Casey Stoner

Colin did exactly what colin does, it was standard. But as for Casey, i think he did brilliantly. I think hes gonna outride capirossi this year, he looked so mature and strong at Qatar that i have to believe he can ride well on a regular basis. I am not ready to predict he is a championship contender, but i think he'll be at the sharp end most of the time.

Yeah, Vale got out ridden didn't he. And i know its early but i do start to wonder if Rossi's majic advantage where he seemed simply go faster than anyone else may have shrunk a bit. Like you said, the new school has landed, and it looks like Casey has got some serious talent to bring into the mix. What does the future hold for him.................we could see him totally rob Pedrosas spotlight this year!!!

he seemed as chuffed to see her as he did about winning the race!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Burky @ Mar 12 2007, 12:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Absolutely Tom. I'm a Colin fan, but I should have known better. Bang goes my fantasy league!!!!!
But yes, Casey looked superb, and it's a rare thing to see Valentino settling for second. I wish the kid a cracking year.

I'm still not ready to give up CE. I'll have to wait to the next race or two and we will see. The lack of power must have hurt him as well. The Yamaha performance can't be viewed with Rossi as the instrument and racing for positions depend so much more on power than good lap times in testing does.

Casey did well, as well as any other of the top four and the Ducati did better than any other bike I would say. Pedrosa strugling with power and the front as we could see every time Rossi passed him into turn 1, Hopper, well, he rode a Suki, Rossi had something that looked like an Illmor engine.

Someone said soemwhere else"If only ducati could throw away that tubular frame". The ducatis have a reputation for being twitchy but look at it now. With CS it behaves like a dream. He is fast and it's planted, no big wobbles or twiching at all. Very good me think. Tubular frames are not at all bad, and Stoner proves it. I think that combination can be very competetive this year.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Burky @ Mar 11 2007, 07:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>
Oh dear, what a shame!
By the way, did you notice how Casey's new wife looked at him on the return to pit lane...................lucky, LUCKY boy!!!!

I did notice that! In the words of a friend...she's not unattractive. My fiance won't even come watch me do trackdays.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Mar 12 2007, 12:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yeah, Vale got out ridden didn't he.

Did he? I only saw a Yamha that got parked (maybe an exclusive Norwegian expression but I'm sure you get the meaning) at every exit of any turn by a Ducati but maybe I saw a different race.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Burky @ Mar 11 2007, 11:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You know what, I can feel the paint brushes tingling!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a fantastic looking bike too, I hope they can maintain it's looks when disguising the Marlboro sposorship.

I think the marlboro dashes they use oftne look better than the written word at the races they are wllowed their sponsorship, so i'm not worried.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Mar 11 2007, 11:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Did he? I only saw a Yamha that got parked (maybe an exclusive Norwegian expression but I'm sure you get the meaning) at every exit of any turn by a Ducati but maybe I saw a different race.

He definately did. Casey was pulling time on him through the first sector, which has many corners, he held his own for the rest of the lap, never got out of shape and left some speed in hand in case rossi squeezed by. And set the fastest lap. All of this when being stalked by Rossi on the clearly superior handling Yamaha. Sure rossi was a fair bit faster in the two main slow turns, but elsewhere Stoner had the measure of him on the big "hanfull" that is the ducati.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Mar 12 2007, 12:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>He definately did. Casey was pulling time on him through the first sector,
No he didn't. Despite of being so much faster on the straight that was not enough to call him faster. Their best section times are separated by a few thousands and they swaped fastest section time lap by lap. If you sum up the section times you migt find a difference but not one that make him faster. In fact, as he was so much faster on the straight he was probably slower from the braking point of turn one and out, as he was on section 2 and 3. The only section he was faster was on section 4, by a margine but as we know that was only becasue he had all that power.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>which has many corners, he held his own for the rest of the lap,
se above.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>never got out of shape and left some speed in hand in case rossi squeezed by.
Absolutly right. He never made a mistake and full honor to him for that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>And set the fastest lap. All of this when being stalked by Rossi on the clearly superior handling Yamaha. Sure rossi was a fair bit faster in the two main slow turns, but elsewhere Stoner had the measure of him on the big "hanfull" that is the ducati.
What handful? The Ducati behaved like a ball dancer in the hands of Stoner.

I think Casey did very well, I just saying that the Ducati is the big winner in this race then Casey. Road racing is not suposed to be dragracing but this looked a hell of a lot like it, and as it was yesterday Rossi didn't stand a chance. If he was in front or behind Casey out of the last turn didn't matter, at the end of the straight the distance up to Stoner was the same again.
We've never seen this huge difference in power since MotoGp started in 2002. It was not even about top end power, this was over the whole range or maybe first of all power at the low end.

What I'm saying is that the package Ducati/Stoner/Stones out rode the Yamaha/Rossi/Michelin package. This was far from a rider vs rider race. Thats all.
Regardless, I'm delighted that Stoner won.

Casey ran a masterful race but did he out ride Rossi.I personally dont think so.Rossi bought a knife to a gun fight.That might be the most lopsided display of horsepower i have seen between the big 5 bike makers.Every other bike out there looked like a support class bike compared to the Ducati,and the Yamaha was behind the Honda in power.What it did have was razor handling and that was enough to overcome everything but that incredible speed difference.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Burky @ Mar 11 2007, 11:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Absolutely Tom. I'm a Colin fan, but I should have known better. Bang goes my fantasy league!!!!!
But yes, Casey looked superb, and it's a rare thing to see Valentino settling for second. I wish the kid a cracking year.
I'm with you man, I hope Colin can come good.

As far as the Casey/Vale thing goes... I haven't seen the race yet. I decided to bail on my motogp.com subscription and couldn't catch the race, only results. But it sounds as if Stoner was untouchable on the Duke and Rossi did what he generally does, rides the wheels of the M1. Impossible to say who rode better, put Rossi on the Duc and he would ride it differently and Stoner on the Yam same thing. The knife at a gun fight seems pretty accurate. Rossi rode brilliantly, Stoner rode brilliantly and had a brilliant bike.

Yea, Casey didn't out ride Vale. His bike simply had more power. If the power of the bikes had been closer, Vale would have walked everyone.

Slightly off topic, anyone have pics of Stoner's wife? Pretty cool how they met when he signed her stomach after a race...

I searched google, no pics...haha Im bored at work...

Congrats to Casey! Good for him, flawless performance..

Also congrats to Rossi! Great result with a way underpowered bike..I was surprised he was able to pull away from the Hondas, neverless keep up with the Duke..His ride on the straight looked like he had an actual Fiat motor in that bike..
I hope Yamaha finds some more ponies over the next couple of races..

I also (of course) disagree that Rossi got 'out ridden' by stoner..It seemed that, if Rossi were able to keep up with Casey on the straights, he could have had the definite advantage. This handicap was most obvious, when, with around 4 laps to go Rossi charged to the lead in the infield and had about two bike lengths on Casey entering the straight..by the time they got to turn one, Casey had two to three bike lengths on Rossi.
By that time even Rossi knew he would not be able to do anything about Casey unless he would make a mistake, which he didn't.

Again, much respect for Casey!! Great race, and I can't wait for race #2!

I didn't pay much attention to Casey last year coz he was at the back most of the time and crashes too often. But he really shine at Qatar. Perhaps married life changes him.........more strong, more matured.....as a person as well as a rider. Gonna pay more attention to him after this.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Mar 12 2007, 07:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What does the future hold for him.................we could see him totally rob Pedrosas spotlight this year!!!

Not gonna happen!