Stoner speaks out

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pigeon @ Apr 4 2009, 12:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Stoner: WSB isn't on a par with MotoGP
By Visordown News
Aussie hotshot speaks out about Rossi, Laguna Seca and the WSB series

AS the MotoGP championship gears up for the opening round of the season, Casey Stoner has made some interesting comments about Valentino Rossi to an Italian magazine.

Speaking to Riders magazine this month, the Aussie said: "I know that if Rossi was not my rival in MotoGP then I would be sitting there watching him as a fan.

"He is a strong rider who pushes very hard. He has an ability to put any problems, even the really bad ones, to one side and be able to just get on and race. To race against him is an honour."

Stoner also reflects on that momentous race between the pair at Laguna Seca last year, adding: "It was a difficult race to digest,"
source
Where's barry machine? I expect you to severely criticise casey, how dare he give rossi any credit, sounds like he is meandering to me

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pigeon @ Apr 4 2009, 06:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>AS the MotoGP championship gears up for the opening round of the season, Casey Stoner has made some interesting comments about Valentino Rossi to an Italian magazine.
Not really, standard .....!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mick D @ Apr 4 2009, 11:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Not really, standard .....!
I would agree they would seem to have attempted some media training for casey in the off season. His previous approach of talking straight off the top of his head and speaking the unvarnished truth as he saw it was rather appealing , to me anyway. Still, rossi did actually win the championship last year, so it does behove stoner to try to be gracious.

"And that nasty Rossi man got a bit close to me at Laguna and made me all frightened and confused"

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Apr 4 2009, 10:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Where's barry machine? I expect you to severely criticise casey, how dare he give rossi any credit, sounds like he is meandering to me

I don't see anything in what was said to criticize, as I have said ad nauseum ...Stoner just reacts old school .... ie. gets the ..... then gets over it ..... I suggest you try the same

Is your new title "Michaelm .... honorary Rossifan"

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BarryMachine @ Apr 4 2009, 02:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't see anything in what was said to criticize, as I have said ad nauseum ...Stoner just reacts old school .... ie. gets the ..... then gets over it ..... I suggest you try the same

Is your new title "Michaelm .... honorary Rossifan"
i know this isn't very constructive but you really are a turd-burglar barry.




<span style="font-family:Arial Narrow<span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%ahhh, I feel much better for that

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BarryMachine @ Apr 4 2009, 01:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't see anything in what was said to criticize, as I have said ad nauseum ...Stoner just reacts old school .... ie. gets the ..... then gets over it ..... I suggest you try the same

Is your new title "Michaelm .... honorary Rossifan"
Most people who have followed gp bike racing for the last 13 years or so are rossi fans to some degree, which is one reason why it was such a significant achievement for stoner to beat him in 2007, and would be perhaps even more if he managed it again, which I certainly hope he does this year. However, at the moment he hasn't done it, and rossi actually won last year's championship with more than a modicum of style.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Apr 4 2009, 01:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i know this isn't very constructive but you really are a turd-burglar barry.




<span style="font-family:Arial Narrow<span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%ahhh, I feel much better for that
On this occasion barry probably deserves little blame, as I was niggling him fairly childishly .

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Apr 4 2009, 02:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>On this occasion barry probably deserves little blame, as I was niggling him fairly childishly .
granted, he is still an arse-blanket though...

I thought it was a pretty good interview from Casey. It makes it easier to enjoy his riding when he can talk about Rossi and give him due credit. What I thought was interesting was his shot at WSBK in saying that the bikes and riders are well behind MotoGP. Of course the bikes are, but there are some young guys in the series who have potential to end up in MotoGP rather quickly. It almost feels as though he's reacting to all the hype surrounding Spies.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Apr 4 2009, 09:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It almost feels as though he's reacting to all the hype surrounding Spies.

No way man. The entire interview was reasonable, really nothing different then any other interview I've ever read about him. I'm not sure why people try to assign any controversy to when he speaks. Just look at the title: Stoner speaks out? WTF. And to say eh said some "interesting comments about Ross"? WTF. Did anybody not notice he had Rossi on a very short list of greats when he downed his title t-shirt in 07? Casey has been saying this .... all along, he is a fan of Rossi, and admires him. And he is NOT taking a dig at WSBK, but simply saying he still thinks the top riders are better. You'd be hard pressed to make a case that Stoner, Rossi, Lorenzo, Peders, Dovi, Hayden, Capi, are equal to the top WSBK riders. Sure Spies has a legitimate bid to going GP, but that's it, you're not gonna bring any of the other guys to REPLACE the top 5-7 GP riders right? So Casey is simply stating something rather reasonable. Again, why are his comments always takes as such controversy if they are simply reasonable and mild? Most of the time I let it slid or play banter with the Rossi faithful because they still can't get over the FACT that Stoner is faster, and has been for the last two years running. So I get why they play up his comments, but here, its all praise, and nothing new really. Really, the only fun I see in slagging Stoner is the flack Berry gets from it.

I would like to know of these MotoGP riders that have moved over WSBK and elevated the series.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Apr 4 2009, 11:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I would like to know of these MotoGP riders that have moved over WSBK and elevated the series.
Bayliss, Biaggi, Haga, Checa, and to a lessor degree Nakano, Laconi, Tomada, West, etc. Hopkins remains to be seen.

BTW, Hi Electric, haven't seen you around for a while buddy. Good to see you back in time for the season.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Apr 4 2009, 07:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I would like to know of these MotoGP riders that have moved over WSBK and elevated the series.
In short....none. Biaggi had burnt all his bridges in GP, and sat out a season until Alstare came in for him. HRC wouldn't even entertain his name, and the other teams were similarly wary. Other than that, generally the riders that came over were arguably past their prime. GP is increasingly about young upcoming hungry talent to depose Rossi, (he says conveniently ignoring the return of gibber-now). Not even the potential sponsorship of half of corporate Spain was about to save Checa. Barros was riding for his pension plan, and had been for many years, and Abe and McCoy never adapted to the four stroke. These guys were never about to elevate the series - many of the refugees from GP tend to be in the twilight of their career. OK, Smrz, Nieto, and in WSS Haarms, and are relatively quite young - but in the case of Fonsi, had their chances in GP and blew it.

Why would any racer in the GP paddock on top of his game, with either the best prospects or the already in the best ride want to consider moving to WSB when rightly or wrongly it is considered the inferior series? It may currently produce better racing, but those that do move into Superbike haven't made the grade in GP, or are no longer coveted by teams in the paddock. Riders ascend through 125, and GP, or the Superbike route, with the ultimate goal of a ride in Moto GP. For those that have made the perceived backwards move' from GP to WSB however convincing they were on a GP bike, it should not necessarily be a given that they will smoke the field simply because they are veterans of GP, and that a GP bike is harder to ride and set up. It's an entirely different beast, and I can fully understand why it can seem alien and unwieldy to ex GP riders used to taming a more 'reined' animal.

The arrival of Hopkins of course will change all this

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Apr 4 2009, 05:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It almost feels as though he's reacting to all the hype surrounding Spies.


hey austin i think casey was replying to this:

WSB boss Flammini digs at MotoGP

WORLD SUPERBIKE boss Paolo Flammini has spoken out about the new raft of rules and regulations about the future of MotoGP, and says that some of them are a 'gift' to WSB.
In the raft of new measures, exclusively revealed first on Visordown last month, includes restrictions on testing and cost. A ban on electronic suspension adjusters was also included.

A move to stop newcomers to the MotoGP class riding for an official factory team was also outlined. The batch of new regulations is, apparently, playing right in WSB hands.

Flammini said: "I believe that these decisions by Dorna can really contribute to the atteactiveness of the WSB championship as far as riders are concerned.

"With the changes, and what the young riders are allowed to do in MotoGP compared to WSB I believe that the MotoGP championship has made a real gift to World Superbikes."

You do have to wonder why MotoGP seems so set on shooting itself in its own foot right now...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>You do have to wonder why MotoGP seems so set on shooting itself in its own foot right now...

A man goes out and buys a BMW that he MUST have. Unfortunately, after buying it he finds out he can't afford it.

So he decides he will list it as a weekend driver to save money on insurance, he will only drive it 4,000 miles per year to save depreciation and maintenance, and he will only buy the cheapest POS sport tires to save money on rubber.

The manufacturers want to play with their ....-800s because they were stupid enough to buy them and too proud to return them. The entire sport must be ruined so they don't have to admit they were idiots.

They lived miserably ever after, but at least they never had to eat humble pie.

....A man goes out and wins a BMW

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Apr 4 2009, 02:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>In short....none.Riders being past their prime and/or unwanted in GP are not precluded from improving another series. Leaving aside riders like Haga who have long since returned to superbikes, you've at least got the recent midpackers from GP like Biaggi and Checa who have gone to SBK and immediately made an impact, winning races and posing somewhat credible championship threats. To a lesser extent you have riders like Nakano, and who knows what Hopkins will bring.

Looking closer he mentions "ex-champions", so that pretty much means Biaggi and his 250 championships. Midpack GP riders going to SBK certainly improves the series, and in many cases also gives them a ride that's capable of winning a race absent freaky circumstances, provided they ride well. The escalating costs, low number of competitive rides, and excellence of the riders at the very top of GPs have made it really difficult for second-tier riders to challenge, even on their best days. When those guys move on the superbikes, the superbike series often benefits.

Stoner is alright. Damn we are lucky he is racing in this series.