I'm Obsessed with MotoGP

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by dlockhart

moto America stream is up.

MotoAmerica - Live from New Jersey Motorsports Park - Video Details - MotorTrend on Demand

Thanks for this. I'll be subscribing.

[VFR750]

No radios. Riders have to decide what to do. What an amazing concept.

What a race today. I won't spoil it.

Is that what F1 needs? Less absurd droning chatter from the crew about watching the tires and brakes??? They talk WAY too much in F1!

[sand_man]

Not giving too much away, here, but do you need any more proof than today's race (San Marino), that this is the single greatest form of motor racing in existence???!!! Today's race was INSANE!!!! So much excitement with all of the crazy weather and bike changes, that I was nearly in tears!!!!!

[sand_man]

I have never really held the notion of "sports heroes", but these men are my heroes!!!!!

[javadog]

Man, what a disaster. Both Yamahas ignoring the pit boards to come in, then Rossi stays out for yet another lap...

Going to be some long discussions tonight.

JR

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by javadog

Man, what a disaster. Both Yamahas ignoring the pit boards to come in, then Rossi stays out for yet another lap...

Going to be some long discussions tonight.

JR

Did you see that slo-mo footage of the front tires (still on wets) shredding?! Looked like the treads were literally flying off!!!

[javadog]

Yeah, that's not unusual. You were seeing balled-up rubber at the tire edges. At that point the wets were 10 seconds a lap slower than the slicks.

JR

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by javadog

Man, what a disaster. Both Yamahas ignoring the pit boards to come in, then Rossi stays out for yet another lap...

Going to be some long discussions tonight.

JR

For sure! At one point, probably the very last lap that Rossi stayed out on the wets, I was afraid he might go down or even lose the tires!!! He was creeping around the track!

[dlockhart]

in case you need some more MA 600s up meow

MotoAmerica - Live from New Jersey Motorsports Park - Video Details - MotorTrend on Demand

[cheeze]

I couldn't figure out why Marquez let Rossi pass through so easily, then the cameras switched to a panning overhead shot of a clear dry line, and I knew why. It's a stroke of genius to set Rossi on Lorenzo like that and know that their egos will close everything around them and take their minds off the conditions of the race. Absolutely masterful. From a 22 year old no less.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by cheeze

I couldn't figure out why Marquez let Rossi pass through so easily, then the cameras switched to a panning overhead shot of a clear dry line, and I knew why. It's a stroke of genius to set Rossi on Lorenzo like that and know that their egos will close everything around them and take their minds off the conditions of the race. Absolutely masterful. From a 22 year old no less.

+1, I too figured he was letting them decide when to pit but he outsmarted them. But imagine the mental discipline required to go from dry to wet to dry. These riders are absolutely amongst the best ever.

[rob justice]

Not wanting to spoil anything - but that was the best race of the year!

[yellowperil]

And I wish the Kentucky Kid, Nickey Hayden wasn't mired back in 15th place at most racers on his Aspar, whatever that is. Always liked him, and being a past MotoGP
world champ makes it even sadder.

Hope he doesn't stay TOO long. Seems like a great guy.

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by yellowperil

And I wish the Kentucky Kid, Nickey Hayden wasn't mired back in 15th place at most racers on his Aspar, whatever that is. Always liked him, and being a past MotoGP
world champ makes it even sadder.

^^^^This! Couldn't agree more!

[sand_man]

Also, that bike switch Marquez performed was pretty cool! His boots didn't even touch the ground!!!

[sand_man]

Now that the dust has settled from Misano, I have to wonder if Rossi's poor judgment in not pitting sooner to switch bikes, will haunt him as the championship grinds on. Sure, Lorenzo crashed out, and Rossi finished 5th, thus extending his lead, but I think he left valuable points on the table, if he could have finished 3rd or even 4th!

[herr_oberst]

I think Val did exactly what he had to do. Points were left on the table, sure, but in changing conditions, he had to make sure that he didn't lose a ton of points through the foibles of dry / wet strategy.


All in all, well played, at least in my estimation.

[javadog]

I think Rossi regrets his decision to stay out on wets. The teams would have been looking at the split times for all of the riders that changed and would know withing 30 deconds whether slicks were faster than wets. I saw pitboards that told several of the riders to come in and they flew right by, ignoring them. Vale probably ignored the boards the longest. It's one thing to let the rider decide to come in to change to wets and another thing altogether to make the reverse change on a drying track. He threw away a second place, easily. I think he'll want those point in about a month.

JR

[motion]

Originally Posted by sand_man

Now that the dust has settled from Misano, I have to wonder if Rossi's poor judgment in not pitting sooner to switch bikes, will haunt him as the championship grinds on. Sure, Lorenzo crashed out, and Rossi finished 5th, thus extending his lead, but I think he left valuable points on the table, if he could have finished 3rd or even 4th!

You can never underestimate Rossi's cunning. During those few laps of changing conditions, he was calculating everything going on around him and what the outcomes would be. It wasn't a mistake... he had a plan with respect to Jorge and the points, and executed it.

[flatbutt]

To speculate further...if Vale had pitted at the same time as Jorge they would have been in and out at virtually the same time. The way Rossi played it Lorenzo was riding catch up. Maybe catch up is why he binned it. Either way you must finish to get the points.