough to strip the enjoyment from watching the race... I would never let me do that to me.

As I watched the race from start to finish, the only thing that ran through my mind was...... complete, total, unadulterated, brilliantly solid, ITALIAN DOMINATION. Ahhhhh Loris, what a vision you are on that big, booming Ducati. For the first half of the race, it was Loris, Marco Melandri and Valentino Rossi... in perfect form, tight succession, and stellar synchronization... the Italian tri-fecta of MotoGP racing. They ripped around the Twin Rings of Motegi with blinding speed. Loris never gave up his pole position. He held tight and fought off all advances from Melandri, who finally succumbed to Rossi's freakishly perfect riding ability and settled for a third place finish.

Sete Gibernau crossed the line in fourth place, which may or may not have happened had Shinya Nikano not crashed out on the last lap during an extremely valiant effort to pass Sete. I still don't know (after watching the crash replay an easy dozen times) how Shinya didn't take Sete with him when he went. A huge disappointment for Kawasaki after Randy de Puniet crashed out as well earlier in the race (I still love ya Randy!!!!). With Shinya's biff, came a bit of good luck for Nicky Hayden who struggled through the entire race to gain any ground he could and lengthen the gap between himself and Rossi in the championship points standings. Nicky ended up in fifth, but if not for Casey Stoner and Shinya Nikano exiting stage left at a high rate of speed, I am certain he would have landed in 7th at best. In the end, Hayden's lead was reduced to 12 points over Rossi..... a task well within reach of the superior force that is, The Doctor.

Casey rode one of his best races of the season.... right up until he crashed out. It was a righteous crash... he was attempting to overtake (insert name of top 10 MotoGP rider here) on one of the daunting hairpins of the Twin Rings, he went in a little hot and a little wide, grabbed the brake a little too hard and washed out. He slid clear and got up.. nothing hurt but his feelings. He had made his way into the top 5 and was slowly chipping away at the podium crew before he went skittering off the track.

All-in-all, another fantstic performance from the fastest men on two wheels. The fight for the championship will continue right down to the wire. There are only two races left in the 2006 MotoGP season, and each one of them will surely find me clinging to the edge of my seat, emitting Tourettes-like outbursts and emulating the spastic twitching of a stroke victim... for it is then, and only then that I know I am being 100% entertained :) :) :)

Until next time......

Rubb'er Down :)