Kwak OUT?!?!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tamada6 @ Dec 30 2008, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>http://www.gpone.com/news/News.asp?NNews=3247

17 bike field and hopper without a seat... how great season 2009 will be.

Shocking news. Hope it's off the mark.
Marco & Hopper without seats.

more stories being reported on this

Kawasaki: addio MotoGp. Melandri a piedi

Decisione improvvisa della Casa di Akashi: a casa anche Hopkins
TORINO, 30 dicembre - Altro che monogomma sì o no: qui si sgonfiano una dietro l’altra. Già, la MotoGP trema. Trema per paura che si inneschi il diabolico effetto domi­no. Ma andiamo per ordi­ne, con la notizia che pro­prio in extremis ha tutte le carte in regola per di­ventare la regina del 2008: la Kawasaki si riti­ra. Sì, avete letto bene e nel dubbio che non abbia­te compreso lo riscrivia­mo una seconda volta: la Kawasaki si ritira.

MACIO E JOHN - Riman­gono così a spasso Marco Melandri e John Hopkins. Nel prossimo campionato due piloti in meno, un italiano e un americano e una Casa in meno al punto da far scendere il numero delle aziende in pista ad appe­na quattro: Honda, Ya­maha, Suzuki e Ducati. Sul perché della decisione della Kawasaki al mo­mento solo speculazioni anche perché la Casa di Akashi non ha ancora co­municato ufficialmente la decisione. Probabile che alla base di questa clamo­rosa presa di posizione da parte del top manage­ment nipponico siano due le colonne portanti del ra­gionamento: la grande crisi economica e finan­ziaria che ha colpito il mondo industrializzato e in particolar modo il Giappone e gli scarsi risultati ottenuti in tutti questi ultimi anni dalle verdone, spesso arrivate negli ultimi posti della gran parte dei GP a cui hanno preso parte. Anco­ra presto per cercare di capire cosa succederà a Melandri e Hopkins. Ve­rosimilmente potrebbero essere corteggiati dalla Superbike che tra l’altro, proprio nel 2009, regi­strerà l’ingresso di altre due Case quali l’Aprilia e la Bmw.

translation anyone ?

WSBK ftw

16 bikes left...yet they'll have 30 in SBK... time for the big boys to bail on the Moto GP track day fest and go racing for real in SBK me thinks..

hey they could always have the GP boys grid up in 2s instead of 3s to make the grid look bigger

It will be interesting to see if Melandri or Hopper is worthy enough to set an extra bike (probably in WSB) or not.
Hope the Flammini bros will try to take them over as they did with Biaggi before. Ohhh man, what a championship it would be!!!
On the other hand, MotoGP will suck in 2009.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Dec 30 2008, 10:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>WSBK ftw

16 bikes left...yet they'll have 30 in SBK... time for the big boys to bail on the Moto GP track day fest and go racing for real in SBK me thinks..

hey they could always have the GP boys grid up in 2s instead of 3s to make the grid look bigger

A sad day for MotoGp. Pity for Melandry and Too late for him to find a ride in WSBK. He should have taken the offer from Gressini Honda..

Will Dorna fund an extra bike or two to fill up the grid?

Or is Moto Gp basically dead for 09?

This sucks even though i think kawi is absolutly useless i think they make good filler for the moto gp grid along with the suzukis. with less racers in moto gp its going to make for even less excitment. hopefully they can get 2 aprillias bmws or even the new ktm to make it more intresting. Dorna really has to step it up. i didnt really think this global economy crisis was affecting me that much until now its hitting me right in the heart, its affecting my racing.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (two-stroke @ Dec 30 2008, 03:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Or is Moto Gp basically dead for 09?

I think there is far more to motogp than the Kawasaki team, but then i'm not a particularly big fan of theirs. It's a great shame that they are (or might be) leaving, but they've done this before and their results have been disappointing so its not too surprising. I think the biggest shame is for the two riders, as i think both of them currently deserve to be in motogp at the moment. Where will they go? Superbike? Testing? Or will they displace other riders?

On the plus side, the TV viewing will be bareley affected as we tend to get fed the leaders most of the time. The loss will feel far greater when actually attending the races, but i'd guess most fans don't go to more than two GP's a year. I suppose GP fans will be increasingly grateful for the 125 and 250 teams now.

As for what GP needs to do in the greater scheme of things, i think a merger with superbike would be ideal (in a dream world). Why spread the sponsors and teams budgets over 5 world championships when it could be gelled into 3 or even 2.

LINK

In case it hasn't sunk in yet.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Dec 30 2008, 09:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>As for what GP needs to do in the greater scheme of things, i think a merger with superbike would be ideal (in a dream world). Why spread the sponsors and teams budgets over 5 world championships when it could be gelled into 3 or even 2.

Wait, aren't you the one that said WSBK is always gonna be second fiddle to MotoGP? That only the best racers exist in MotoGP? That WSBK is merely a junior class? Uhm, and now you propose they "merge" with WSBK so MotoGP can be saved? Hahaha. Well while you're at it, way don't you propose that the 'feeder' 250 series (that you call a 'world stand alone championship') merge with MotoGP then; it would seem an easier fix? Hahaha.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Dec 30 2008, 06:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Wait, aren't you the one that said WSBK is always gonna be second fiddle to MotoGP? That only the best racers exist in MotoGP? That WSBK is merely a junior class? Uhm, and now you propose they "merge" with WSBK so MotoGP can be saved? Hahaha. Well while you're at it, way don't you propose that the 'feeder' 250 series (that you call a 'world stand alone championship') merge with MotoGP then; it would seem an easier fix? Hahaha.

I think Motogp is still top dog and will continue to be for the forceable future. But you don't need to know much about world racing to know it is having trouble with costs and generating sponsorship. I think it would be beneficial to both padocks, and motorcycle racing in general if the two would merge.

This sucks. A lot. Right when I was starting to think that Moto GP would be able to go through next year without problems this happens. FUUUUUUUUCK ....!

...I'm starting to think that WSBK just might really come the true number 1 series...

A 3rd bike from Kawasaki was all the talk a few months ago, now kawi are going to pull out? If its true its huge blow for motogp...

Grand Prix no longer makes financial sense.

A good read/speculation from motogpmatters.com. Will Hopkins carrying the Monster Energy money bag be knocking on Tech 3 Yamahas' door? Should the pucker factor be high for Colin?


http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/...ards_melan.html

Why don't they run all three gp classes on the track at the same time?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Traverser @ Dec 30 2008, 07:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Why don't they run all three gp classes on the track at the same time?





Barry Sheene, British GP practice, Silverstone 1982.



The result of all classes together.

I was being a smart ...! It seems like a stupid thing Dorna would do.