MotoGP '07....a thing of the past...

[Julian Mayo]

I agree with that sentiment, and understand that we all just want to see close racing in all classes of motor sport.
The fact that there is a guy called Jeremy Burgess calling the shots on Rossi's bike, along with a lot of other crew who moved across with Rossi, and JB, makes me think that rossi will still be the boy to beat.....( I hve trouble calling Rossi a man )

JB is a remarkable man, he and Rossi (The Man) have shown just how good they are by transforming the Yamaha from a bike on the edge of a crash into a Honda basher. They have done to Moto GP what RB and MS have done to F1. They show that it is team work that wins races not individuals yet still we cling to idolising the rider/driver. Rossi did exactly what Schui did, we are all supposed to think they are gods but they both had to take their engineers to turn those ailing teams around. Lets see someone turn a team around without taking the best engineers in the business.

Jack Brabham and his Kiwi sidekick did it.(No disrespect I have gone blank on his name... same name as a kiwi double VC winner in WW2........help !) Fangio did it.Um er.....(AHAH Dennis Hulme..... gee I have missed you, last little living brain cell...welcome home
Now, where was I ? Ascari ?
JV, when he entered F1,from North American Racing, admittedly in a car that could not lose.
Sadly, Snowy, the key guys in most forms of motorsport are not the drivers.....just little grey men with laptops

[Snowy]

I couldn't agree more

[Julian Mayo]

I couldn't agree more

Damn.

[Snowy]

Damn.

Wasn't that the point I was trying to make?

[Julian Mayo]

Damn.

Wasn't that the point I was trying to make?

yup, the Spanish Dancer's second Cousins visa has run out. She left this morning......I'm cruisin for a bruisin.
(Sorry Ed )

[<T-K>]

After a strong performance in yesterday?s first session, Shinya Nakano put in the fastest lap of the day. Going round in 1?40.047, the Japanese rider was over half a second faster than the Jerez circuit record. With talk of Kawasaki being adversely affected by the crashing of one of their trucks en route to the Test, both Nakano and fourth placed Randy de Puniet put in impressive showings.

Honda riders were slightly off the lead pace for the second day running in Jerez. Dani Pedrosa was the only rider to place in the top ten for the Japanese factory, with his preferred dry weather conditions helping him to put in a large number of laps on the RC211V.

After a largely inconspicuous ride yesterday, charismatic World Champion Valentino Rossi was the fastest Yamaha of the day, finishing in sixth only a few milliseconds ahead of Carlos Checa

Tomorrow sees the final day of both the Jerez Test and the entire preseason, and both teams and riders will be looking for optimal results in order to head to March 26th?s curtain-raising Grand Prix at the Jerez circuit with morale at a peak.


MotoGP Jerez Test

Times: Day 2

1. Shinya Nakano - Kawasaki Racing 1'40.047
2. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro 1'40.544
3. John Hopkins ? Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'40.791
4. Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki Racing 1'40.839
5. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 1'40.859
6. Valentino Rossi - Camel Yamaha 1'40.915
7. Carlos Checa - Tech 3 Yamaha 1'40.943
8. Sete Gibernau - Ducati Marlboro 1'40.964
9. Colin Edwards - Camel Yamaha 1'41.105
10. Chris Vermeulen ? Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'41.110

[Snowy]

These times are very interesting indeed particularly as VR never likes to be beaten even in testing. He is almost always on the limit there must be something wrong with the bike any post test comments T-K?

[<T-K>]

On a day in which preseason testing drew to a close, a crowd of over 5,000 spectators saw veteran Loris Capirossi demonstrate why he is a serious title contender for 2006.

The Ducati rider today earned the fastest lap of the three day Jerez Test, a 1?39.411 which knocked eight milliseconds off Valentino Rossi?s 2005 pole position.

After topping the timesheets yesterday, Shinya Nakano was once again in fine form onboard the Kawasaki Ninja. Third today, he was joined in the top ten by fellow Kawasaki rider and MotoGP rookie Randy de Puniet in the top five....

Another rookie to place highly was Spaniard Dani Pedrosa. The reigning 250cc champion put in a fourth placed lap only a second off that of Capirossi.....

Completing the top half of the table was reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi.


Times: Day 3

1. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro 1'39.411
2. Sete Gibernau - Ducati Marlboro 1'39.663
3. Shinya Nakano - Kawasaki Racing 1'40.354
4. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 1'40.416
5. Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki Racing 1'40.468
6. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda 1'40.570
7. Colin Edwards - Camel Yamaha 1'40.721
8. Toni El?as - Fortuna Honda 1'40.732
9. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'40.750
10. Valentino Rossi - Camel Yamaha 1'40.907

[Julian Mayo]

Either V Rossi is foxing, or that Yammy is seriously slower than last year

[<T-K>]

These times are very interesting indeed particularly as VR never likes to be beaten even in testing. He is almost always on the limit there must be something wrong with the bike any post test comments T-K?

Yes, they are...it shows that we may have a few more contenders for the title this year, it should be shaping up for a very interesting season......

As for post test thoughts..well I do have a couple....firstly, and probably most importantly, I do not think that Rossi will take the championship again this year, in my opinion, his reign has finally come to an end....(much to my delight )

There are a few riders whom I think may actually take the championship away from Rossi, the first of them being Sete Gibernau, he has proven that he can be just as fast, and if not faster than old Mr Rossi.
Then there is Capirossi and Nakano, who have both proven themselves to be highly competitive throughout testing.

Finally there is the young gun, Dani Pedrosa.
Pedrosa having won the 250cc class last year with a highly dominating season(eight wins) should get his act together very quickly and I feel should be challenging for race wins round about race 3 in Turkey where he managed to get second place last year.


In the end I think it will be a very close season this year(hopefully as close as the F1 should be ) with a lot of drama and position swapping. I will keep you updated with results, times and all the rest of the hoopla that goes on in the MotoGP paddock.....and who knows, I may even be rewarded ED?

Should be good to watch.......

[mlittle]

T-K, do you think there could be any sleepers who could challenge for the MotoGP title besides the usual suspects(Rossi, Capirossi, Hayden, Nakano...). Also, how do you think the rookies will do(Pedrosa and de Puniet)?

[Snowy]

Finally there is the young gun, Dani Pedrosa.
Pedrosa having won the 250cc class last year with a highly dominating season(eight wins) should get his act together very quickly and I feel should be challenging for race wins round about race 3 in Turkey where he managed to get second place last year.

I like the thought of Dani doing well in MotoGP but do you really think he has the strength and the body mass, those bikes really are a handful and he is still only young. Marco took quite some time to develop the build to handle the bike effectively I seem to remember. Capirossi is small but he is immensly strong and wirey I wouldn't pick a fight with him and I'm nearly 6ft

What is going on with Marco this year anyways?

[Julian Mayo]

Rossi wpuld just about fit in my left gumboot. Alonso is in the right .

[<T-K>]

Rossi wpuld just about fit in my left gumboot. Alonso is in the right .

And heidfeld is in your pocket???

[Julian Mayo]

Nah,just an empty cheque book