Official P.I. Race Discussion Thread

[Sally]

Dani very much did it by himself but don't let that stop you from watching JT dicing for position

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>"I got a good start and was entering the second corner in third position when the rear tyre started sliding," said Pedrosa.

"I tried to correct the bike but I ran off the track. On the grass I tried to correct the bike again but I crashed.

"I am very disappointed because we knew we had a good race pace and I was very confident that I could score another podium, just like at Motegi last weekend.

"It was another bad race. I made a mistake and I am sorry for the team, they worked hard throughout the weekend."

Love the pictures above. Seriously bummed out that PI is on the other side of the world for me. Damn it is so beautiful when the sun is out.

Anyways, as usual a good race from the Island. Seriously enjoyed the scraps for 3rd and then 4th. I also had a feeling the TV wasn't able to catch everything that went on. Glad your posts confirmed that.

And secretely also pleased for Westie finishing in front of Hopper.

 

[babelfish]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marijke @ Oct 5 2008, 01:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>great race! how FAST was rossi when he closed up on to hayden!!

dont know, Im a hayden-fan, but still, everytime he gets passed, he doesnt seem to be able to counter back. like today, rossi passed him, hayden was SOOO close behind him and then BAM he goes wide in a corner and screws up his chance to keep up with rossi

great race for toseland too. happy 28th bday for him too

In all fairness the tires were gone so Rossi had a much better drive out of the corners. Trying compensate on the brakes (against Rossi) often lead to that kind of situations, wouldn't even call it a misstake.

 

[mylexicon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Son of Doohan @ Oct 5 2008, 01:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Westy beat Hopper again and is only 4 points behind him in the championship. Hopper's the biggest joke in the field. West should be glad he's getting out of the crappiest factory effort in memory.
...., I hope he can beat Hopkins in the standings over the next 2 races.


They showed very little of the Kawasaki, but in the footage they did show, the bike looked super stable.

I think Kawasaki have gone back to the 2007 spec frame and suspension and whatever else they changed.

It's sad, after they nearly killed Westy and Hopper trying to build a bike that was better through the corners it appeared as though they have given up. I guess Kawi didn't have a choice though, there's no way Melandri or possibly Nakano would ride the horribly unstable bike they rolled out for 2008.

I think Westy probably WILL beat Hopper for the remainder of the season. He's pretty good on the 2007 package.

 

[smaid]

Rossi, flat out, overtaking and adjusting levers:the guy is ....... amazing.

 

[Arrabbiata1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (smaid @ Oct 5 2008, 04:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi, flat out, overtaking and adjusting levers:the guy is ....... amazing.
That was INCREDIBLE wasn't it? Slungshot out of the draft outbraking two bikes in the process and simultaneously adjusting the lever position seconds before plunging into Doohan's, one of the most fearsome corners of the season. Composure anyone?

 

[smaid]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Oct 5 2008, 04:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>That was INCREDIBLE wasn't it? Slungshot out of the draft outbraking two bikes in the process and simultaneously adjusting the lever position seconds before plunging into Doohan's, one of the most fearsome corners of the season. Composure anyone?

Incredible being a understatement, how they do it I don't think any of us will know.

 

[#46]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gaz @ Oct 5 2008, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I was wondering if he got hit (if so it would have been Toseland) ast he only on board shot shown seemed to indicate a sudden 'shake' of the bike and then the drop. Not accusing though as the shot just does not show it clear enough and there was no mention of it from Toseland after the race.

As for VR, he also had a rear slide and the front end lose as well, all at MG.





Garry
Pedrosa did it by himself Garry. I watched the race again, and yes, it was his own fault

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Goldwing @ Oct 5 2008, 02:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Under pressure from Honda now. He chocked.

I was thinking the same thing!. He has asked for everything (including Bridgestone tires), but unlike Rossi, he has yet to produce results. The pressure is on now!. Otherwise Dovi will take over his place.
....So remember Honda, if you rider wins the championship, its the rider, NOT the bike
....And so, Peders, ask not what Honda can do for you; ask what you can do for Honda....

 

[#46]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (smaid @ Oct 5 2008, 10:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi, flat out, overtaking and adjusting levers:the guy is ....... amazing.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Oct 5 2008, 10:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>That was INCREDIBLE wasn't it? Slungshot out of the draft outbraking two bikes in the process and simultaneously adjusting the lever position seconds before plunging into Doohan's, one of the most fearsome corners of the season. Composure anyone?


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (smaid @ Oct 5 2008, 10:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Incredible being a understatement, how they do it I don't think any of us will know.

Comeback King Rossi...

 

[mjpartyboy]

It's a shame Rossi didn't qualify near to Stoner, but what a race from 12th.

Great race for Toseland, but it's a shame he didn't finish higher than 6th.

 

[R1 SF]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Oct 5 2008, 12:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Somewhat harsh in my view. Whatever anyone thinks of dani, he has been extremely fast and consistently so over his whole career. I seem to recall him having a fairly large crash midseason when he fractured a wrist amongst other injuries and it is entirely possible he is still not in peak physical condition, particularly since perhaps ironically the pneumatic honda seems to require a certain amount of manhandling.


Yes it was harsh but funny

He is under a lot of presure at the moment, not saying thats why he crashed, it looked like he just ran it off track. I have been throwing alot of digs at Pedrosa but I also congratulated him on his 3rd position last week, so credit where credit is due

If people can joke about Casey and Valentino chocking, why not Dani

 

[Arrabbiata1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (R1 SF @ Oct 5 2008, 06:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yes it was harsh but funny

He is under a lot of presure at the moment, not saying thats why he crashed, it looked like he just ran it off track. I have been throwing alot of digs at Pedrosa but I also congratulated him on his 3rd position last week, so credit where credit is due

If people can joke about Casey and Valentino chocking, why not Dani

We frequently do.

He was desperate to get away as usual, because it seems its the only way he can win a race in this class. I knew he'd get one of his trademark rocket starts again - he just went too fast into the Southern Loop, lost the front on the brakes, had to pick it up and ran wide in the process onto the grass before he was fully upright.

Dani's technique on that bike is near perfect; he needs to learn how to:
1/ Swap paint and prevail in a fight /2/ brake later - especially with the arrival of Dovi on the other side of the garage (although in spite of the single tyre rule, they'll probably hang on to the partition next season) and /3/ to smile at the camera once in a while...because currently PR isn't top of the cirriculum in the Pig academy - ignorance is.

Massively talented rider, but I agree with Curve who on a recent thread suggested that Nicky should take him out the back of the garage at Valencia an beat the .... out of him as a departing gesture to HRC

 

[Keshav]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Evolution @ Oct 5 2008, 03:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What an achievement from Rossi. From 12 to 2… nobody else in MotoGP is capable of doing this.

Maybe not in the current group. But Spencer used to do it all the time - Roberts too.

 

[Sally]

Vale is very good at it, but if things (mostly the rubber round things that touch the surface) work, he is not the only one to make up that many spots:

Nicky did 13th to 3rd at Assen last year and in similar mode CE went from dead last and stand still to a (lucky) 3rd at Assen this year.
Both on merit, not on everybody in front of them binning it (bar Nicky's engine but even then it was a great ride by CE!).
And I am sure there are few more examples of the current grid.

I agree though that Rossi seems to be one of the few who you can rely on to do so.

 

[an4rew]

The move of the race for me was Rossi taking Toseland and Lorenzo at the same time.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Oct 5 2008, 07:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think it's the first time I've ever seen a top class race without a pass after lucky heights. Nobody were able to gain any advantage over the hill, due to traction control I supose.

Great race by Stoner and the two followers, and a great battle for 4th.

i noticed that too, could be the corner speed they are doing now.

 

[Haga2]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (an4rew @ Oct 5 2008, 07:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The move of the race for me was Rossi taking Toseland and Lorenzo at the same time.

i noticed that too, could be the corner speed they are doing now.

The second best move of the race more like, Dovi's double pass on Jorge and Toseland was probably the move of the season especially seeing as his bike is one of, if not the slowest in a straight line. So to pass two Yam's at the first corner after the main straight is insane!!!

For me today was the best race of the season, i'm peed off about Simoncelli in the 250's though.

 

[Pigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (smaid @ Oct 5 2008, 04:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi, flat out, overtaking and adjusting levers:the guy is ....... amazing.

TRUE out of this world !!!!
BUT the secrets out now the knob he was turning up was the CHOKE knob been turned up on his rivals.

the true DOCTOR at work

 

[chopperman]

what a gem of a race

congrats to stoner, its been a while now but im happy for him and his fan's that he pulled of a great win at his home gp.

demon ride by rossi 2nd place from the 4th row is pretty ....... amazing.

hayden, nice to see you up the sharp end again and on the podium. you really have to get used to harder tyres .

not a bad ride from lorenzo. now rossi has the wc im rooting for jorge to beat pedrosa in the championship.

cracking battle with jt lorenzo dove and shinya.

dani WTF,i think you were better on the french rubber

 

[mjpartyboy]

What's this I hear about Dovizioso saying Toseland was dangerous? What a wuss! Where was Toseland Dangerous?!

 

[Andy Roo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mjpartyboy @ Oct 6 2008, 10:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What's this I hear about Dovizioso saying Toseland was dangerous? What a wuss! Where was Toseland Dangerous?!

I just started a thread about this. I was somewhat suprised and bemused at the same time. Here is the link.
Dovi

 

[Gaz]

Well I will be honest and say that I actually feel sorry for Pedrosa as PI is not a track that he must look forward to coming to given some of his history there (two broken ankles), and yesterday just added to it. But you make you own luck and he found himself (much like Rossi) in a position that added outside pressures.

For me (an Aussie) I thoroughly enjoyed the race and in no way found it boring.

Stoner was sublime and in a class of one, although Nicky was knocking on the door for much of it and Rossi and Rossi was shouting out trying to let them know he was coming. But for mine, the best rider on the day deservedly won the race to hopefully remove some/any doubt that he is the real deal.

Again the Aussie comes out but it was purely and thoroughly enjoyable to see the much maligned West beat his more fancied team-mate again, but sadly (and IMO it is best for West) it is all to little to late.

For mine (and as with most) the battle between Rossi and Toseland was a personal highlighy, although it was better again when Dovi joined with Lorenzo to make it a four way battle.

But IMO, the ride of the day was Toseland admittedly at a track with which he is familiar who showed that he is not overawed by Rossi (as many have been and will continue to be) and promptly retook the position that Rossi had just snatched. The interplay betweem them from Doohan (T1) through to Honda (T4) and onwards to MG (Lukey Heights) was spectacular whilst it lasted. Damn good viewing and worth watching again (which will be done).

With Rossi, what can one say that hasn't already, a superb ride helped in a small way by a few fallers early although on sheer history there can be no doubt that he would have gotten by anyway. He rode his luck a bit (front end lose through MG, rear lose on later laps) but he did what VR does and that is 'head down bum up' racing that so few can do. He is a champion. Would he have caught CS, not today as CS was in a class and had to large a gap, but on seeing Hayden Rossi was always going to catch him (called it at home with near 10 laps remaining).

Full credit to Hayden who finally is getting it going this year (like others I feel it is tyres as he now gets Pedrosa's Michelins) and showing that he can compete. Funny thing is, I am really looking forward to seeing him next year and not necessarily because as many feel the Ducati will suit his riding style. No, I want to see what a change does for him as I fully suspect that his head will be in the right place and he will be in a team that wants him, appreciates him and where he and his team-mate get on very well.

Ah well, and to top it off we had two Aussies crown World Champions on the day, my team won the NRL Grand Final and Stoner won Phillip Island. This is a happy camper.




Garry