Misano - WSBK

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Jun 16 2009, 08:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>So its on to Misano for WSBK. I can't wait for this race. Misano is a technical track with some mean braking points. Ducati has always done well here but Haga and Fabi have not. However it seems that Ducati has been able to overcome the Haga problem and are the favorites for this weekend.

Spies has become the wildcard. I used to be able to count on him week in and week out in the AMA but his crashing and bike package have raised an eyebrow. The Yamaha have a large disadvantage to overcome as well. Spies will be there no doubt but will he win. I'm hoping.
Spies would present an even more formidable challenge if the track still went left. Do you remember how good BBoz was here on the L&M Ducati?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Jun 16 2009, 03:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>So its on to Misano for WSBK. I can't wait for this race. Misano is a technical track with some mean braking points. Ducati has always done well here but Haga and Fabi have not. However it seems that Ducati has been able to overcome the Haga problem and are the favorites for this weekend.

Spies has become the wildcard. I used to be able to count on him week in and week out in the AMA but his crashing and bike package have raised an eyebrow. The Yamaha have a large disadvantage to overcome as well. Spies will be there no doubt but will he win. I'm hoping.

Hacking has had a couple races on the bike and looking hungry to impress. He doesn't know the track but is confident that he can keep up. I think Hacking has a very good chance at 2 top tens this weekend despite all the odds against him.

Hopkins back on the bike??
Haslem looking very hungry to get back on the track after his crash at the end of the race at Miller. Top five for him??

Rea and Checa seemed to find something at Miller. I'm looking for them to improve on their results and bike package and be hanging with the front group.

Biaggi and Aprilla are all over the place, so who's guessing how they will do.

The rest, Byrne, Sykes, Parkes etc..


Spies, to me, is the favorite every week. I think he is just better than Haga and the Yamaha is a damn good bike. It nor the Ducati is the fastest bike but that has proven to mean nothing in this series or Gp this year. The Yamaha sat on the pole at Misano last year and raced well and i think this years Yamaha is overall a better bike and has a better pilot than last year. Ben CAN overcome,he is a bad .... I look for him to take both races and take 15-20 points out of Haga. Of course it could all go south with one little mistake. Bens biggest problem right now is the other fast guys that could take points from Haga are hurt. We need a fast and healthy Nukerchner [sp] and Kagiyama to help the cause,God knows Sykes isnt going to be much help.

Sack, I think Hacking getting a couple of top tens are possibly far fetched. I think if he finished in the points in both races, it would be a very impressive weekend. Hopkins is the guy I'd look to get the top tens.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jun 16 2009, 02:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Do you remember how good BBoz was here on the L&M Ducati?
Those were the days.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Jun 16 2009, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Sack, I think Hacking getting a couple of top tens are possibly far fetched. I think if he finished in the points in both races, it would be a very impressive weekend. Hopkins is the guy I'd look to get the top tens.

I also think that a pair of top tens may be beyond Hacking's reach. Hacking has never ridden Misano as far as I know, and I suspect he's going to have severe competition from many riders who were uncharacteristically slow at Miller.

Spies
Haga
Fabrizio
Checa
Rea
Biaggi
Kiyonari
Haslam
Kagayama
Smrz
Sykes

Those people routinely notch top 10s, and that list doesn't include the injured Neukirchner or Laconi.

I hope Ben can pull it off this weekend, but I think this will be another Ducati track. I foresee some dangerous and annoying riding from Fabrizio, Ben will do well just to stay clear of him, even if Ben's settling for third.

BTW, I think the rider most able to help Ben is already on the track. Fabrizio is getting more bold and more wild with each round. I suspect he is Ben's best hope either by relegating Haga to third place or by punting him into the kitty litter.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jun 17 2009, 03:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Spies would present an even more formidable challenge if the track still went left. Do you remember how good BBoz was here on the L&M Ducati?

I would expect a thrilling race between Spies, Haga and Biaggi this weekend. If no crash or mech prob, SPies will win both races 1 & 2.

Ducati wasn't so strong here last year as everyone seems to imply, the Yamaha was stronger. Haga will win both races none the less though.
T'be interesting to see if Fabrizio will keep up or even beat Spies this race looking back on his performance at Miller.
Good to see Hopkins can finally really start his WSBK season now.
And i doubt Hacking will get anywhere near the top 10, or 15 for that matter, he'll have to be faster than Parkes and Scassa and he still has to prove he actually is.
And ofcourse Biaggi will fight for the podium on his home ground, if he doesn't screw up his qualifing again.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Jun 16 2009, 07:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Povol - I am huge Spies fan but his riding has been anythign but consistent this year. We hit the second half of the year with new things to learn for Spies and probably some very uncharacteristic moments and mistakes not only from him but his team. Hopefully just not huge ones like we have seen in the first races.

Fabi has got a bit of confidence going and I think he wears it on his shoulder. He will fall hard when Spies puts him in his place on a regular bases. Although I wouldn't put a few bold harsh moves risking himself and others racers safety

I forgot about Kiyo and Kaga, I guess because they have been forgettable.

This is a known Ducati track and Haga has been riding that bike very well. Advatage Haga.

The overall season shows that Spies has been has been really consistant. He has had a get off as his one big mistake, he got punted twice in one race that he more than likely would have won but that is racing. The unforgivables have been commited by the team. Haga has had a get off as has Ben, but right now the difference in the championship is the 24 points he lost running out of fuel while leading and the probable 25 points he lost when the shifter fell off while leading.Everybody says this a Ducati track, and it may be, but most tracks in this series are historically Ducati tracks since they have won 80% of the championships and have had dominant riders such as Fogarty, Bayliss etc:. The dominant rider is not on a Ducati this year.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Jun 17 2009, 04:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I see you know little of Hacking. He is fast but has always been on second rate equipment. If the Kawasaki was anywhere near as good as Spies bike Hacking would be there. A top ten might be stretching it but if he is provided with a decent bike he will for sure turn some heads.

Ow i don't doubt Hacking is a fast rider, but what exacly would make him faster than Parkes, or Tamada for that matter?
I sure hope he'll do good but it'll be hard for him to get a top 15 finish.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Jun 17 2009, 04:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Everybody says this a Ducati track, and it may be, but most tracks in this series are historically Ducati tracks since they have won 80% of the championships and have had dominant riders such as Fogarty, Bayliss etc:. The dominant rider is not on a Ducati this year.

As last year proved this isn't neccesarily a Ducati track. And the dominant rider is on the Ducati this year, it's just that Spies is on the dominant bike.

Yup I must agree with HeyHuub. Aswell it's the Yamaha which is the better bike. Look at German SBK. Jorg Teuchert has won 5 out of 6 races. Look at BSB Camier and Ellison dominating the championship.

Yes Spies is a better rider compared to Sykes but he's a 3 times AMA champion and Sykes was just top 5 material in BSB. If Spies would be on a Honda he wouldn't have done near as good.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HagaRules @ Jun 17 2009, 05:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If Spies would be on a Honda he wouldn't have done near as good.
On that note, how well do you think Haga would do on the Honda?

We got two damn good riders and two damn good bikes/teams going at it for the championship. I am a big Haga fan and I really want him to see him win a championship this year, but on the same token I have also came around to being a big Spies fan with his amazing performance this year in his rookie season.

Spies has taken 7 poles in a row and won half the races, is it his bike? Haga has won half the races and has been at the front the rest of the time picking up valuable points. Being very consistent this year, which hasn't been one of his traits in the past. Is it his bike?

Winning takes the best of two things: rider and bike/team. If you aren't the best in both you won't be winning consistently. You can't be a crappy rider on a great bike and win, nor can a great rider take a crappy bike to a championship.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (heyhuub @ Jun 17 2009, 10:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>And the dominant rider is on the Ducati this year, it's just that Spies is on the dominant bike.
I have to disagree. Spies has finished on the box in every race with the exception of his two crashes, mechanicals and when he was punted off track by Biaggi. He has been the dominant rider this season, he's just been a little inconsistent. I'm not sure there is a dominant bike out there this year, Fabrizio and Haga have both looked very fast but Haga always has and Fabrizio has immense talent. Spies has looked very fast as well, while his teammate hasn't matched that pace yet. Although Spies is a freak and I think Sykes is doing quite well for it being his rookie season on a brand new bike. I'd give the nod to the Ducati as it's already well sorted out thanks to Mr. Bayliss, but that's just my opinion. And trying to compare bikes in WSBK to domestic series based on results is ridiculous.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HagaRules @ Jun 17 2009, 12:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yup I must agree with HeyHuub. Aswell it's the Yamaha which is the better bike. Look at German SBK. Jorg Teuchert has won 5 out of 6 races. Look at BSB Camier and Ellison dominating the championship.

Yes Spies is a better rider compared to Sykes but he's a 3 times AMA champion and Sykes was just top 5 material in BSB. If Spies would be on a Honda he wouldn't have done near as good.

Are you ....... kidding me! German Superbike, thats more obscure than DMG Superbike and Teuchert is by far the best rider in that obscure series. He would win regardless of what he was on. As far as BSB,is there even a Ducati team running this year? Not only that, look at who Ellison and Camier are competing against. The kid in 3rd has never won a race or finished in the top 10 in points.

Some comparison

If you think Haga is the better rider, lets see who comes calling for who at the end of the season,especially if Haga wins a title on an inferior bike.Regardless of age, if he is beating the next best thing on inferior equipment, GP will surely come calling. Spies is the hottest commodity outside of GP in the motorcycle world at this moment, not because of potential but for what he is doing.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Jun 17 2009, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I have to disagree. Spies has finished on the box in every race with the exception of his two crashes, mechanicals and when he was punted off track by Biaggi. He has been the dominant rider this season, he's just been a little inconsistent. I'm not sure there is a dominant bike out there this year, Fabrizio and Haga have both looked very fast but Haga always has and Fabrizio has immense talent. Spies has looked very fast as well, while his teammate hasn't matched that pace yet. Although Spies is a freak and I think Sykes is doing quite well for it being his rookie season on a brand new bike. I'd give the nod to the Ducati as it's already well sorted out thanks to Mr. Bayliss, but that's just my opinion. And trying to compare bikes in WSBK to domestic series based on results is ridiculous.
Well said about comparing WSBK and domestic series being ridiculous. If that theory held water, Yamaha would be doing much better in AMA and the Canadian Series where Suzuki and Kawasaki seem to be the dominant bikes.

Good points on Spies there, and ofcourse you can't get around Spies being sort of the next big thing.
But i disagree about the comparison between WSBk and domestic series being ridiculous. For one being for example the HM Plant Honda's having little problem keeping up with the top runners in Portimao last year. Second being that the Yamaha Italia team isn't a true factory team, or am i wrong about that one?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Jun 17 2009, 02:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Quote from superbikeplanet.com


Yeah Yamaha definitely have the edge here
Those stats would look similar at just about every other track on the circuit. Ducati has dominated WSBK for decades and like i said,had the dominant riders.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (heyhuub @ Jun 17 2009, 01:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Second being that the Yamaha Italia team isn't a true factory team, or am i wrong about that one?
No as far as I know you're right about that. My gripe with comparing bikes through different series is you have different sets of rules, different levels of competition and different circuit characteristics. Here in the states it's been a while since a Honda won. It isn't because it's a bad bike, just that the riders on that team haven't been up to par in a few seasons. Similarly, Hacking was consistently putting the ZX-10R near the front (back when we had a real SBK class) but that doesn't mean the bike is any good. Not trying to belittle your opinion, just saying that it's very difficult to compare machinery between series.