WSBK Qatar Race 1&2

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Mar 16 2009, 09:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The American Superbike race at Daytona was decided by 1 second. Honda was only 1 second behind Rockstar Yosh Suzuki.

The only person who said he couldn't compete due to restricted parts catalogs was Jordan. Obviously, Mladin and Hayden showed that the Jordan team needs more than parts in order to catch the Rockstar squad.

However, Hodgson proved there are plenty of decent Superbikes built and sold in the U.S. Suzuki was buying championships and it was leading to the decay of the sport, why would DMG allow it to continue?
When you say buying championships,do you mean they were only OEM with the commitment to build a winning bike or are you suggesting something far more sinister.Daytona dont mean squat.The first time Mladin threw a leg over his Daytona bike was when he arrived for race week.Its a last years model that they picked up from a dealer,3 weeks before the race. He could barely walk from a tweaked back, but still when he had to,he passed and gapped the competition in the last few laps.As far as Jordan goes,there are no more pieces,these are stock bikes,you have pretty much what your going to have.Again, its the rider..By the way,will Yosh have the 09 for Fontana?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MigsAngel @ Mar 16 2009, 05:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It still says nothing about AMA or Mladin since Spies pretty much dominated there too.
It says something about Mladin. Mladin has more race wins since Spies joined the class, 42 to 29. He even has more during Spies' three championship seasons, 2006, 2007 and 2008, 31 to 28. Without a doubt in my mind, Mat Mladin would have been a Superbike World Champion and/or a GP race winner had he ever gotten a fair shake at GP and/or left the states.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Mar 16 2009, 10:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It says something about Mladin. Mladin has more race wins since Spies joined the class, 42 to 29. He even has more during Spies' three championship seasons, 2006, 2007 and 2008, 31 to 28. Without a doubt in my mind, Mat Mladin would have been a Superbike World Champion and/or a GP race winner had he ever gotten a fair shake at GP and/or left the states.

I still think that Mladin has the speed to be very competitive in those leagues. I definietly think that he could give the boys in WSBK a run for their money.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Mar 16 2009, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I still think that Mladin has the speed to be very competitive in those leagues. I definietly think that he could give the boys in WSBK a run for their money.
Yeah he could still win races in WSBK, not sure if he could still do it in MotoGP. Mladin three or four years ago probably could have had done the business, though.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Mar 16 2009, 02:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>


She certainly looks less than enthused.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Mar 17 2009, 02:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>She certainly looks less than enthused.
Come on man, she's APPLAUDING his ...!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MigsAngel @ Mar 16 2009, 03:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I have to agree...and I admit I was very wrong about the Texan....

Thats cool man. (Now what will it take for you to be impressed with Nicky? Perhaps I'm asking for too much... )

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>It still says nothing about AMA or Mladin since Spies pretty much dominated there too.
Why? Yes, Spies was part of a duo that dominated AMA, but can we extrapulate anything from having the multiple BSB and the AMA champs going head to head now? I mean, yeah, I get what you are saying, with the domination that Spies has so far shown, its certainly hard to draw some reference point between AMA vs BSB/WSBK; however, in the AMA we have a BSB/WSBK champ in Hodgson who has been so far frustrated for wins, and now we have an AMA champ who is frustrating the BSB champ in the same way. Can anything be extrapulated, even just alittle?? I mean I remember a few threads where, say Tom, was convinced that AMA was a hair above bush leagues and BSB was akin to WSBK. However, does the current reality shed any light on the talent pull that is in AMA? Keep in mind, our resident BSB & WSBK champ in Hodgson has not just been frustrated by Spies/Mladin, but you can throw in Hayes, Zemke, T. Hayden, E.Bostrom (soon B.Bostrom) in that mix. No to mention we have you up and comers like Blake Yound, Hosh Herrin, Jason DiSalvo, etc.

So you think it says "nothing" about the AMA? I disagree, I think it says something about it, and that is that its a place where top racers are still being produced for the World stage.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Mar 16 2009, 08:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>When you say buying championships,do you mean they were only OEM with the commitment to build a winning bike or are you suggesting something far more sinister.Daytona dont mean squat.The first time Mladin threw a leg over his Daytona bike was when he arrived for race week.Its a last years model that they picked up from a dealer,3 weeks before the race. He could barely walk from a tweaked back, but still when he had to,he passed and gapped the competition in the last few laps.As far as Jordan goes,there are no more pieces,these are stock bikes,you have pretty much what your going to have.Again, its the rider..By the way,will Yosh have the 09 for Fontana?

I mean Suzuki have spent millions upon millions of dollars to hire engineers and electronic technicians to circumvent the rules. I'm not blaming them or claiming their titles aren't legit, I'm simply pointing out that a big chunk of the money they invested to capture AMA titles was spent on technology that was completely unnecessary. After the AMA made traction control legal again, Suzuki spent tons of money building prototype parts for the GSXR-1000.

As you have pointed out, the most important component of the Yosh Suzuki team was the riders. Considering how massive Suzuki's budget is, they could probably buy up all of the good talent in the AMA and put them on Suzuki's. They would win in perpetuity AND there would be good racing.

When riders are recognized as the most important component of a motorcycling series, they are well paid, and the series flourishes. When one team develops and enormous technological advantage by engineering superfluous technologies that were designed to circumvent the rules, the series dies.

Mladin is still winning, what's the big deal? The rules weren't designed to stop Mladin. DMG is simply trying to eliminate the incentives that were causing teams to spend ludicrous amounts of money on prototype parts.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Mar 16 2009, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I mean I remember a few threads where, say Tom, was convinced that AMA was a hair above bush leagues and BSB was akin to WSBK. However, does the current reality shed any light on the talent pull that is in AMA?

You must be confused. I said that i consider the level of BSB to be a hair above AMA, while the world championship is a higher level than both. Spies has done a fantastic job so far, but he was leagues ahead of all but one of his domestic rivals. Spies has shown so far that HE has what it takes on the world stage, but even if you were to speculate that his AMA rivals would make the transition equally well (unlikely) it'd still put them fighting for spare points with Tommy Hill.

Look at it like this. Rossi finished 2nd overall on the 500's in the year 2000. Would you have concluded at that point that the 250cc riders was actually just as strong as the 500cc grid? I certainly don't think so.

Ben Spies is leading the championship in WSBK, and Shane Byrne is not, so I think at this moment AMA has a one up on BSB.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hayden Fan @ Mar 17 2009, 10:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Ben Spies is leading the championship in WSBK, and Shane Byrne is not, so I think at this moment AMA has a one up on BSB.
your point still stands but...

SBK RIDERS RANKING

1HagaJPN85
2SpiesUSA75
3NeukirchnerGER40
4BiaggiITA38
5HaslamGBR36


from the official website..

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hayden Fan @ Mar 17 2009, 10:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Ben Spies is leading the championship in WSBK, and Shane Byrne is not, so I think at this moment AMA has a one up on BSB.

That's fine, if both series' are populated with riders who are equally as good as each of those examples and they all finish tied on points each year. But they don't so naturally we will continue to speculate, AMA's best is clearly better than BSB's so far this season, but the respective levels of the actual series remains debatable. I'm sure you and others will still disagree with my opinion, but thats not a surprise nor should it be a problem.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Mar 14 2009, 01:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yeah I just used a proxy somewhere in Korea or something. Worked good.

One thing, why does Spies always have to mention tht there is a lot of fast guys everytime he speaks. Is he really blown away and surprised at how tight the field is? I think it's a way to phsyche himself up so that he pushes harder. Like this is the challenge of his life. But it really is getting quite annoying. I know that there are fast guys out there, why do you have to keep saying it.

It's because he's a "borderline personality". The guy's a machine. He's wholly focused on winning - and doesn't really have much use for interviewers. If Spies had one tenth the charisma of Roberts, Rainey, Gardiner or Rossi - he could be a mega-spokesman for whoever he's racing for - but the guy's a zombie - when he's got a microphone in his face.

... But hell, I'm rooting for him all the same. A year ago there'd been a thread here where all the Euro-doubters were blabbing on about the night-and-day superiority of WSB riders over AMA talent - I predicted Spies would dominate. So - tho I don't get all warm and fuzzy when I see him being interviewed - I gotta say, he's kicking ... like I knew he would. And I really love seeing an American again out there running #19! ....... too cool.

... I was all pent up watching the top three sandbagging till the last 6 laps and when Haga finally made a move - seeing Spies easily stealing his thunder, totally made me sit up and yell "Psyche!" Must have really screwed with Haga's head. I actually feel bad for Haga - as he really must have been thinking this was his year to win the championship - but it looks a little too late now.

Gotta say it sucks not being able to watch these races live here in the States. I just got back from 30 days in India on business . . . and I was able to watch PI and Losail live on one of the crappy Indian cable stations - while sitting in my $8.00 a night hotel room.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Mar 15 2009, 05:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It's not Moody, Ryder and Mamola who commentates SBK on Eurosport, is it whitham and another dude, anyway, it sure isn't the hysterical clishe machine J. Green.

....... can't stand that guy. I Googled his photo and he looks like a fatty - but he screeches some toothpick pipsqueak on crack. Talk about nails on a blackboard.