Round 3: Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas 2017

moto vudu said:

Marquez is the favorite to win... he's also the favorite to experience psychological trauma if Vinales wins.

Hoping both Rossi and Vinales beat Marquez... I want this forum's haters to be so pissed off they'll be busy posting 2,000 word dissertations about tire, electronic, and race control conspiracies after race.

But... but... Marc's bike only makes 100 hp and has a chassis made by Schwinn. But... Michelin must have made special tires for the Yamaha. Rossi installed ultrasonic sound generators around the track and they're specifically tuned to distract Marc's concentration. 10 years ago Rossi had a special tire, so that's proof he received another one in April of 2017.

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Only thing I'm regularly inclined to "hate" is puerile ......s who live to sow discord here and blab on about haters. Why you feel the need to be the sand in everybody's ...-crack is a mystery.

Lil' Marky for the win.
Vinny for 2nd
Rossi 3rd

Lorenzo all the wayyyyy back.

Marky Mark FTW c'mon marky, get it together
Crashy in I-got-2nd-cos-I'm-ace-but-had-pace-to-win-and-heres-a-smug-post-race-interview-witza-mia-fakey-accentio
Rossi being magnanimous on step3

Vinny - DNF
Lorenzo - as Keshav says, wayyyyyy back or possibly another DNF
Dovi - almost there but not quite
Zarco - right in the thick of it all but only for the first 10 laps
Pedro - wish he was right up there but always turns out a bit meh

Marquez
Vinales
Zarco
Rossi
Pedro
Dovi

Crutchlow (crash)

Gaz said:

I am waiting for the spanish mafia stories to start up if MM, MV and JL are seen in close conversation (which let us be fair, is not going to happen at a pre-race press conference or post race conference any time soon)

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Why wait?

Lorenzo and Vinales already had dinner recently together.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSYYsQIjF_u/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSXB_3CD5mu/

This early in the season, I wouldn't normally feel this way, but it feels like Marquez is in a must win position for his state of mind and the championship itself. It appears that we are creeping back to where there is 3-4 maybe 5 bike rider combos capable of winning a race. Just staying on the bike is close to a guaranteed podium for Yamaha. Clawing back points is going to be slow and if Vinales or Rossi beat him at his personal stomping ground, I can't think of another track where you could say Marquez would be favored. This season feels like last season where the Yamahas fell behind early and never recovered, and they were on the better bike . The conservative game plan is out the window, Marquez has to push which will lead to more Dnfs

Some of our photos from last year , i loved Austin

libby said:

Some of our photos from last year , i loved Austin

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Soooooo ..... what's the story behind being in the LCR garage?
I just luvs those Lorenzo shades. They crack me up.

I'll pick MM for the win. I'm hoping it's the end of bad luck for him and it turns around now, who knows.

I think it may be a close finish with MV behind, if MM is in attack mode and he may well be it will be good to see if MV will get in there. I have no doubt he will, but we have not seen it happen yet.

Also picking a random for 3rd, Dovi.

I'm gonna guess vinales for another win
2. Marquez
3. Rossi

Then 4th 5th 6th a mix of dovi, hopefully crutchlow will be in there somewhere, maybe one of the yamaha tech 3 boys and possibly iannone

Think Pedrosa will make the top ten.

Don't think Lorenzo will be up there yet.

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1. Rossi
2. Maverick
3. Dovi
4. MM
5. Cal

• Rossi wants this win more than most given his history here, and his need to get one over on MV....
• MM will be struggling with the Honda still over the full race distance, as well Cal
• Dovi will be good and steady to get on the podium again...
• JLo will look quick but when it counts he will get pushed back in Qualifying and then get frustrated as he sees the other Ducati pulling away from him...

Iamapony said:

Soooooo ..... what's the story behind being in the LCR garage?
I just luvs those Lorenzo shades. They crack me up.

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We went with Pole Position travel, and went VIP which( outside of Europe) gets you free paddock access, they took us down there, ( my eyes were on stalks trust me lol) Through Cal's garage we were there at Parc Ferme after qualifying , as the LCR honda team let us through, and on the Saturday , because cal didnt fall off , we were allowed through again, to see Marc Jorge and Andrea on the podium. It was magical. ( if Cal had fallen off he would have come back and the garage door would have closed .) through PPT we also as a surprise went down onto the Moto2 grid .It was brilliant . So grateful to Pole position they are the business!

Well I said MM to win the championship, so I'll put the voo du on him by saying.

MM
Rossi
Vinales
Zarco
The grid packing majority

MM needs a win and a few bikes between him and Vinaeles. Clawing back 5 points at a time won't do it.

MM to win anyway, he won by a massive margin last year on a worse bike.

Circuit Information

LENGTH: 5.5 km / 3.43 miles
CORNERS: 11 left - 9 right
WIDTH: 15 m. / 49.21 ft.
LONGEST STRAIGHT: 1200 m. / 3937.01 ft.

Circuit Record: 2'03.575 Marc MARQUEZ (SPA) 2014

157.9 Average Speed (km/h)
345.2 Top Speed (km/h)

A long time ago, on a race track far, far away...

Prix Wars: Return of the Redline


Maverick Vinales has returned to his home track of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Marc Marquez from the clutches of the vile gangster Repsol the Honda.

Little does Mav know that the GALACTIC DUCATI EMPIRE has secretly egun construction on a new armored race fairing even more powerful than the first dreaded pre-season Hammerhead.

When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the band of manufacturers struggling to restore freedom to the paddock...




INTERIOR: A well lit garage. The walls and floors are immaculate, befitting a development clean room. A sleek trailer pulls up and the rear door lowers dramatically as Darth Rider exits. He is greeted by Riccardo Savin, The Ducati Empire's chief vehicle dynamics engineer.

SAVIN: Lord Rider. This is an unexpected pleasure.

LORENZO: You may dispense with the pleasantries. I am here to put you back on schedule.

SAVIN: (Turning ashen and starting to shake) I assure you that our engineers are working as hard as they can...

LORENZO: My pace this season has been horrible. I qualified 18th in Argentina. I might as well have been on a push bike. The satellite Ducati teams have been making an embarrassment of us. In Austin I was 10th in 2014, 4th in 2015 and 2nd in 2016. My results have always been getting better and the only thing left to do was wipe that smile off Marquez's face. Now, where is the new fairing?

SAVIN: It's not complete, but I assure you that it will be ready shortly.

LORENZO: The emperor does not share your optimism.

SAVIN: But he asks the impossible. Making the box winglets work without adversely affecting the front... it will take time.

LORENZO: Perhaps you can tell him that when he arrives.

SAVIN: (The trickle staining his pant leg is not sweat) Dall'Igna is coming... here?

LORENZO: That is correct. He is most displeased with your lack of progress.

SAVIN: We will double our efforts.

LORENZO: (Walking away) See that you do.



INTERIOR: The dank confines of Repsol the Hutt's pit box. Rusted tools and the refuse of take out lunches are scattered all over the room. Hanging on a wall is is the figure of Marquez, encased in a prison of braking woes and loss of drive. The masked figure of Clutch the bounty hunter skulks out of the shadows and up to a bank of terminals displaying telemetry data. It presses a series of buttons that release Marc from his bindings, and catches him as he falls.

CLUTCH: Just relax for a moment. You're free of the carbon brakes.

MARC: (Touches the mask of Clutch and moans)

CLUTCH: Hush. You have pre-season sickness.

MARC: I can't win.

CLUTCH: Your victories will return in time.

MARC: Where am I?

CLUTCH: Repsol's place.

MARC: Who are you?

CLUTCH: (Removes helmet to reveal the face of Dani Pedrosa) Someone who shares a garage with you. I've got to get you out of here.

REPSOL: (Laughing)

MARC: I know that laugh...

REPSOL: (Laughing darkly as the curtain is pulled back, revealing an alcove filled with giggling sycophants. Grid girls hand out cans of Red Bull while greasy technicians lewdly fondle Michelin tires).

MARC: Hey, Repsol! Look, Repsol, I was just about to win last time but I got sidetracked by the gravel. It's not my fault. Turn 2 came out of nowhere!

REPSOL: (In Japanese, subtitled) It's too late for that, Marquez. You've been a good racer, but now you're Grom fodder.

MARC: Look...

REPSOL: Take him away!

MARC: (Being hauled away by disheveled pit crew) Repsol, I'll pull the triple this weekend! Practice, qualifying and race! I've never lost in Austin. Don't be a fool! You're throwing away a winning fortune....! (voice fades away)



INTERIOR: Emperor Gigi Dall'Igna's control tower. Vinales stands poised, the shimmering blue of his M1 glowing in the darkness. The Emperor descends the stairs ominously toward him.

GIGI: If you will not be turned, then you will be destroyed!

MAVERICK: (Jumps aboard the M1 and races around the track for a fast lap. Slides the rear onto the front straight only to be showered by lightning as the GP17 blasts past in a thundering roar. Tries again, passing the GP17 using the M1's superior handling only to lose on the straights.)

GIGI: Young fool. Only down do you understand, in the end. Once the Hammerhead is complete we will be unstoppable!

MAVERICK: (Is almost unconscious from the sonic boom of the GP17 roaring past. Parks the M1 and curls into a fetal position while sucking on his thumb for comfort.)

GIGI: Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Slide. You have paid the price for your lack of vision.

MAVERICK: (Writhing in agony just before the finish line) Jorge, help me!

LORENZO: (Looks back and forth between Gigi and Maverick)

GIGI: Now, you Vinales, you will LOSE!

LORENZO: First I'm supposed to be helping Marquez. Now I'm supposed to be helping you. And Kim thought she was breaking the internet? They'll burn this mutha down after this. (Picks up Gigi and hurls him into an exposed chamber of a V5 cylinder head)

MAVERICK: (Panting frantically, crawls back onto the M1 and lines up on the grid)

- End Credits -

:giggle:Hilarious well done!

Vinaeles annoys me. He's not arrogant/confident enough to be fun in interviews but he's to confident/arrogant to be humble. He's just stuck in the unlikeable middle for me. I think to me he comes off as fake and he doesn't seem to say what he wants to say.

p4p1 said:

Vinaeles annoys me. He's not arrogant/confident enough to be fun in interviews but he's to confident/arrogant to be humble. He's just stuck in the unlikeable middle for me. I think to me he comes off as fake and he doesn't seem to say what he wants to say.

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Or... he's just very internal and private; not inclined to showbiz small talk.

Keshav said:

Or... he's just very internal and private; not inclined to showbiz small talk.

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Seems a decent lad to me, quiet, unassuming and gets the job done.
And may I say, worthy of praise for not doing the theatrics .

Now I think about it, it could also be his English not being as good as he would like it to be.