Nicky To try Radical change

I've been pretty confused and worried about today's sessions, watching Hayden drop further from the top in each session but after reading his quotes I'm a little more confident than I was after FP2.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>A late crash in Saturday's qualifying session for the Grand Prix of Catalunya contributed to Nicky Hayden being left 13th on the grid, albeit just 0.275sec from fifth position.

The American had made his biggest breakthrough of the season so far on the Desmosedici GP9 in Barcelona, lapping sixth fastest in Friday's opening free practice and then tenth this morning following a major overhaul of his set-up and electronics package.

Although progress was slower on Saturday, Hayden still has an excellent chance of claiming his best race finish so far this season, having taken the chequered flag no higher than twelfth in the five rounds so far.

“Today we weren't quite able to pick up where we left off yesterday but I went half a second quicker this morning - unfortunately it wasn't enough to close the gap on the guys in front because they improved too,” said Nicky.

“I shaved another couple of tenths off again this afternoon but on my last run I crashed in turn two and that was pretty much that. The position isn't great but on the other hand with just a couple more tenths I'd have been a lot further up.

“I know I'm talking a lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' here and at the end of the day the position is what counts and we're not high enough up. It's just a shame that on the lap when I'm sure I would have found those extra couple of tenths the rear stepped out in turn one and when I flicked it over into turn two it put me down pretty good.

“I smacked my left wrist quite hard but I don't think it's a big issue and other than that I seem to be okay so we're looking forward to trying for more tomorrow,” he added.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Jun 13 2009, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I've been pretty confused and worried about today's sessions, watching Hayden drop further from the top in each session but after reading his quotes I'm a little more confident than I was after FP2.
Very frustrating qual. Geez Austin WE look for any thing to cling to eh bro. Im dying here. I was really thinking he would have a break though qual and then this .... happens. Has God abondoned Nicky? Well we still have the race to hang our hope. ......and then the next race and then the next race and then the next race ....and then the next season. ....... HOPE is a mothafuka!

GO NICKY!

Hayden could very well be on his way to a top 10 finish tomorrow.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Jun 13 2009, 08:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Very frustrating qual. Geez Austin WE look for any thing to cling to eh bro. Im dying here. I was really thinking he would have a break though qual and then this .... happens. Has God abondoned Nicky? Well we still have the race to hang our hope. ......and then the next race and then the next race and then the next race ....and then the next season. ....... HOPE is a mothafuka!

GO NICKY!
Listen faithful!!! An abbriviated testing season and barely any real good healthy time to go out and get comfy on the DUC has really given Nicky a tough season to go through. However just about no one in MOTO GP has the work ethic this kid does to get closer to being a podium contender. I would bet that especially for next year they already know he will be with the team and look to improve upon the bike. THis year since he has no real chance of gettting another world title will be all of a learning year including the races. SO we can look forward to Nicky doing well cause I would bet he is doing the same.

I'm a bit worried that he crashed because there is still much work to be done on his bike??? The other concern is the bike itself. Has it been damaged so much that it requires him to ride a backup machine? Can the new bike be set up in time for raceday? These are all questions that will have to be answered when the lights go out. Fingers crossed!! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Nicky finishes in 7th place. Do I have a second??

Hmmm........I see lots of reasons to be optimistic and lots of reasons to be pessimistic.

I'm optimistic because he is so close to the top 5 and he's on better equipment than almost everyone who's ahead of him. I didn't realize that he had crashed in QP. Had Nicky found even another .2 he would have been easily within the top 10.

Though Nicky is very near the top 5, he hasn't been turning consistent times in practice. More often than not he's cruising along trying to familiarize himself with the bike and settings. Most of the riders in the top 5 are clicking off consistent laps quite easily. Hayden will also have to deal with lingering rear tire temperature troubles. Nick has never been great on cold tires either, he needs a good start to avoid being swallowed by back markers at the start.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (levigarrett @ Jun 13 2009, 04:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Fingers crossed!! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Nicky finishes in 7th place. Do I have a second??


"Hayden could very well be on his way to a top 10 finish tomorrow. "

"....... HOPE is a mothafuka!"



Hey Nicky's great - but really guys, it's starting to smell like a clubhouse full of
Cubs fans here.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Jun 13 2009, 02:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hey Nicky's great - but really guys, it's starting to smell like a clubhouse full of
Cubs fans here.
Hahaha. Yeah but think about it, we,ve had nothing to get excited about since day one of season. But yeah we're sounding pretty bad. The race cant get here soon enough.

There is no doubt who will be in the lead group. Top four are close and then a long way to fifth. I think Hayden needs a few more races and the next test to get the bike sorted. The long straight may help him. Funny how he is finding that the more you risk your life that better the bike runs. That is what Stoner said last year. I heard today that Simoncelli turned down Ducati saying the bike looks to be too difficult to race...bad news for Ducati. They HAVE to get Hayden sorted or no one will want to join their squad.

I'm hoping he finishes top ten but squarely behind the GS boys...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gsfan @ Jun 13 2009, 08:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I heard today that Simoncelli turned down Ducati saying the bike looks to be too difficult to race...bad news for Ducati. They HAVE to get Hayden sorted or no one will want to join their squad.


For serious racing fiends - this is an issue. But look at what Rossi has done for Yamaha.
Look at what Spies and Mladin have done for Suzuki. But it is crazy that they have so
many riders being competitive in Superbike but can't make the GP09 work for anyone
but Stoner. It's weird now after just a few years - I can't imagine Stoner riding for anyone
else now. When the time does come - it will be interesting - to say the least.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Jun 13 2009, 06:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>For serious racing fiends - this is an issue. But look at what Rossi has done for Yamaha.
Look at what Spies and Mladin have done for Suzuki. But it is crazy that they have so
many riders being competitive in Superbike but can't make the GP09 work for anyone
but Stoner. It's weird now after just a few years - I can't imagine Stoner riding for anyone
else now. When the time does come - it will be interesting - to say the least.

It is strange isn't it.

The Ducati has always been ridden relatively well by both riders. In 2007 when the "revolutionary" new 800cc bike was introduced, Capi still managed to score 4 podiums with 1 win. 7th in the championship

In 2008 Ducati riders started screaming bloody murder about the bike's feel. I can't remember what happened back then. It was like Ducati ran perfectly in race 1, then everything went to hell in a hand basket. They overhauled the championship winning bike for no apparent reason after decimating the competition at Qatar. Casey was yelling at his team and at the Bridgestone representatives.

Since then, no one but Stoner has been able to ride it.

What could possibly have changed between 2007 and 2008. I'm so close, but I just can't quite put my finger on it.

After Ducati's tires were jacked in 2008, Stoner's fix and the engineering changes they made to the weight bias made the bike unrideable. Even Stoner couldn't ride the bike like he wanted to for several rounds.

Ducati have obviously been hesitant to move weight back towards the front because they ain't got the tires they need to make it work. However, they need to do something to move the other riders closer to the front (even if it means they can't get on the box) and they trust Hayden to move the bike in a Honda-esque direction (i.e. easier to ride).

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Jun 14 2009, 09:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It is strange isn't it.

The Ducati has always been ridden relatively well by both riders. In 2007 when the "revolutionary" new 800cc bike was introduced, Capi still managed to score 4 podiums with 1 win. 7th in the championship

In 2008 Ducati riders started screaming bloody murder about the bike's feel. I can't remember what happened back then. It was like Ducati ran perfectly in race 1, then everything went to hell in a hand basket. They overhauled the championship winning bike for no apparent reason after decimating the competition at Qatar. Casey was yelling at his team and at the Bridgestone representatives.

Since then, no one but Stoner has been able to ride it.

What could possibly have changed between 2007 and 2008. I'm so close, but I just can't quite put my finger on it.
One obvious thing changed; Capirossi left, and for the record he wasn't exactly estatic about the 2007 either. Since Jan. 2007 he also said the bike were an alien, so it's fair to say the Ducati has been unridable for anyone but Casey ever since that point. I know that doesn't fit your thories but that's the way it is. The fact that Capirossi got results speaks volumes of his capability and adaptability to a bike he knew inside out up until the new year '07 but from then on were an alien. And in all fairness he also had a few lucky strikes in '07.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Jun 13 2009, 11:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>One obvious thing changed; Capirossi left, and for the record he wasn't exactly estatic about the 2007 either. Since Jan. 2007 he also said the bike were an alien, so it's fair to say the Ducati has been unridable for anyone but Casey ever since that point. I know that doesn't fit your thories but that's the way it is. The fact that Capirossi got results speaks volumes of his capability and adaptability to a bike he knew inside out up until the new year '07 but from then on were an alien. And in all fairness he also had a few lucky strikes in '07.

It was an alien. It was completely different than the 2006 bike with completely different tires, yet Capirossi was still able to ride it.

Melandri was also able to ride it when he could mysteriously feel the tires at China. Too bad it happened for only one round.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Jun 14 2009, 10:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It was an alien. It was completely different than the 2006 bike with completely different tires, yet Capirossi was still able to ride it.

The GP7 became an alien after newyear '07 and some radical changes. At the same time Stoner suddenly picked up speed. Capi had nothing but praise for the new bike before that.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Jun 14 2009, 10:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The GP7 became an alien after newyear '07 and some radical changes. At the same time Stoner suddenly picked up speed. Capi had nothing but praise for the new bike before that.

Exactly. Stoner found his 'crazy setting' just before Qatar and suddenly became extrememly fast. Pleasantly surprised Ducati engineers enthusiastically went that 'crazy' way, and after two races Capi declared he simply could "not ride" the GP07. Podiums and the one victory came to him thanks to his skill, experience and a bit of luck, but it was completely disappointing results for a man who, after 2006, was expected to challenge for the title.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 14 2009, 02:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Exactly. Stoner found his 'crazy setting' just before Qatar and suddenly became extrememly fast. Pleasantly surprised Ducati engineers enthusiastically went that 'crazy' way, and after two races Capi declared he simply could "not ride" the GP07. Podiums and the one victory came to him thanks to his skill, experience and a bit of luck, but it was completely disappointing results for a man who, after 2006, was expected to challenge for the title.

Capi crashed out of 5th at Qatar and he scored a podium at round 3 in Turkey.

Melandri struggled with the bike in testing (except at PI where he posted very good times). It wasn't the unrideable beast until after the emergency tire meetings, and for Stoner, after round 1 in Qatar.

And after this weekend it sounds like it has changed again.

Times from todays' testing. Hayden doesn't look good at all. I'm a big fan of his, but look at Kallio.
I foresee Kallio replacing Nicky next year if things don't change in a hurry for #69.

1. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1min 42.230 sec (69 laps)
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1min 42.434 sec (58)
3. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 1min 42.446 sec (80)
4. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 1min 42.637 sec (98)
5. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1min 42.763 sec (38)
6. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1min 43.188 sec (83)
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 1min 43.247 sec (76)
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1min 43.299 sec (83)
9. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 1min 43.360 sec (69)
10. Niccolo Canepa ITA Pramac Racing 1min 43.391 sec (90)
11. Marco Melandri ITA Hayate Racing Team 1min 43.506 sec (89)
12. Toni Elias SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1min 43.708 sec (60)
13. Sete Gibernau SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando 1min 43.819 sec (45)
14. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1min 44.157 sec (98)
15. Gabor Talmacsi HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 1min 45.056 sec (53)