Joined Aug 2008
1K Posts | 0+
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Ok, I mentioned I was going to my local D-store to visit Nicky who was going to make an appearance. Well, here is the story. (Yeah, late, sue me).
As you guys know, I can be a real ....... on the forum. Well, you’re not alone. A few weeks ago Hayden was in town after his surgery, and he attended a Q & A session at the Dianese store in SoCal. The dude that made the movie Fastest was there too. (Lucky for him I hadn’t seen the movie yet). Anyway, so they opened up the session and asked him the standard questions, then they opened it up to the audience, at which time I started to fire off as many question as I could. The following is a paraphrase of my questions and responses, not exactly quotes, but this was pretty damn close, next time I promise I will record (btw, my questions are almost verbatim, as I had rehearsed them in my mind):
Q: Hi Nicky, I’m glad you’re in good spirits and you’re healing up. A friend and I were talking about the number of times riders have attempted murder on you the track, sometimes during the race, but many times during first turn incidents. We tallied up the names and noticed most were Italian and Spanish riders. Again, it happened at Valencia with Alvaro Bautista. Can you tell us why this happens so often to you? Is there possibly a difference in racing philosophy between Spanish/Italian riders and Americans?
NH: {smiles, laughs} Yeah, well, this year I’d say I blame myself for not qualifying better. I haven’t been doing the job so I’m not gonna make excuses. Everybody is going into that first corner hard and nobody wants to give an inch and racing incidents happen. Whenever you qualify in the middle of the pack, you’re bound to have some bumping into the first turn. So, I just need to get a better qualifying position.
Q: How frustrating has it been to be on teams that have developed decidedly toward your teammates?
NH: Well, I’m not complaining, Rossi’s got all the titles. I’m just happy I’m on a factory team and I have real good people around me.
Q: Yes, but maybe he’s got those title for a reason, perhaps because the development goes his way? You’ve pretty much had this experience your entire GP career, you’ve been paired with teammates that were favored over you in terms of development and direction, even when you were teammates with Dani Pedrosa, right?
NH: {smirky laugh} Well, I’m with Ducati, and I’m really grateful to be on a factory bike. Uhm, maybe with Dani, well, that might have been different. You know, it was a Spanish sponsor and there are politics involved. So, Rossi has the titles, Dani has the politics. {smiles}
Q: Would you ever consider World Superbike?
NH: Yes. {did not elaborate}
Q: Is there a bike on the GP grid other than the GP12 (Zero) you’d like to try?
NH: {starts openly laughing} Nah, my Ducati is pretty good, its the rider that needs to get better.
Q: Yes, but, hypothetical, is there another bike you’d like to try out, give it a go?
NH: {laughing} Uhmmmm {looks like he’s about to say something}. Nah, decline. {pause} Uhm, they all probably have something interesting. Uhm, nah. {pause} {somebody from the audience yells out “Honda”.} Uhm…yeah, I won’t mind giving it a go. {people start laughing} But we have a pretty good bike, our seamless gearbox is pretty trick. But, hypothetically, yeah, I wouldn’t mind giving it a go. {Laughing}
People from the audience asked him several questions. Some decent some ......... One particular stand out was this next question:
Q: Blonde, Brunette, or Redhead?
NH: One of each and preferably at the same time. {crowd busts out laughing}
Another question was about possibly having a better season with the 1000cc and a return to his sliding style. He answered that the traction control would not allow the 1000s to slide like everybody is hoping.
Somebody also mentioned his thoughts on 2012 Bridgestones. He said that Bstone has been working on addressing some opening lap heating issues. He said he was confident that the tire would improve in this respect.
Another funny question that was asked by somebody in the audience:
Q: If you were on a boat with Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, and the boat started to sink, who would you save?
NH: {laughing} I would probably never be on a boat with them. Next question. {crowd busts out laughin}
After they finished the Q & A, they allowed peeps to take a picture with him. This of course was my opportunity to continue the barrage of questions. Personally, as a staunch fan, I’ve always been annoyed that he gets second fiddle on teams. So I really wasn’t so interested in getting a picture as I was interested in pressing my issue, in other words, the ....... part of my personality. J
So I go up to him and immediately continue where I left off, but now, one on one:
Q: Dude, regarding the development on the team decidedly for you teammates, you said “you’re not complaining”. “Well, Nicky”, ….I say. “Isn’t that the problem?” He gave me the most incredulous look I’ve ever seen from him. Like, WTF dude, give it a rest. Who the .... are you, kind of a look. Realizing my crossing of the fan line, I apologized. “I’m sorry man, but as a fan, it just bothers me, I mean, Dovi moved on. “ I say. Then I go into a lecture about being assertive, you gotta get tough with them man!” You can see his face frown, and the .... behind me laughing. She did that because Nicky looked at her and pointed at me with a look like, ‘this ....... guy’.
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People are starting to say, dude, just take the picture and move on. So I turn to take a pic, and while doing so, I’m still rambling on to him. Then I turn and continue lecturing him. Then he stops me and says,
“Hey man, that is a cool watch, and points to it.” (It’s the watch that Chops gave me and I didn’t even pause to tell him the story…yes, I’m an ........)
Thanks man, I say. But all I want to do is continue rambling, then people started to get disgruntled with me. I notice he’s looking at my t-shirt, so I say, “Do you know who this is, and I point to ‘BENITO’ on my shirt. He says, “Yes. He’s a good kid. His dad is real good friends with my dad.” So I say, that’s cool man, I start to turn for another picture, not because I was interested in another picture, but to buy me more time to keep asking him questions and berating him with my lecture. Then the dude that is directing the line tells me, ‘ok man, we have to keep the line moving.’ Ok, ok. So I say, “Alright Nicky, I’ll talk to you another time, I still have more questions but they will have to wait bro. Good luck next season.”
Well, if you’re thinking what a jerk I am. You’re right. I felt like a total jerk on my drive home. As I was driving, I was reminded of the words of Barry Sheen, who once said something like, ‘Everybody likes to tell riders what to do, but riders don’t like being told what to do, because, there are 20 thousand people who can probably do your job, but only 2 or 3 that can do my job.’ I started to replay the questions in my mind, when I realized I hadn’t stopped to tell him the great story about my watch and how I came to own it. When I saw the picture of me in mid lecture and the .... behind me laughing, I realized what a .... I had been. Hahahaha
Ok, a few thoughts. Most of his answers were standard. Leave it to Nicky to blame himself for everything and never put any responsibility on his employer. And of course he wasn’t going to openly talk crap about other competitors who torpedo him. And about the sinking boat quip, he seemed in a very happy jolly mood and answered in a way that was lighthearted, so I wouldn’t read too much into it. So, no real earth shattering stuff, except one answer. I’ve heard Nicky asked about Wsbk before, and he’s never really entertained the thought. But this time he answered the question point blank and said “Yes”, he would consider Wsbk. That to me was the one major revelation of my questions.
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Wow, good on you Jum, that's a very nice story.
As usual Hayden shows his class and doesn't get carried away by some questions, but you dared a lot to ask him so many questions while others were waiting for their turn to take pics with him. Well done!
