Spies Assen Decision

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Noodlerizer @ Jul 6 2008, 09:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What a croc of ..... You guys know nothing about this guy. Racing on a track you do not know, in conditions that are up in the air is dangerous especially at the MotoGP level. As a racer myself, I know that I do not want to go straight to a track I do not know and go racing. I opted out of racing this weekend with the AFM at Thunderhill because I know I need practice there before I go out and race. Showing up at a track with no knowledge, against a field with a lot, and little time is not safe. His reasoning is he wants to be 100% ready for the challenge before he goes out there, I can relate to that.
No offense intended man, but this guy is the reigning AMA Champion, not an amatuer racer like some of us are, myself included.....he's also aspiring to be IN MotoGP next season. I understand why someone would opt out of a track he's unfamiliar with if he has no aspirations of ever racing that discipline, but he does. I'm therefore surprised he didn't take advantage of the situation to get on the GP bike in competition again.

Expanding on the thought that he doesn't want to pitch the thing away and ruin his season in the AMA. What happens if he pitches the thing away and injures himself and ruins his season in the AMA when contract time rolls around? It would be tough to land a GP ride while not currently displaying his talents week in and week out.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Jul 6 2008, 10:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Expanding on the thought that he doesn't want to pitch the thing away and ruin his season in the AMA. What happens if he pitches the thing away and injures himself and ruins his season in the AMA when contract time rolls around? It would be tough to land a GP ride while not currently displaying his talents week in and week out.
A gamble for sure if you take potential injury into account, but he needs to weigh the alternatives, I still think he should have availed himself of some more time on the bike...but that's just me.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Jul 7 2008, 02:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>No offense intended man, but this guy is the reigning AMA Champion, not an amatuer racer like some of us are, myself included.....

Mladin is a good yard stick and hes won the AMA many times but hes only ventured a little into World Superbikes, getting a pole at the Laguna round if i remember. A track he probably knows really well from being in US.

I don't think its that hard to come into Motogp with the electronics and be that far off the pace, but getting into that front 3 or 4 riders is much harder.

.....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Jul 7 2008, 05:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>.....

hahahahahaha

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Noodlerizer @ Jul 7 2008, 02:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What a croc of ..... You guys know nothing about this guy. Racing on a track you do not know, in conditions that are up in the air is dangerous especially at the MotoGP level. As a racer myself, I know that I do not want to go straight to a track I do not know and go racing. I opted out of racing this weekend with the AFM at Thunderhill because I know I need practice there before I go out and race. Showing up at a track with no knowledge, against a field with a lot, and little time is not safe. His reasoning is he wants to be 100% ready for the challenge before he goes out there, I can relate to that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Jul 7 2008, 02:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>No offense intended man, but this guy is the reigning AMA Champion, not an amatuer racer like some of us are, myself included.....he's also aspiring to be IN MotoGP next season. I understand why someone would opt out of a track he's unfamiliar with if he has no aspirations of ever racing that discipline, but he does. I'm therefore surprised he didn't take advantage of the situation to get on the GP bike in competition again.
Exactly. MotoGP rides aren't offered to just anybody.

He could have gone out there and used it as development time without pushing too hard. He's not expected to win on it. He learns the bike more and gains experience at a new circuit, if he brings it home Suzuki are happy and Suzuki have more exposure with two bikes on the grid.

WTF?? Idiots ,he missed a FULL days practice people!! ....besides if Suzuki wanted him to ride SO bad they could have had a 3rd bike, or made Capi sit his busted ... out...simple

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (an4rew @ Jul 7 2008, 01:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Mladin is a good yard stick and hes won the AMA many times but hes only ventured a little into World Superbikes, getting a pole at the Laguna round if i remember. A track he probably knows really well from being in US.

I don't think its that hard to come into Motogp with the electronics and be that far off the pace, but getting into that front 3 or 4 riders is much harder.


Mladin is a good yard stick? He won't even venture outside the US for fear of an ... whooping.....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (machmanzx10r @ Jul 7 2008, 07:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Mladin is a good yard stick? He won't even venture outside the US for fear of an ... whooping.....
He's still a good yard stick. Save Spies, the only man to beat him to a championship in the past decade is now World Champion.

What I think is really telling about how good Spies is, is that he's beating Mladin on the same equipments. When Hayden won, it was on the RC51 versus Mladin's GSX-R750. Hayden had an advantage. Based off that, and that Spies has bettered Mladin twice (and it looks like he will do it a third time), I think Spies could be better than Hayden.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Jul 7 2008, 09:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Based off that, and that Spies has bettered Mladin twice (and it looks like he will do it a third time), I think Spies could be better than Hayden.
I'm just worried that he's going to switch to inferior GP machinery. So where Hayden had top notch HRC equipment to bolster his GP career, I hope Spies doesn't get mid packed due to riding a lackluster machine. As you said I think he's better than that.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Jul 7 2008, 07:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Going off of that theory,why did he race at Donnington and agree to race at Assen.He could toss his mountain bike and ruin his AMA season.This is a risky business,your career could end any day for any reason.Even if had rained he should have been there getting valuable rain riding experience for next year.
I agree that he should have ridden, seat time is seat time. I'm just saying that I can see reasons for not riding in that set of circumstances.

HE is the current AMA champ so why in the hell would he be putting the title up against a wildcard ride? Even if he came in last place for "Seat time" whatever. He likes the bike and did pretty well so far. He did very well at the test in Indy so that right there was his seat time. I agree that his mom may be a bit overbearing but what parent isn't? If he is to do well in moto gp he has to be a decicive person and I think this was really in his best intrest. As for him doing better than Hayden? I see a POLL coming on!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Jul 7 2008, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>HE is the current AMA champ so why in the hell would he be putting the title up against a wildcard ride? Even if he came in last place for "Seat time" whatever. He likes the bike and did pretty well so far. He did very well at the test in Indy so that right there was his seat time. I agree that his mom may be a bit overbearing but what parent isn't? If he is to do well in moto gp he has to be a decicive person and I think this was really in his best intrest. As for him doing better than Hayden? I see a POLL coming on!!!
Don't forget, there's more to GP than just the bike....he could have seen another track for the first time.

I think Ben has nothing more to prove in AMA but he didn't want to risk injury ahead if his Indy test. It was a short term sacrifice for a long term gain.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Jul 7 2008, 07:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>So you think that the Indy test session,against test riders, would be more important than an official race against the guys he will be going bar to bar with next year.He could have gotten just as hurt at Indy or Donnington as he could at Assen.Indy was a tire test,Assen was the real Mccoy.I cant see Indy being more important.

Well he did over a 100 laps at Indy in the dry, far more setup time than he would have got in Assen. furthermore he will now get to return to Indy for a race, where he aims to make a bigger impact than he did at Donington or ever could have done at Assen. He is banking on making a mark at the American races to get him into motogp, rather than finishing last for default points at Assen. I think thats a legit decision

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Jul 7 2008, 03:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Well he did over a 100 laps at Indy in the dry, far more setup time than he would have got in Assen. furthermore he will now get to return to Indy for a race, where he aims to make a bigger impact than he did at Donington or ever could have done at Assen. He is banking on making a mark at the American races to get him into motogp, rather than finishing last for default points at Assen. I think thats a legit decision
good point.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Jul 7 2008, 08:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Well he did over a 100 laps at Indy in the dry, far more setup time than he would have got in Assen. furthermore he will now get to return to Indy for a race, where he aims to make a bigger impact than he did at Donington or ever could have done at Assen. He is banking on making a mark at the American races to get him into motogp, rather than finishing last for default points at Assen. I think thats a legit decision
+1