Good fun battles at the top. Most likely good to be a Carrasco vs Herrera fight until the last race. Not much between those two.
Summer break news/Chat thread
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I followed both when in Moto3, and like to keep up with what they are doing. Unfortunately Herrera doesn't really feature in the MotoE races. I think I saw one mention of her having a long lap penalty and that was about it. I saw a YouTube video of a last lap battle between Carrasco and Herrera, and it was absolutely banging - in my opinion.
I think it was this one, but I saw a full screen clip and I think it was longer.
EDIT: Visible here from about 28:00 in.
Perhaps but it is not without merit. To be honest and I agree with your post in the other thread, Crafar has improved dramatically and his knowledge is 2nd to none. The little things he sees in the garages such as tubes 2 or 3 mm higher in the tripe clamp, are priceless. He still struggles to get his thoughts past his vocal cords. I have come to appreciate him quite a lot.
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Not having heard racing 2-strokes for a while, those 125s sound like a swarm of angry hornets after someone has urinated into their nest.
I like the racing, Australia has Tayla Relph running in the series doing well.
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Australia
I liked him as a rider, loved him winning that race on a bike which shouldn’t have been capable of doing so. He is probably the best thing on the MotoGP.com overage, but that is hardly strong praise. I am getting old, and remember Julian Ryder fondly as a commentator over pretty much anyone since.
I could see him being good as head steward, he seems to be an honest man, and as you say is almost certain to be better than Freddie if he is given the authority. Not having been a superstar rider himself may be an advantage.
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Julian and Keith whom we got on the WSBK coverage in Australia in the heyday of the series (imo) in the 90s are my idea of bike racing commentators, and I have never seen anyone to compare with them since, it was almost worth watching the races just for the commentary, and they knew their bike racing as well. Nick Harris and his successor on the motogp.com coverage leave me completely cold, 'passionless enthusiasm' as an Australian commentator on the indigenous football code was once described as possessing applies to them as well in my view, with nary a hint of a sense of humour from either. Simon Crafar at least has opinions, including perhaps relevantly on whether a rider is at fault in a collision, and is not constantly occupied with telling everyone how glorious everything is and presumably always will be. Not a fair criticism, but I just can't stand Simon's voice.
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Spencer was also criticised for his communications skills, not merely his judgements.
The best way forward, well at least that is my opinion, is to be completely transparent about the decisions.
Mistakes will happen, it is inevitable. How you own up and move forward would be what riders, teams and fans are interested in.
I would also like to have cameras in the meetings they have before the races, where they are discussing the track and the current conditions. I'd would have thought that would be more insightful than most of the pressers
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Indeed. I also love the smell. I have two 2 stroke karts in my garage, and sometimes I just fire them up to smell and hear them sing.
Excellent post. I always got the impression Spencer was an egomaniac as a steward, with a 'My way or the highway' attitude. While no one can be perfect or 100% impartial or consistent, I feel Crafar will do better in the role. I also feel his commentary experience will aid him, given he has had a broad interaction with all the teams, riders, and sport as a whole for the last 7 years.
My prediction is as one of his first acts, Crafar is going to put an end to riders dawdling around the track looking for a tow whilst other riders are on hot laps. If I'm not mistaken, I believe I've heard him commentating something needs to be done and perhaps penalties should be implemented. I would support such action.
*EDIT* Naturally this assumes he has the juice to make such a change unilaterally.
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Personally I hope that such comments are part of the reason that he has been given the job. And that those making such higher level decisions will back him up.
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I believe there is a system in place to enforce this in Moto3 already if I'm not mistaken, but I don't get time to watch the feeder series sadly. If true, then I'm guessing it wouldnt be hard to enforce, they just have a maximum delta laptime they can do.
Like most here, I hate it. There has been a few times this yr where Marc Marquez has done it needlessly like at Assen where he subsequently crashed and even I, as a fan of his, was saying aloud 'Come on, this is ridiculous'.
I've never competed at the level these guys do, but I've raced enough to know that having a gaggle of bikes dithering around the track, even offline, is a huge distraction. I would also cite it as a safety issue in that what if a rider is well offline and a rider on the hot lap crashes then pinballs into them? We saw that in a way at Germany last yr where Marquez crashed into Zarco as he was leaving the pits, and it happened some years ago with (I think) Pedrosa and Petrux at Aragon?
You can eliminate the issues with qualifications by giving grid penalties for riders who are not going fast enough.
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Exactly. Their fastest lap cancelled or I would even go as far as mandating a back of grid start. It would eliminate waiting for a tow overnight.
it is not just annoying or an interference with setting lap times in qualifying or FP3, it is a serious safety issue. The way MM’s mind perhaps works he may think he is justified because Pecco and Martin have better bikes but he should be stopped from doing it along with everyone else. I don’t know about getting tows from a team mate though, it is a team sport to an extent and in that circumstance both riders know what they are doing, the dawdling on the racing line thing and a following rider at full pace being caught unawares is what is problematic imo.
Another issue which probably has no solution is riders, often backmarkers in FP3, ruining the end of FP3 or qualifying when everyone is going for their fast lap by crashing and bringing out yellow flags. Sure riders could set a fast lap earlier, but tires etc can make this difficult and I quite like the spectacle of the end of the session fast laps. I can’t recall anyone doing it in MotoGP, but setting a fast lap then crashing out on the next one could work to a rider’s advantage. I think Schumacher may have done it in F1.
I see Crash has nominated Jake Roulstone as the up-coming Australian GP rider, but he is not the only Ozzie to follow. Australia has (in my memory) never had so many riders racing in MOTO GP and WSBK. For a small country of about 22 million people, we have 10 riders competing, all coming from a dirt track background.
MOTO 1 Jack Miller.
MOTO 2, Senna Agius.
MOTO 3. Joel Kelso, and Jacob Roulstone.
WSBK. Remy Gardner.
SSP. Ollie Bayliss. Tom Edwards. Luke Power.
SSP300. Carter Thompson.
WRRC. Tayla Relph.
Senna Agius came though the Asian Talent Cup, Euro Moto 3, to win the 2023 European Moto2 Championship. Did a number of GP Substitution rides in 23 before entering the series for 24.
Jake Roulstone, a 3 times Junior Dirt track Champion, came up through the Asian Talent Cup, and the Red Bull Rookies. He was spotted by Aki Ajo, and put in the Gas Gas team, 12th in the Championship, but being 181cm tall he needs to move up next year.
Carter Thompson, Red Bull Rookies, Asian Talent Cup. At sixteen year old, he rode in the last WSBK race at Most in place of an injured rider, hasn't ridden this track before, came 3rd in the first race, got pole position for the second race, was up the front, when he and two others were taken out by another rider. To have the talent that he has at that age, I think he will be the one to watch.
MOTO 1 Jack Miller.
MOTO 2, Senna Agius.
MOTO 3. Joel Kelso, and Jacob Roulstone.
WSBK. Remy Gardner.
SSP. Ollie Bayliss. Tom Edwards. Luke Power.
SSP300. Carter Thompson.
WRRC. Tayla Relph.
Senna Agius came though the Asian Talent Cup, Euro Moto 3, to win the 2023 European Moto2 Championship. Did a number of GP Substitution rides in 23 before entering the series for 24.
Jake Roulstone, a 3 times Junior Dirt track Champion, came up through the Asian Talent Cup, and the Red Bull Rookies. He was spotted by Aki Ajo, and put in the Gas Gas team, 12th in the Championship, but being 181cm tall he needs to move up next year.
Carter Thompson, Red Bull Rookies, Asian Talent Cup. At sixteen year old, he rode in the last WSBK race at Most in place of an injured rider, hasn't ridden this track before, came 3rd in the first race, got pole position for the second race, was up the front, when he and two others were taken out by another rider. To have the talent that he has at that age, I think he will be the one to watch.
Joined Nov 2012
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Husqvana says that Agius is Japanese 
Senna Agius It also says that he was born in 1997.
After my mistake with Roberts, I was looking up their ages. Kelso is 21. Roulstone is 19. Agius is also 19 I think. All of these riders have time to rise through the ranks. Agius maybe in Moto2 next year, and Kelso and Roulstone could easily move up in Moto3 with others graduating and more experience.
Senna Agius It also says that he was born in 1997. After my mistake with Roberts, I was looking up their ages. Kelso is 21. Roulstone is 19. Agius is also 19 I think. All of these riders have time to rise through the ranks. Agius maybe in Moto2 next year, and Kelso and Roulstone could easily move up in Moto3 with others graduating and more experience.
