NO SPOILER - yet - I'm just pre-empting it with my topic title as someone's bound to give it away.
The last corner of the last lap was spectacular!
But to get to that point we saw the first ever invocation of the new wet rule, meaning bikes charging into pit lane, riders hopping off and onto their 'wet' bike (different tyres, steel rotors as carbon ones don't like water, and maybe some suspension and ECU mapping tweaks) and off again - Hayden nearly colliding with Capirossi on his departure from his pitbox.
Very interesting, probably too soon to say whether the new rule is more successful than the old. Certainly, to change bikes, you had to first skate your way back to the pits - which proved challenging for a few unfortunates.
But whatever else you do, make sure you see the last corner of the last lap (no doubt it will become as famous a clip as the Biaggi mono at Brno). The dozen-odd faithful who were at the particular OzVFR gathering on the day nearly leapt into the roof, absolutely spectacular riding from the gentleman in question.
I know what you are talking about but the best bit, to me, was 'my man' (the winner) coming round that last corner with the rear tire well & truely lit up while holding up his left hand in Churchill's victory salute. Just great.
I much prefer the change bike rule. The previous system of stopping the race & restarting as a new race which could be as short as 5 laps was much inferior. However, as we saw, it really mixes up the race order completely - in this case the usual suspects gained heavily and the surprise front runners fell way back.
While I enjoyed the race (and the outcome), I'm not sure I liked the effect the swapping of bikes had. The positions in the couple of laps following the restart had little to do with those before it, or with qualifying, and had more to do with how well the riders and their teams handled the whole.
A pleasing result nevertheless, and fitting in with my desire to see the points board flattened out before the last few races, which should be rather exciting (as indeed Philip Island was).
Whilst the last corner of the last lap was spectacular, Rossi's charge through the field over the first two or three laps was equally spectacular ...
I thought that Hayden looked completely out of it , his body language on the grid suggested that he didnt really have the stomach for the fight ? he was saved Big Time by the rain - otherwise he would have been midfield at best . Lucky Boy .
I just read that Rossi passed Stoner under a yellow flag corner..........What will happen to him? Should anything? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Has anyone else heard anything about this?
virginia vfr, Sep 19 2006, 02:59 PM I just read that Rossi passed Stoner under a yellow flag corner..........What will happen to him? Should anything? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Has anyone else heard anything about this?
Nothing.
It was not spotted during the race, only afterwards. The race director didnot try to bullshit (good on ya mate), put up his hands and apologized.
If Rossi had realised it, he would have dropped back behind Stoner and taken him the moment the yellow was lifted. Otherwise his crew would have signalled him and he would have let Stoner pass (only to take him the next corner). Only if Rossi had ignored the crew signs would he have been black flagged (or is that flaffed?) smile.gif
Victor_Meldrew, Sep 19 2006, 04:04 AM Whilst the last corner of the last lap was spectacular, Rossi's charge through the field over the first two or three laps was equally spectacular ...
I thought that Hayden looked completely out of it , his body language on the grid suggested that he didnt really have the stomach for the fight ? he was saved Big Time by the rain - otherwise he would have been midfield at best . Lucky Boy .
Hayden was being cautious because of the wet track, just like Rossi. (the 2 guys with the most to lose) They both went in reverse at lights out.
It rained for everyone, not just Hayden.
I think the Lucky Boy (sic) here was Pedrosa. Had Hayden or Rossi won this race, he would be completely out of it. Now that Melandri won, the points between the 4 of them have gotten considerably tighter.
Yes. I'm a Hayden fan. And I'm enjoying the fact that he's got a shot at the championship. He sure is giving people fits, on and off the track. wheel.gif
Dutchy, Sep 19 2006, 08:06 AM Nothing.
It was not spotted during the race, only afterwards. The race director didnot try to bullshit (good on ya mate), put up his hands and apologized.
If Rossi had realised it, he would have dropped back behind Stoner and taken him the moment the yellow was lifted. Otherwise his crew would have signalled him and he would have let Stoner pass (only to take him the next corner). Only if Rossi had ignored the crew signs would he have been black flagged (or is that flaffed?) smile.gif
Dutchy, I seriously doubt Rossi would have voluntarily dropped back, without being told. Nothing will happen, and it probably shouldn't. The outcome on the championship would be devastating, and if Hayden won it, we'd never hear the end of the "yellow flag at PI".
I gotta stop watching motogp on the Speed Channel. The coverage sucks, what with horribly placed commercials and all. I swear they actually cut stuff out this time. I still have no idea what went on from the end of the warmup lap to the start of the race. They cut to commercial with everyone getting off the bikes and milling around. Came back seconds before everyone started with the announcers lamenting the amount of time everyone's tires had cooled. WTF?
Is the video coverage on the motogp website good enough to warrant the money?
LandShark, Sep 19 2006, 10:07 AM I think the Lucky Boy (sic) here was Pedrosa. Had Hayden or Rossi won this race, he would be completely out of it. Now that Melandri won, the points between the 4 of them have gotten considerably tighter.
i don't see the logic in that. pedrosa did nothing but fall back in the pack once it started raining... he was up in the top 5 before the rain came down. he doesn' t do well in the wet. he stood to gain a pantload of points on hayden who was absolutely languishing off the start - the rain saved hayden's ass... both rossi and pedrosa were in real good shape before it started coming down.
Is the video coverage on the motogp website good enough to warrant the money?
From what I've heard, it is - but let's wait till a subscriber throws his 2 cents in.
I have Foxtel here in Oz which is great (although I think Nick Harris is going senile, I catch twice as many things as he does during the race) but I watched the race at an OzVFR members place so got the commercial coverage (literally). We came back from an ad break to see Edwards on the deck, and that was it! No footage, no follow-up... and at the end of the race, no post-podium interviews! F%$% that, if you're a fan pay for the cable or online coverage.
I completely missed the Rossi/Stoner/yellowflag incident - thanks to the sh!te coverage - but I'm glad it was dropped, as mentioned that's no way for Hayden to win the championship. I have my fears for his ability to do it but whatever happens it's going to be a thriller! We have three fantastic races to look forward to, normally the title is all but signed off at this point of the season but there are now FOUR guys with eyes bigger than their stomachs ready to do whatever it takes - yeah!
The Melandri Slide (which is what I was referring to Tok Tokkie!) is now on YouTube, have a look for it...
Is the video coverage on the motogp website good enough to warrant the money?
It is. You get the entire race, commercial free, from rider interviews on the grid pre warm up all the way to the interviews of the podium finishers after trophies have been issued. The picture quality is not exactly stellar, but its liveable. Plus, you get access to the 125 and 250 races, races from seasons past, interviews of folks associated with the MotoGP arena, etc....
I will be re-upping my subscription when the time comes. Its only like $35USD for the year if you don't need access to the live content.
LandShark, Sep 19 2006, 10:07 AM Hayden was being cautious because of the wet track, just like Rossi. (the 2 guys with the most to lose) They both went in reverse at lights out.
It rained for everyone, not just Hayden.
I think the Lucky Boy (sic) here was Pedrosa. Had Hayden or Rossi won this race, he would be completely out of it. Now that Melandri won, the points between the 4 of them have gotten considerably tighter.
Yes. I'm a Hayden fan. And I'm enjoying the fact that he's got a shot at the championship. He sure is giving people fits, on and off the track. wheel.gif Dutchy, I seriously doubt Rossi would have voluntarily dropped back, without being told. Nothing will happen, and it probably shouldn't. The outcome on the championship would be devastating, and if Hayden won it, we'd never hear the end of the "yellow flag at PI".
But I agree. It was the right "non-call".
hayden looked horrible at the start of the race and was wallowing around down in 13th place and did was not moving up. rossi on the other hand was on the move. Haydon was extremly lucky the rain came. I thing dirt tracking is a great way to start a racing career if you are going to stay in ama superbike. But if you want to race with the big boys you need to have been on the gp circuit from the start. the best riders won championships in the 125 and 250 classes. Haydon has benefited more from circumstances this year then his riding abilities. Rossi will catch and pass him for the championship. Haydon has started compaining about the bike the tires, while Pedrosa has just ridden the wheels off the bike.
Phantom; we get the ad free broadcast here with Nick Harris doing the commentary which is what you also seem to usually watch at home. All they showed of the Colin Edwards incident is the same as you saw & we also saw nothing of the Rossi/Stoner/Hayden incident. What we did get is the Aussie pit lane comentator asking Rossi after the race about his pass on Gibbernau under waved yellows - oh deary me! (Usually he is on top of his job). ( I thought that was what you were referring to in the opening post - sorry I spoiled the thread right there; will think a bit longer before posting next time. Me bad)
superchode, Sep 20 2006, 09:07 AM i don't see the logic in that. pedrosa did nothing but fall back in the pack once it started raining... he was up in the top 5 before the rain came down. he doesn' t do well in the wet. he stood to gain a pantload of points on hayden who was absolutely languishing off the start - the rain saved hayden's ass... both rossi and pedrosa were in real good shape before it started coming down.
The weather is the same for everyone.
The logic is that because Dani stinks in the rain, he could have lost a lot more points if either Rossi or Hayden had won.
Either way, there is no denying that luck plays a huge role in racing. Hayden's been lucky? I don't know, it seems like there's more guys that have been unlucky.
After all the crap I read on other "racing" boards you'd think that no one should be allowed to win this championship because Valentino has had a couple mishaps.
Is there someone else that is more deserving of being in the title chase than Nicky?
They're all deserving of being in the chase, it's a pity the shunt in Spain (?) took a few of them out of it for a while, otherwise Capirossi would still be factor. Nicky got lucky this weekend for sure, he was nowhere until the rain came, then had a good bike change, and his position in relation to Pedrosa reversed. He must be living right smile.gif Good on him, he took the result as fair, said Rossi beat him on the track, didn't whinge. I hope he wins it all, but suspect Rossi will take a lot of stopping. Melandri's last corner will make highlight reels for a long time. Brilliant stuff! Cheers Barry
earlyrider, Sep 20 2006, 10:14 AM I thing dirt tracking is a great way to start a racing career if you are going to stay in ama superbike. But if you want to race with the big boys you need to have been on the gp circuit from the start. the best riders won championships in the 125 and 250 classes. Haydon has benefited more from circumstances this year then his riding abilities. Rossi will catch and pass him for the championship. Haydon has started compaining about the bike the tires, while Pedrosa has just ridden the wheels off the bike.
I holeheartedly disagree. Many of the great champions of the past started out in dirt tracking. The big advantage of having the 125/250 background is that you walk into MotoGP knowing every inch of the track before the first practice. Don't believe it? The only track Hayden is familiar with as intimately as the 125/250 riders like Rossi is Laguna Seca, which he won two years in a row. There are three big reasons why there have been no champions coming from dirt tracking in the last several years. #1 Rossi. #2 Rossi. The guy has phenominal talent and would have been able to dominate MotoGP just as well if he had been a dirt tracker. It would have taken him a year or two to learn the tracks, then he would have started gathering championships. The #3 reason is that the U.S, where most of the dirt track background riders come from, just hasn't had the talent to give to MotoGP that we have in the past. Talent is the most important component to a championship. The best bike and the best experience in the world isn't enough to beat Rossi unless you have the talent to go with it.
Yes, Hayden has benefitted from luck this year, but so has every other rider in the paddock. Rossi is the best MotoGP rider, no question about it. All the riders had luck on their side when he had bike troubles. Pedrosa was just as lucky as Hayden. Pedrosa also has a weight advantage over every rider in the paddock. Hayden's talent has him in front of Pedrosa for now, and hopefully in contention for #1. It's a big challenge, but if Rossi finishes first in each of the last three races, Hayden can still win the championship if he manages to finish second in each one.
tbzep, Sep 21 2006, 02:53 PM but if Rossi finishes first in each of the last three races, Hayden can still win the championship if he manages to finish second in each one.
Tailgaiting Rossi hmmm? Wish I had the skills to achieve such a feat.... smile.gif
Haydon has started compaining about the bike the tires, while Pedrosa has just ridden the wheels off the bike.
Just to clarify this one point, Nicky and Dani do not ride the same version of the RC211V. Dani is on the "standard" version while Nicky is on a newer version with a different engine, chassis and swingarm. Basically Honda/Repsol is doing testing, developing the bike using their points leader to do it which makes no sense to me. There is more in common between Pedrosa's and Melandri's RC211V than there is with Hayden's. Here is a quote from Nicky's crew chief...
Hayden's crew chief Pete Benson recently said: "We have probably lost at least one practice session at almost every grand prix to tyre testing. Nicky's bike is a lot more difficult to set up than Dani's: the engine, the chassis and the swinging-arm are all different."
I haven't heard anything from him that I would call "complaining" and no more than anyone else including Rossi. I have to wonder where Nicky would be if he were on a standard RC211V??
I have to go on record as a huge Nicky supporter. That said, if he wins this year, it will be a combination of luck and consistency. Rossi has more talent for sure, but has also caught breaks in the past.
If Nicky doesn't get the title this year, I think he probably wont. The young guys coming up are too good already and with a year under their belts are going to be formidable next year.
The yellow flag incident is problematic for me. Race control didn't see the infraction? How many monitors and people were there in the race control booth? Nicky obviously reacted to the illegal pass with his posture and thought for sure it would be called back. Rossi didn't 'let" Stoner back byand he didn't raise his hand as the rule book says he should. Stoner made a racing pass and eventually was passed back. Period.
I don't think Rossi was trying to cheat and I am a huge fan of Rossi's. I believe him to be a very fair racer and a gentleman as well. It just seems like BS that an illegal pass is dismissed when the points are this tight. Nicky saw it all happen and is getting screwed. Race control even apologized and admitted they were wrong. Rossi made a mistake, inadvertantly and should have had to suffer some consequences.
I don't really know what should have happened, but it is upsetting to think that because the illegal pass wasn't dealt with during the race, it is as if it never happened.
earlyrider, Sep 20 2006, 08:14 AM hayden looked horrible at the start of the race and was wallowing around down in 13th place and did was not moving up. rossi on the other hand was on the move. Haydon was extremly lucky the rain came. I thing dirt tracking is a great way to start a racing career if you are going to stay in ama superbike. But if you want to race with the big boys you need to have been on the gp circuit from the start. the best riders won championships in the 125 and 250 classes. Haydon has benefited more from circumstances this year then his riding abilities. Rossi will catch and pass him for the championship. Haydon has started compaining about the bike the tires, while Pedrosa has just ridden the wheels off the bike.
Uh, earlyrider, FYI, there have been several ex dirt trackers that have been world champions, and how many euro roadracers have been through the Roberts XR100 school in Spain?
Last season I didn't have Speed channel. As much as it stinks, watching the races on my tv with surround sound certainly beat watching it on the computer.
The Speed channel cuts everything short and takes commercial breaks. On my computer with cable broadband on the Motogp.com site, I could watch the races in thier entirety. The picture was so small that it made it hard to read the graphics and in full screen mode I couldn't read anything or see much detail.
On the other hand, each broadcast was 90 minutes with no commercials and you could see qualifying and lots of news clips.
The best set up would be to have cable tv coverage and then watch the pre and post race footage on the computer.
ex TZ tuner, Sep 21 2006, 12:03 PM Uh, earlyrider, FYI, there have been several ex dirt trackers that have been world champions, and how many euro roadracers have been through the Roberts XR100 school in Spain?
i think dirt tracking was great 20yrs ago. now so specialized you have to start on the gp circuit earlier
rjstaaf, Sep 21 2006, 11:24 AM Just to clarify this one point, Nicky and Dani do not ride the same version of the RC211V. Dani is on the "standard" version while Nicky is on a newer version with a different engine, chassis and swingarm. Basically Honda/Repsol is doing testing, developing the bike using their points leader to do it which makes no sense to me. There is more in common between Pedrosa's and Melandri's RC211V than there is with Hayden's. Here is a quote from Nicky's crew chief... I haven't heard anything from him that I would call "complaining" and no more than anyone else including Rossi. I have to wonder where Nicky would be if he were on a standard RC211V??
if nicky wanted a standard RC211V, he'd be on one. he's on the different bike because of the team trying to suit his riding style and get him around the track as fast as possible. melandri, stoner, pedrosa and even kenny roberts jr., for the most part, have been running the european style circuits and bikes and seem happy on the standard RC211V configuration... nicky is the oddball.
superchode, Sep 21 2006, 01:00 PM if nicky wanted a standard RC211V, he'd be on one. he's on the different bike because of the team trying to suit his riding style and get him around the track as fast as possible. melandri, stoner, pedrosa and even kenny roberts jr., for the most part, have been running the european style circuits and bikes and seem happy on the standard RC211V configuration... nicky is the oddball.
I don't buy it. I could see minor changes to suit his riding style but, a new chassis, swingarm and engine? Nah, this was Honda trying to stretch the development of the RC211V before the 800s come in and willing or not Nicky was saddled with it.
End of thread · 30 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 18 Oct 2006