Can Stoner retain his title?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mattsteg @ Jun 30 2008, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Additionally, a lot of people dislike him and don't want to see him succeed, and are probably applying the power of negative thinking.

Thats almost certainly what its about

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mattsteg @ Jun 30 2008, 01:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>For me, at least, the perception is that he doesn't have the ability to consistently dominate and to fight for position that the other two have. He's going up against one of the greatest of all time and someone who made a habit of destroying the field last year (and seems to have regained that form after early problems). As good and consistent as Pedrosa's been this year, he's up against a some really tough competition. Additionally, a lot of people dislike him and don't want to see him succeed, and are probably applying the power of negative thinking.
I don't dislike him, and I think he is a fantastically talented rider, but in the premier class I agree he does not seem to have the final edge that rossi has always had and which stoner again seems to have had in the last 2 races. He did seem to have it in the 250s which is why stoner respects him greatly and I think fears him a little. Valentino, however, does seem to own him in one on one situations.

He still might win the championship this year though.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Jun 30 2008, 08:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't dislike him, and I think he is a fantastically talented rider, but in the premier class I agree he does not seem to have the final edge that rossi has always had and which stoner again seems to have had in the last 2 races. He did seem to have it in the 250s which is why stoner respects him greatly and I think fears him a little. Valentino, however, does seem to own him in one on one situations.

He still might win the championship this year though.
That's more or less my feeling, except I do dislike him and admit that that might cloud my judgment a bit. He's always been able to win a few races here and there by jumping out front and outpacing everyone, but when things are close with another top rider he sometimes seems abnormally likely to come up second. Admittedly we don't have a ton to go on with casey in that regard, as he's so often destroyed the field (but done it more consistently than pedrosa) but he traded places with rossi enough times in races last season, although some of that was clearly due to having bikes that were good (or not so good) in dramatically different ways, sometimes making each rider fast on different sections of track to a larger than normal degree.

The fact that betting sites tend to give Dani worse odds than the other two, even while he leads, is somewhat telling. He just doesn't have the established deal-closing reputation in the premier class that the other two riders at the top of the title fight do.

the ultimate irony is that Dorna felt compelled to lower the displacement to cater to HRC and thusly Pedrosa so he could be more competitive...that arguement has been long since settled.....and amidst all that.......Nicky took the title in 06 and Pedrosa's arch enemy in 250, Stoner took it from them in 07...........all time backfire......
With the current setup, Stoner can definately claw back into the battle.....I do think he's getting spoiled by not having to race in a crowd though....and when Yamaha and Honda come knocking with some more balls in the bike....Stoner will have lost what little dogfighting skills he had....so its going to be close.....its now up to the Japs to respond....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Jun 29 2008, 01:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>hes clawed back 29 points in 2 races anyways. theres 8 to go u do the maths.
Hmmm, maths.

Obviously not your strong point.

There are 9 races to go, not 8.

2 races ago the points were
Rossi 142
Pedrosa 135
Stoner 92

Now they are
Pedrosa 171
Rossi 167
Stoner 142

So in 2 races Stoner is closer to Rossi by 25 points, closer to Pedrosa by 14 points and closer to the top of the standings by 21 points.

The only 29 in there is the number of points he currently trails Pedrosa by

Stoner doesn't have a big lead like last year... Yamaha have some time to get back to winning ways and by that time the championship will be over.

we''l just have to wait and see eh. some of stoners best tracks last year are still to come. probably why rossi felt he needed to win and thus chocked and crashed at assen, a track where rossi won last year.

My gut feeling with Pedrobot is that Rossi has his measure. For Stoner he now needs to keep beating Rossi and the title should sort itself out. I do hope that Lorenzo comes back into the flay.
Stoner won 3 of the next 4 races last year with Caparossi coming 2nd in the forth. Will be interesting where the championship stands heading to Indy.