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| Kropotkin Thinks | ... that some things are more important than racing - but not many |
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Superbikeplanet.com (or Soup, as it is known in the vernacular) has a great set of comparison images of the Michelin tires at the end of the Laguna Seca race. What is really obvious is that the Yamaha uses its rear a lot harder than the Honda does. Either they have traction control working better, or they have a smoother torque curve. Well worth a look.
You can find the images here.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
The official Ducati Racing website is reporting that Sete Gibernau is to undergo more surgery on his collarbone. He found he was having problems with the titanium plate put in after his monster pile up at the first corner at Catalunya, as his shoulder was weaker than it should have been, though he felt little or no pain. X-rays taken after returning home from Laguna Seca revealed the titanium plate had weakened, causing complications for the Spanish rider. The doctors treating Sete will strengthen the screw holding the plate in and administer bone growth injections, to speed up the growth of bone around the plate.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Over on Superbikeplanet.com, there's a great picture of Rossi's ruined rear tire, which caused him to slow and, Yamaha claims, caused his bike to overheat and blow coolant all over the track. I can't post it here because of copyright reasons, but here's a link to it:
http://superbikeplanet.com/image/2006/mgp/usgp/rossi-laguna/8.jpg
Submitted by Kropotkin on
The British motorcycle weekly has a video of what it believes to be the Ilmor 800cc V4 MotoGP bike, which is currently being developed by Formula 1 car builders Ilmor Engineering and Eskil Suter, the man behind MZ's former 500 cc GP bike, and who designed the chassis for the current Kawasaki MotoGP bike.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Some Like It Hot
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Over on Crash.net, there's an article discussing the various changes made to the Laguna Seca track to make it safer for motorcycle racing. An interesting background read.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Sunday morning's warmup threw up a few surprises at Laguna Seca. Firstly, prior to the warmup, the FIM ordered the AMA classes, which run at Laguna Seca at the same time, not to run until after the MotoGP event had finished. The next surprise was the names running at the front. After a previously dire qualifying session, Valentino Rossi lead the timesheets for a good deal of the session, with a very fast 1:23.494, nearly half a second quicker than the race record set last year.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Laguna Seca has thrown up a host of surprises during Saturday's Qualifiying Practice session. Many observers were expecting to see Nicky Hayden attempt to repeat last year's performance, taking pole position in an attempt to lead the race from the off, but that plan fell through. Early in qualifying, it was Casey Stoner who topped the timesheets, setting the fastest time 10 minutes into the session, then improving on the time 8 minutes later, cracking the 1:23 barrier and setting a time that was to stand for nearly two thirds of the session.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Kenny Roberts Jr leads the timesheets at the end of the first day of practice at the US GP at Laguna Seca. The rider who did so poorly at last year's grand prix is really making an impression at his home GP this year. Behind him, last year's winner Nicky Hayden had a good run in the second session, after a disappointing display in the morning session. Hayden's team mate Dani Pedrosa is the big surprise of the day, taking third spot on his first visit to the track, an extraordinary achievement at a track which is difficult to learn, thanks to so many blind turns.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
A Festival Of Racing
Last year's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca was a festival of racing. But more especially, it was a festival of American racing, for many reasons. First and foremost, it saw the return of premier class motorcycle racing to US soil after 11 years. Secondly, because it saw an American winner, and an American runner-up. Thirdly, because it saw visits from the cream of Hollywood, truly the American Dream. But what made it an especially American occasion was the fact that the Europeans hated it.
Looked at in isolation, Laguna Seca is a spectacular track. The blind drop over the crest and into the Corkscrew is one of the most breathtaking sections in racing. But sadly, the track doesn't exist in isolation: it exists surrounded by hard concrete walls just feet from the track. Marco Melandri compared turn 6 to "the entrance to the Autopista in Milan". His distaste for the track was only reinforced by the three hard falls he took during the weekend, the third after less than a lap of the race, finally burying any ambitions he may have had for the world title. The only exceptions were the former Superbike riders Xaus and Bayliss, who had raced here during World Superbike rounds, and long-time veterans such as Barros, Biaggi and Checa. Bayliss and Biaggi even went on to put in decent finishes, in the face of stiff home competition.
Home Boys
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Some reputations are undeserved. The Sachsenring has a reputation for being a short, tight track with very few possibilities for passing, where a good position on the grid is vital. Sunday's MotoGP race was a demonstration both that passing is possible for any rider with the necessary skill and determination, and that if you can get a clean start, anything can happen.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
I'm off for brief, if poorly timed, vacation to Northern Italy, to do what I write about: ride motorcycles. I'll be doing it more slowly than the heroes I write about, and I'll be enjoying the scenery. This means I will be absent for the Sachsenring GP, but will write a report once I return, which will be Monday or Tuesday after the race. My apologies for any convenience caused.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Whenever riders or followers of MotoGP refer to a "Mickey Mouse racetrack", the example which always gets cited is the Sachsenring. This is a rather cruel jibe for a track so steeped in history. Racing has taken place in the area since 1927 over public roads, like Assen, until a new circuit was built here in the 1990s, after German reunification. The track is short, and just under 2.3 miles, so speeds are not high, but the track is situated among the rolling German hills, surrounded by woods.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
The Once And Future King
At the beginning of the season, motorcycle racing followers all over the world viewed the arrival of Dani Pedrosa with great anticipation, but also some regret. Finally, it was felt, here was a rider who could challenge the dominance of the MotoGP class by Valentino Rossi. Pedrosa's record in the 125 and 250 classes was superlative, better than Rossi's, winning the 250 championship at the first go, where Rossi took a year to learn. And yet it was feared that we would be robbed of the epic battles which must surely ensue between these two champions, as it would take Pedrosa at least a year to master riding a MotoGP bike, by which time, Rossi would be firmly ensconced in the seat of a Ferrari F1 car.
Submitted by Kropotkin on
Dani Pedrosa confirmed his dominance at Donington after qualifying on pole for Sunday's race. Pedrosa's name was near the top of the standings for over half of the qualifying session, first behind fellow 250 rookie Casey Stoner, before taking over the lead with 15 minutes to go. With just over a minute to go of qualifying, the diminutive Spaniard then smashed Valentino Rossi's lap record by over 2/10ths of a second.
