MotoGP mid-season review

[russell_bynum]

What do you think about how things are going this year in MotoGP?

 

Here's some of my thoughts:

 

New Tire rules: Bad. I want to see the team with the best package on Sunday win the race, not the team that did the best job guessing on Thursday. Last year we had some really good battles between Michelin and Bridgestone. This year, one or the other runs away with it. That's not good racing.

 

The reason for the tire rules was supposedly to cut costs. This isn't club racing, this is MotofrickenGP. The restrictions should be that the vehicle has to have two wheels, a certain displacement, and a minimum weight, and that's it. Anything else is fair game.

 

The switch to 800cc bikes: Mixed. On the upside, it did shake things up and get everyone basically back to a level playing field. Laptimes have mostly been faster and corner speeds are higher. The downside, the new bikes sound terrible compared to the old ones, and they're not nearly as entertaining to watch since you don't see the same point and shoot riding style. Mostly I'd say it has been a good thing.

 

HRC: Morons. They've got SIX riders on RC212V's (Hayden/Pedrosa - Repsol, Melandri/Elias - Gresini, Nakano - Konica Minolta, and Tamada - LCR). Three of those have a realistic shot at the title based on their performance in the recent past (Hayden, Pedrosa, and Melandri). But they design the bike around Pedrosa...to the extent that Nicky doesn't even fit behind the damn fairing. Nicky's the biggest of the Honda riders, but you have to assume that the rest (all of whom are a good bit larger than Dani) are fighting similar problems. With all of the money that Honda spends on MotoGP, I just can't believe how freaking stupid they are. Last year, making Nicky stay on the test bike when he was in a serious title fight and the test bike CLEARLY wasn't working was just incomprehensible. Now they've come out with a new bike that's designed around one specific rider...and it's the one rider who's more physically different than any of their other riders. Stupid.

 

Michelin: WTF? Clearly they're not dealing with the new tire rules very well. Colin Edwards has been a Michelin guy for a VERY long time...he's probably their most valuable tire testing resource and constant carrier of the Michelin banner. Even he's bitching about the tires. Valentino sounds like he's to the point of hiring the mafia to make sure Michelin starts getting him tires that work. Dani was fast all weekend at Laguna, but went backwards in the race when his tires went away. Michelin needs to figure this stuff out, and quick.

 

Alex Barros back in the paddock: Man I love watching that guy ride....for the same reason I enjoy watching Miguel Duhamel ride, except Alex much better.

 

Charging Kawasakis: This has been Kawi's best season in a very long time. West and dePuniet are riding the wheels off those bikes, and it is great to see some new faces at the pointy end from time to time.

 

Casey Stoner: We all said last year that if Casey could figure out how to stay on the bike, he'd be damn hard to beat. He's figured that out, and found a bike that suits him. He's shaping up to be a great competitor, and the few times we've seen him actually battle with Rossi, he's done what Biaggi and Gibernau couldn't do: Kept his cool. Regardless of what happens the rest of this season, Casey is going to be a force to be reckoned with for quite some time.

 

New stuff:

Marco Melandri going to Ducati next year: Probably more a testimony to how stupid HRC is than anything else. Marco's been with Grisini for a long time and it was Honda's treatment of the promising Italian rider that (in my opinion) caused this switch. I think Marco and Casey will be a good pair, and will make for some great Ducati vs. Ducati battles next year.

 

Anything else?

[90%angel]

I am just wondering why this season is so dull? Last season was so exciting...edge of your seat, nail biting racing, most of the time - this year, you pretty much have the race called by the first few laps. When, during this season, have we seen 5 bikes, nose to tail at the finish line like we did last season (I believe that was at Sachssenring)?

 

Tire rule: Get rid of it. What a dumb year for that anyway, when they are running an entirely new bike, and could really use a lot of tires to figure out the right set up. Agree with Collin: limit the quantity if you must, even limit it to what you bring (so no more Michellin overnighting tires to the race tracks), but you shouldn't have to guess on Thursday what you think you're going to need, and too bad, so sad if that isn't what you need on Sunday.

 

Hopper: Why is he one of the most sought after guys in the paddock? That's what the Kawasaki guy said after they signed him (so granted, they may be trying to pump up their choice and make them sound smart). He needed a Hayden '05 season this year, and so far, that hasn't happened. I don't really get his staying power.

 

Nicky: Shoulda moved to Ducati, man. Hindsight's 20/20, I suppose...

 

Pedrosa: Please learn how to at least pretend like you like your job.

 

Chris Jonnum (Road Racer X): How did you luck into writing the biography that I wanted to write?!

 

Rossi: I hope this is a Michellin problem, and not a Rossi problem. I want to see the Doctor go out on top when he retires (which is rumored for the end of next season, but you never know with him!). (I think it is a tire problem, personally)

 

Mainstream coverage of races: Fine! Great! Wonderful that the races are being shown on ABC, CBS, FOX and the like, but PLEASE stay with the regular announcing team. PLEASE?

[Couchrocket]

I am just wondering why this season is so dull?

Good points, all, both posts....

 

As a much less sophisticated viewer, I chalk it up to the bikes. They just are not exciting to watch. They don't back into the corners and drift, and they don't power slide out of the corners so noticeably. And there is isn't as much dramatic passing. Or so it "feels" to me. And Russell is right, they sound cheesy. If lap times are faster, then these bikes "work better" but perhaps it is like an RT "doing everything reasonably well" as opposed to some fire-breathing machine that needs to be tamed and is fun to watch someone who really knows what they are doing master it.

[russell_bynum]

As a much less sophisticated viewer, I chalk it up to the bikes. They just are not exciting to watch. They don't back into the corners and drift, and they don't power slide out of the corners so noticeably. And there is isn't as much dramatic passing. Or so it "feels" to me.

 

Have you seen any of the 250 races this season? That's some spectacular racing with lots of crazy passes and all sorts of fun stuff going on. They're not sliding around and backing it in like the big bikes, but it's still really good racing.

[keithb]

I have not watched a ton of the races this year but I like the point/counterpoint column you and your wife are writing (hee, hee). I agree with you regarding the 250's. Some of the best racing I have ever seen were the 250's racing at Laguna Seca. Slicing, dicing, and multiple passes on the same lap between the same guys. Just plain exciting and fun to watch. The stuff nowadays when the lead rider is shot out of gun and it is over is no fun at all. It's one of the reasons I have passed on L.S. the last two years along with the insane crowds.

[Couchrocket]

Have you seen any of the 250 races this season?

Yes, and it is the reverse of last season! Fun stuff...

[bmwk100]

I kind of agree that the season has been dull so far. WSB actually has been a little better. All the tinkering with the rules may have something to do with it.

 

I still look forward to watching the races. (Except when Fox has it since my local station pre-empted the race for news.)

[duckbubbles]

I know this is off the main subject, but why aren't the 125's and 250's run at Laguna? They go with the rest of the circus everywhere else in the world.

Is it because they may think that American fans won't go to see the two strokes? Are the Cali-crazies not allowing the 2-strokes? Does anyone know what gives?

 

Also, everyone was saying that the Duck/Stoner is only good at the tracks with the long straights. I guess Laguna has proved that totally baseless. I don't mind that Casey is doing so good, I am a Ducati fan, but I am also a Rossi fan and would like to see him make more of a challenge of the championship. Too bad that Nicky/HRC has taken so long to get up to reasonable speed. But then again, I can't help but grin anytime Honda has their ass handed to them.

 

And bmwk100, I am in total sympathy with you. Last week the local station pre-empted the MotoGP race for a funeral! I bet that wouldn't happen to NASCAR!

Frank

[russell_bynum]

I know this is off the main subject, but why aren't the 125's and 250's run at Laguna? They go with the rest of the circus everywhere else in the world.

Is it because they may think that American fans won't go to see the two strokes? Are the Cali-crazies not allowing the 2-strokes? Does anyone know what gives?

 

The first reason I heard was that there wasn't enough time to get all three classes through customs between the race prior to Laguna, and Laguna. I don't know if that's true...and if it is, then why not move things aroud so they have more time. I have a feeling that money is a big part of it. Nobody here watches 125. Speed rarely even covers it and when they do, it's played 3 weeks later during otherwise dead time.

 

250 is usually shown on the same day that they broadcast MotoGP, but I don't know how many people are watching it. We do, beacause it is tremendously good racing, but most of my friends who watch racing do not watch 125 or 250.

 

I guess they feel like they can get a bigger audience with the AMA classes than with 125 and 250.

 

Personally...I don't have too much interest in seeing the 125's, but watching Lorenzo and Dovizioso duke it out at Laguna would definitely rank high on my list of cool stuff to see.

 

We are getting all three classes next year at Indy, so that should be cool.

[EffBee]

Personally...I don't have too much interest in seeing the 125's, but watching Lorenzo and Dovizioso duke it out at Laguna would definitely rank high on my list of cool stuff to see.

 

Absolutely. 125 racing, and to a lesser extent the 250 class, is momentum racing. Get up to speed and maintain that speed at all costs, because if you fall back you don't have the horsepower to make up the difference. Toss in Laguna's elevation changes and those guys would be hanging it out like CRAZY trying to keep the steam up. It would be AWESOME racing, even if the speeds are down from the GP bikes.