Joined Apr 2008
7K Posts | 3K+
Out of Nowhere
Leon Camier looking quick this weekend.
Hoping for a Ducati 1-2.
I miss Monza.
Hoping for a Ducati 1-2.
I miss Monza.
WSB & WSS Imola ****SPOILERS****
- Thread starter Arrabbiata1
- Start date
Joined Apr 2008
7K Posts | 3K+
Out of Nowhere
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Not a terribly eventful first race prior to the red flag coming out.
Davies was so dominant that Rea had no chance of catching him and in turn, Melandri and Sykes had no chance of catching either of those two.
Hayden with another waste of a race on the Fireblade. I really have no sympathy left for Nicky as riding for Honda was a self-inflicted wound based on an idiotic notion of loyalty to a manufacturer that has done nothing to give a legitimate competitive ride to him because they don't give a .... about SBK.
Eugene Laverty had some quick thinking there by jumping off at that speed. Fortuitous move since I don't think anyone would have expected the RSV4 to explode on impact. Could have been far far worse than it turned out to be. Hope he is okay and will be cleared for tomorrow's race.
Davies though is going to be ruing the lost opportunities of the prior races as that points lead Rea has is going to be tough to close unless Rea somehow encounters his own misfortune, which I can't see happening.
Did anyone see Rea smoking the tire through the Piratella? Impressive stuff...I wish I had a GIF of it.
Davies was so dominant that Rea had no chance of catching him and in turn, Melandri and Sykes had no chance of catching either of those two.
Hayden with another waste of a race on the Fireblade. I really have no sympathy left for Nicky as riding for Honda was a self-inflicted wound based on an idiotic notion of loyalty to a manufacturer that has done nothing to give a legitimate competitive ride to him because they don't give a .... about SBK.
Eugene Laverty had some quick thinking there by jumping off at that speed. Fortuitous move since I don't think anyone would have expected the RSV4 to explode on impact. Could have been far far worse than it turned out to be. Hope he is okay and will be cleared for tomorrow's race.
Davies though is going to be ruing the lost opportunities of the prior races as that points lead Rea has is going to be tough to close unless Rea somehow encounters his own misfortune, which I can't see happening.
Did anyone see Rea smoking the tire through the Piratella? Impressive stuff...I wish I had a GIF of it.
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
I'm sure Laverty will be ok to race tomorrow. His bike? That's another matter. Bearing in mind this is the track Joan Lascorz got paralyzed a few years ago, I'm just grateful Laverty is ok.
Joined Apr 2008
7K Posts | 3K+
Out of Nowhere
The Lascorz incident was a complete freak lane which could have happened at any number of circuits in my opinion. Having said that, the similarly exposed wall at Rivazza where Laverty crashed is terrifying.
Watched the WSS 300 yesterday for the first time in qualifying - yet to see them race. Great class. So that's where Ana Carrasco went.
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Joined Mar 2016
2K Posts | 2K+
FNQ
OK its been many years since I watched SBK, who are the commentators, they sound like Oz versions of Nick Harris, can't hear the bikes for verbal diarrhoea.
Nice races anyway
Just think i need to turn voices off in future.
Was awesome when the commentary feed was disrupted in race 1.
About 5 minutes of nothing but racing engines and circuit background noises. Could even hear cheering from the stands, then the feed would cut to an on bike cam, pure sound nirvana.
Alas, the commentators came back and ...... it all up again.
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Race 2 is why the reverse grid rule is asinine. It makes no difference on the results. All it does it makes Davies/Rea/Melandri work harder to get up to the front, but ultimately 4-5-6 do not hold onto those podium positions. I understand the intent behind the swap, but it's like one of those really bad ideas that came directly out of the mind of Bernie Ecclestone. They need to scrap this .....
That said, Davies was the best rider in race 2 just like 2016's Imola weekend. At least this in theory gets him on track again in the points standings. Rea made some uncharacteristic for him unforced errors early in race 2. It's interesting because I think we all take for granted how consistent Jonathan Rea has been, that to see him missing his braking points is almost a major event in itself. He very nearly lost it going into the final chicane when he went in too late and had to run the corner, and then proceeded to get slightly out of shape on exit. I expect that from Tom Sykes, not Jonathan Rea.
You really have to wonder about Tom Sykes and what his future at Kawasaki is. He doesn't have the pace of Rea on the ZX-10R, and no matter how much of an early lead he was able to pull out in race 2, I don't think anyone seriously believed he would be the one on the top step of the podium at race end. I think he's settled into that #2 role whether it was by choice or not since he hasn't got the pace. He may serve as a useful buffer for Rea if Davies starts closing the points gap down.
Melandri had an okay weekend. His Ducati really moves around a lot more than Davies' appears to. Of particular embarrassment to him was getting picked off twice by Jonathan Rea each race heading into the Variante Alta. It was a nice repeat of the Thailand race when Sykes did the same thing to him twice. Kind of leaves you hard-pressed to figure out why Melandri doesn't bother attempting to cover his position in certain corners. Not that he wasn't going to get overtaken by Rea eventually, but at least make the guy work for the overtake and don't give him the same overtake spot two races in a row.
Davies appears to have settled down a bit. I wonder if all of the title talk prior to the season served only to distract Davies in the few opening races where he made a lot of errors.
That said, Davies was the best rider in race 2 just like 2016's Imola weekend. At least this in theory gets him on track again in the points standings. Rea made some uncharacteristic for him unforced errors early in race 2. It's interesting because I think we all take for granted how consistent Jonathan Rea has been, that to see him missing his braking points is almost a major event in itself. He very nearly lost it going into the final chicane when he went in too late and had to run the corner, and then proceeded to get slightly out of shape on exit. I expect that from Tom Sykes, not Jonathan Rea.
You really have to wonder about Tom Sykes and what his future at Kawasaki is. He doesn't have the pace of Rea on the ZX-10R, and no matter how much of an early lead he was able to pull out in race 2, I don't think anyone seriously believed he would be the one on the top step of the podium at race end. I think he's settled into that #2 role whether it was by choice or not since he hasn't got the pace. He may serve as a useful buffer for Rea if Davies starts closing the points gap down.
Melandri had an okay weekend. His Ducati really moves around a lot more than Davies' appears to. Of particular embarrassment to him was getting picked off twice by Jonathan Rea each race heading into the Variante Alta. It was a nice repeat of the Thailand race when Sykes did the same thing to him twice. Kind of leaves you hard-pressed to figure out why Melandri doesn't bother attempting to cover his position in certain corners. Not that he wasn't going to get overtaken by Rea eventually, but at least make the guy work for the overtake and don't give him the same overtake spot two races in a row.
Davies appears to have settled down a bit. I wonder if all of the title talk prior to the season served only to distract Davies in the few opening races where he made a lot of errors.
OK its been many years since I watched SBK, who are the commentators, they sound like Oz versions of Nick Harris, can't hear the bikes for verbal diarrhoea.
Nice races anyway
Just think i need to turn voices off in future.
Can't be as bad as Jonathan Green surely. I've not followed SBK for years, catch the odd race every now and then but it's not a patch on BSB.
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
No maybe not but I can't spend 7 days a week watching bikes lol, much as I'd like to.
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