MotoGP 2014 Season

[Modelexis]

Does anyone know of a pub or place in town where you can watch these races on TV?




2014 Calendar

1
Losail Circuit QAT
COMMERCIAL BANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
23 March
Losail Circuit | Qatar


2
Circuit Of The Americas AME
RED BULL GRAND PRIX OF THE AMERICAS
13 April
Circuit of the Americas | Austin


3
Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo ARG
GRAN PREMIO RED BULL DE LA REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA
27 April
Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo | Argentina


4
Jerez SPA
GRAN PREMIO bwin DE ESPAÑA
4 May
Jerez | Spain


5
Le Mans FRA
MONSTER ENERGY GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE
18 May
Le Mans | France


6
Mugello ITA
GRAN PREMIO D'ITALIA TIM
1 June
Mugello | Italy


7
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya CAT
GRAN PREMI MONSTER ENERGY DE CATALUNYA
15 June
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya | Catalunya


8
Assen NED
TT ASSEN
28 June
Assen | Netherlands


9
Sachsenring GER
eni MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX DEUTSCHLAND
13 July
Sachsenring | Germany


10
Indianapolis Motor Speedway INP
RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX
10 August
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Indianapolis


11
Automotodrom Brno CZE
bwin GRAND PRIX ČESKÉ REPUBLIKY
17 August
Automotodrom Brno | Czech Republic


12
Silverstone GBR
HERTZ BRITISH GRAND PRIX
31 August
Silverstone | Great Britain


13
Misano World Circuit RSM
GRAN PREMIO DI SAN MARINO E DELLA RIVIERA DI RIMINI
14 September
Misano World Circuit | San Marino


14
MotorLand Aragon ARA
GRAN PREMIO DE ARAGÓN
28 September
MotorLand Aragon | Aragon


15
Motegi JPN
GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN
12 October
Motegi | Japan


16
Phillip Island AUS
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
19 October
Phillip Island | Australia


17
Sepang Circuit MAL
SHELL ADVANCE MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
26 October
Sepang Circuit | Malaysia


18
Comunitat Valenciana VAL
GRAN PREMIO GENERALI DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
9 November
Comunitat Valenciana | Valencia

[Modelexis]

In Qatar
Marc Marquez qualifies in pole position

Aleix ESPARGARO 2 major crashes prevented him from making a serious hot lap, should have qualified on pole.

Lorenzo is on the second row.

[japan_us]

Great race! Hoping we'll see more of that this year.

Super impressed by Marquez, Rossi, Bautista and Smith. Shame about Bradl and Lorenzo binning it, otherwise we may have witnessed something really special. Was hoping for more from the Ducatis though.

[civic_stylez]

I felt really bad for Bautista. He had been holding and pressing race pace. If he hadnt shot wide on that one turn I think he could have hit the podium if he didnt bail on the second last lap.

Was crazy to see BOTH Tech 3's out on the same lap pretty much. You could see Smith was heartbroken over it. Crutchlow basically had to run his Duc over the line lol.

Qatar is such a sweet race though. There should be a good battle this year between bradl, rossi, dani, marquez,bautista and lorenzo. My long shot pick is Dovi or Smith.

If anyone finds a place to watch the races in the city, Im down.

[japan_us]

^ I believe they used to show the races at Pulcinella in Kensington, or maybe they still do. Apparently they're MotoGP fans over there.

It's a bit too close to home to warrant firing up the Ducati, but I'd ride the fixed gear over if in fact they show the races.

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by japan_us
^ I believe they used to show the races at Pulcinella in Kensington, or maybe they still do. Apparently they're MotoGP fans over there.

It's a bit too close to home to warrant firing up the Ducati, but I'd ride the fixed gear over if in fact they show the races.

Dom is a big bike guy so I could see that being a good possibility. I eat there quite often and never gave it a thought... When it warms up ill definitely find out.

[Go4Long]

I'm heading down to Austin again for the COTA round. Such an awesome experience seeing them live.

The race in Qatar was among the best races I've seen in a long time. I'm curious as to whether Cal ran out of fuel at the end or if the motor went boom.

Rossi being back at the front was excellent. Lorenzo pushing too hard and binning it on the first lap was funny (the interview he even said that he just plain old forgot that it was going to be colder than it was during the warm up). Bautista tossing it away that close to the end was too bad. And Bradl chucking it is nothing new.

Shame for the Tech3 guys, but Smith had a pretty bad week. The guy that made me laugh hardest was still Aleix Espagaro. Led EVERY session with laps faster than the fastest qualifier, chucks it twice during qualifying.

Funny statistic. Ducati's down the front straight were 342km/h, Hondas 341, Yamahas 336, Customer hondas at 331, the Open class yamaha was 325km/h...moral of the story is that Aleix Espagaro can turn a bike.

[japan_us]

Originally posted by Go4Long
I'm heading down to Austin again for the COTA round. Such an awesome experience seeing them live.

GP events are awesome. I've been to Laguna a bunch, as well as Assen, Mugello and Sachsenring. Would like to go to COTA sometime - looks like a great venue!


Originally posted by Go4Long
I'm curious as to whether Cal ran out of fuel at the end or if the motor went boom.

Cal said that the electronics messed up at the beginning of the race, with the bike not knowing where it was on track. It basically shut off at the final corner, but he got it going enough to limp it over the line. There was plenty of fuel left though.

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by civic_stylez
If anyone finds a place to watch the races in the city, Im down.

I have a MotoGP videopass subscription, but I can't host.
If someone had a place to host with a big screen hooked to the internet to stream I could use my subscription to show the event.

[Go4Long]

Originally posted by japan_us


GP events are awesome. I've been to Laguna a bunch, as well as Assen, Mugello and Sachsenring. Would like to go to COTA sometime - looks like a great venue!


I went to COTA last year. It's a good event for me to go to since I have some friends in Texas through photography that let me crash their house when I'm there.

And Austin is my favorite city. Such amazing food culture, music, beer, etc. Just an amazing town with amazing people as a whole.

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by Modelexis


I have a MotoGP videopass subscription, but I can't host.
If someone had a place to host with a big screen hooked to the internet to stream I could use my subscription to show the event.

Is it worth it?? I always wondered if the cost was worth the substance that you get. Videos seem good. Is there alot of technical and geeky stuff that you get with it in terms of videos? I love that behind the scenes stuff.

[japan_us]

^ very much worth it, for the other two classes alone. Plus, you can watch the races at your convenience. And, yes, there's a lot of behind the scenes vids.

I can't be bothered to search the net for free content, and I love the sport too much that I don't feel the need to avoid throwing money at it, so that plays a role too.

Problem is, after you get it once you'll never be able to go without it.

[Go4Long]

I have an account at a great torrent site that lets me get all the sessions for all the classes and they're usually up within about 30 minutes to an hour of the session ending...with my schedule at work paying for live streaming usually doesn't make sense since I wouldn't be able to watch it. I paid for the steaming for Qatar though and agree that it had some great benefits.

[Modelexis]

It does have some great value, I have multiscreen so during the live events I can have one monitor showing the main video feed and another with a dedicated onboard with one of the front runners.

I just like the on-demand nature, I don't have to wait more than 2 seconds to start watching a feed, if I get the urge to watch something I don't have to wait for anything to dload I just start watching.

Seems to be worth it, with 18 events of 3 races each, plus qualifying and practices, plus testing events etc. Huge value.

Plus I don't own a TV so speed channel isn't an option for me.

Costs me 12.50$ per race if you average it out throughout the season.
That's like 2 beer at the pub.

[civic_stylez]

Well that pretty much nails it down.. out comes the credit card.

Looking forward to COTA in a few weeks... anxious to see what the teams are going to do after the first race of the season.

[Modelexis]

Friday at 8am testing starts for the Austin round 2 GP.

Ill probably catch the testing recap friday night, ill watch the quals on sat and the race on sunday.
Austin is a crazy track, two super tight hairpins, lots of left to right transitioning, big straight. Gonna be awesome.

[Go4Long]

I'll be there...I'll post what I can for updates. Due to the food though, probably won't be much. :poosie:

[Modelexis]

I had a chance to get tickets but I looked at flight prices and that was the end of that.
Plus my passport is expired and I let it go over a year so I'm stuck in this country for a few more months.

Do you have a pit pass?

[Go4Long]

No, I was going to buy them, but it was separate from Ticketmaster, so I figured if I want them when I get there I can just pick em up.

flights in to Austin can be a little more pricey, but both Houston and Dallas are less than 3 hours drive away. I got air miles flights to Dallas personally. I also stay with friends when I'm down there, so it's actually a fairly cheap trip for me.

[civic_stylez]

I love COTA. It will be interesting to see what the teams have done with the few weeks after Doha. I know Lorenzo had a real bone to pick with Bridgestone so Im anxious to see how the tires are in TX.

[Go4Long]

Lorenzo is just butt hurt because he fucked up in Qatar.

Qatar is notorious for having grip issues caused by the sand. The yamahas are definitely marginally slower than the Hondas, and the ducs, but that didn't stop Aleix Espagaro from being lightning fast.

[Modelexis]

I heard a rumor that Bridgestone won't have their new compound ready for COTA so riders will be using last year's compound.

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/bridgestone-bring-2013-spec-tire-austin-motogp/

[civic_stylez]

Seems to me last years compound did pretty well there though.. Needless to say, when your the sole supplier of rubber for MotoGP, you should be on top of things. I kind of liked the days when there were multiple tire manufacturers. Made things more exciting. Even though the Michelins chunked in the heat, they were awesome in the wet.

[Go4Long]

They're also forecasting 15-20mm of rain on Sunday...could be an interesting weekend.

[civic_stylez]

That will be pretty nuts if that happens. Dry track for practice and qualifying and then major rain for race day... always makes for an interesting race!

Who is everyone feeling to win TX?

In the wet - Rossi
Dry - Pedrosa

[Modelexis]

Forecast updated, cloudy - just a slight chance of light rain, might not rain at all now.

[Go4Long]

Pedrosa doesn't have it man...no way, no how. Podium? Sure, win? no.

If it's dry Marquez is going to take it again (yeah, it's the easy bet, but he won last year, so totally reasonable on a few fronts).

If it rains Rossi is going to win and Lorenzo is going to crash and cry about the rain tires.

[civic_stylez]

2015 is going to be really interesting.. lots of contracts expire and Suzuki will be back on the grid.

Lorenzo is already trying to get Yami to put up big bucks.. i dont think he likes being in Rossi's shadow even though he wins more races..

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2014/Lorenzo+ponders+new+Yamaha+contract

[Go4Long]

The problem with Lorenzo (that he recently started to work harder on) is that he's no Rossi. Rossi isn't worth the big money because he's the fastest guy on the track...he's worth the big money because he knows his job and he's the best at it. If you listen to the interviews he very rarely says anything negative about any of the people that pay his salary. And in terms of product promotion, he's a marketing department's wet dream, he shakes hands, kisses babies, and does everything he can to be a brand ambassador...as much as yamaha would be less happy if he wasn't doing well, he'd still bring in top dollar.

Day one was fuckin awesome...its 30 degrees here with 50% humidity...I'm dieing.

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by Go4Long
The problem with Lorenzo (that he recently started to work harder on) is that he's no Rossi. Rossi isn't worth the big money because he's the fastest guy on the track...he's worth the big money because he knows his job and he's the best at it. If you listen to the interviews he very rarely says anything negative about any of the people that pay his salary. And in terms of product promotion, he's a marketing department's wet dream, he shakes hands, kisses babies, and does everything he can to be a brand ambassador...as much as yamaha would be less happy if he wasn't doing well, he'd still bring in top dollar.

Day one was fuckin awesome...its 30 degrees here with 50% humidity...I'm dieing.

Post some pics!! Im retarded jealous of you! Marquez is crazy fast! The Duc's seem to be the top speed kings though, are they that bad in the corners?

[Go4Long]

In short? yes.

I posted the top speeds from Qatar around somewhere...there was a 20km/h difference between them and Espagaro's open class Yamaha at Qatar (346 to 325), and Espagaro was still destroying them in lap times.

They're getting better though...Dovizioso is riding the shit out of it...he comes out of turn two way harder than most of the other guys. It's super cool to watch him slide it. Crutchlow WILL get there...he's too good of a rider not to. Just have to keep in mind he's still learning the bike...

There's another part of it too...I don't think Ducati particularly wants Dovizioso to win a race...playing the devil's advocate here, currently they're allowed all the advantages of the open class, 4 more liters of fuel, twice the engines, and a softer tire choice...without all that I don't think they would even be where they are. If they win a race, or place second twice (I think that's what I read) they have to go down 2 liters for the balance of the season.

I'm just downloading the pictures off the card now...COTA is a PITA to shoot at, there's two sets of fences and they're about 10-15 feet apart, which makes it difficult, but I got some ok stuff I think.

*Edit for picture #1*

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7446/13786403745_ac470134b4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n1fVwi)Elbows Down and Out (https://flic.kr/p/n1fVwi) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[civic_stylez]

WOW!

Love that shot.

Good to see the guys are pushing hard. Ya, it took me a bit to figure out all the new rules and stipulations that they had come up with for the teams this year.

Dovi can push and is aggressive for sure. I remember him on the repsols a few years back. He was no slouch for sure. Its crazy to see how far Marquez is out front though. He seems untouchable.

[Go4Long]

He's just got a different mentality than the rest. He pushes 110% every session, every lap. Every round you see him come out like a raped ape and then the rest of the field close the gap as they ease on to it. Qualifying will still see times within a tenth or two I would say.

and thanks. :)

[Modelexis]

Great shot, I'm just catching up on FP1 & FP2 right now, great stuff, no major drama so far.

Here is the guy I like to follow, massive underdog but everyone has their favorite don't they?

http://photos.motogp.com/2014/04/11/35crutchlow_ds-_s1d9404_original.jpg


Also civic_stylez, not sure if you ended up getting that subscription or not but be sure to check out the photos section to get some great shots from each session, uploaded very quickly after they're taken!

Not sure if I'm allowed to post them here on the forum though, I'll have to look into that. Can't really see why not...

[Go4Long]

Some of the stuff in their photo section is really good...some of it is kinda average (which I really hadn't noticed until I looked through it today). Lots of shooting in to the sun and stuff like that.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/13790780005_d124deb1b5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n1Dmr4)
Hey Nicky (https://flic.kr/p/n1Dmr4) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[Go4Long]

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/13796237845_990ec820da_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n28jRK)
Moto 3 (https://flic.kr/p/n28jRK) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[Go4Long]

I was close...3 10ths :)

[Modelexis]

LMAO @ the Moto3 champagne spray directly onto the titties of the podium girl.

http://oi59.tinypic.com/2wokvw0.jpg

[Go4Long]

lol....epic.

On another note...how about that jump start? :nut:

[Modelexis]

Yeah, not good - massive error, but once the clutch is out and you're moving there isn't much you can do but power on ahead.

One more point about the titties today, what was up with the anthem hand on the heart with this one girl. She grabbed her titty instead of holding her hand over her heart.

http://i62.tinypic.com/54vl2a.jpg

[Go4Long]

He kind of hesitated, which actually cost him some time...he shoulda just taken off at full clip...It was entertaining that no one else moved though. Usually when someone jumps like that they'll get at least one follower.

This shot is from turn 9...shot through 2 fences with a 2.0TC, and then cropped...it's a LONG shot.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2927/13845303833_d90e6a38d3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n6sNt4)
Drive On (https://flic.kr/p/n6sNt4) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[Go4Long]

The driver of the safety car was having a blast...as he should have. It's a brand new M4. He was pushing it pretty hard around the track too. Regularly sliding through turns 3-6

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/13845868894_43208e3b25_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n6vGru)
Safety Car (https://flic.kr/p/n6vGru) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

Also took a side trip to the Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth...Omani Air Force F-16 doing some flight testing at Lockheed Martin's facility...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/13845499485_6ac23f7c89_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n6tNCn)
To Oman WIth Love (https://flic.kr/p/n6tNCn) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[Go4Long]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3829/13845874693_cba699b26f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n6vJat)
Retiree (https://flic.kr/p/n6vJat) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[Modelexis]

Glad the weather held out for the entire event, sure makes it easier to take photos if it's not pouring rain.

[civic_stylez]

Awesome shot of the texas tornado!

I couldnt believe watching Jorge jump that start.. he was at least a full second ahead of the lights.. hes making this season really hard on himself. All the races were intense. So many crashes on the moto2 as well.

Choked Bautista fell again. Just seemed like some bike just werent supposed to be on the grid. Crutchlows Duc looked like a brick even though Dovi pushed super hard on his. Well deserved podium. Rossi looked to be fighting the bike too. Love that Fox Sports gives more coverage to the US races but I REALLY miss Nick Harris on the commentary for US events.

[Go4Long]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/13941346104_c8dafacf5e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/neX3uh)Jorge (https://flic.kr/p/neX3uh) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[Modelexis]

Get ready for round 3.

Friday, saturday, sunday.

Races start Sunday at 8am with Moto3

I'm pumped.

[Go4Long]

I'll be back in Texas for an Airshow, but hoping I can torrent the races on Sunday night...interested to see what Jorge does this time. Maybe he won't even slow down after the warm up lap...

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by Go4Long
I'll be back in Texas for an Airshow, but hoping I can torrent the races on Sunday night...interested to see what Jorge does this time. Maybe he won't even slow down after the warm up lap...


LOL, he definitely needs to calm down a bit. He has thrown 2 straight races away. Must be feeling some pressure somewhere. Im definitely stoked for this weekend!

[Modelexis]

Renzo put up a top time in practice FP1

Good start for him, the track condition looks terrible. Dusty and dirty.

[civic_stylez]

The Hondas are definitely aggressive in FP2! 3 second jump on Jorge and Vale. Marquez is just a beast.. that guy has a nutty career ahead of him. Espargaro is way up there too.. Im not sure who is running what compound. Marquez seems to do well with hard comps as opposed to other running med and soft.

[Modelexis]

Great racing action, Moto3 was a good race to watch, only caught the last 5 laps but that seemed to be the prime time.

GP was good with no major odd situations, renzo finally finished a race without major issue.

93 cannot be stopped.

[Modelexis]

Time for Jerez, let's go!

Crutchlow is back, was in the press conference saying that he will ride if he feels 'safe' enough to brake without major pain.

I didn't watch FP1 FP2 yet, couldn't stay up all night watching GP so I'll have to catch up on those sessions tonight.

[civic_stylez]

Marquez's bike quit right after he put down fastest laps in the practice session. Wonder what caused that. Jerez is bad luck for Marquez too.. Jorge and Dani do really well here. Hopefully it makes it interesting.

[Go4Long]

Aleix being crazy talented as usual.

Still looking through pictures from COTA...

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/13904972117_7388bc39fb_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nbJBLz)
Azlan Shah (https://flic.kr/p/nbJBLz) by Steven Szabo (https://www.flickr.com/people/27796989@N04/), on Flickr

[civic_stylez]

^^ you should be sending those to motogp.. they are way better than anything posted on their site. :thumbsup:

[Go4Long]

That was a ridiculous strategy...zero room for error.


Originally posted by civic_stylez
^^ you should be sending those to motogp.. they are way better than anything posted on their site. :thumbsup:

Thanks, I wish I could. I'm trying to get credentials for next year so I can get access away from the one side of the track.

[civic_stylez]

So it looks like now that Bridgestone has decided to step back/down as sole tires supplier for the GP class... michelin is stepping up..

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2014/Michelin+to+become+MotoGP+Official+Tyre+supplier

I hope they get it right because i remember alot of riders being un impressed with the Michelins chunking at high temp. Great wet tire though.

[Modelexis]

Can Rossi pull off a win on his home court or at least try to close the door a bit more on 93, hah.

[Go4Long]

Short version? Doubtful unless it rains.

if it's dry, 93, 46, 04
wet 46, 93, 41

my predictions...and I'll probably be wrong on both :poosie:

[Modelexis]

I've made predictions this season and every time they've been way wrong.

[civic_stylez]

Dry - 93, 46, 26 (maybe 19)
Wet - 46, 93, 99

[Go4Long]

Originally posted by civic_stylez
Dry - 93, 46, 26 (maybe 19)
Wet - 46, 93, 99

Bautista as an outside shot hey? I like it. He's been running well lately, often lags at the finish, but a solid rider. I always thought it was a shame when Suzuki pulled the rug out from under him.

[japan_us]

^ I like Bautista as well. Met him at Laguna one year, and he seemed like a solid individual. What he manages to do as the only rider on a Showa/Nissin combo is very impressive.

That said, I don't think JL doesn't make the podium, dry race or not. Yes, the Honda is clearly ahead, but JL has won the last three races here. IMO, the odd man out for the podium will be DP.

Prediction:
1. VR
2. MM
3. JL

It's not the smartest pick, but it is the sexiest. Imagine Rossi stopping MM's run at Mugello? I was there when he debuted for Ducati, and the place is nuts!

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by Go4Long


Bautista as an outside shot hey? I like it. He's been running well lately, often lags at the finish, but a solid rider. I always thought it was a shame when Suzuki pulled the rug out from under him.


I like that he is hungry.. gives everything he has. I dont know if its tires or conditioning that get the best of him in the final laps but I think he has a great future in the sport. It was either him or Bradl for the outside shot. But as you said, Alvaro has been running well and showing promise lately.

That Suzuki situation was sad. I am excited to see them on the grid for next year though. RdP and Laverty are testing hard for them so hopefully the can reach former glory days.

Ive been following their development videos. Good watch.. (4 in total)

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/suzuki-motogp-development-video-part-1/

[Modelexis]

Whats up with that girl at the pre-weekend press conference, she made some rude comment to Marquez about some conspiracy theory about how he's using an illegal engine map or illegal engine software.

What a dumb chick, she should be banned from press conferences.

[Go4Long]

idiots...there's one in every bunch. The kids is just obscenely talented. If he was cheating, it would show somewhere in real stats, straight line speed, etc.

All of the riders openly admit that the kids is just to fawkin good.

[Go4Long]

Looks to be pretty much the norm on day 1.

[Go4Long]

Wow...just watching FP1. Pol's accident was quite something.

[Modelexis]

FP2, booooring.

get out there with the wets boys and rip it!

Enough of this pussy footing, it's not acid, it's just water, put on the wet tires and do your job.

[Modelexis]

93 makes 6 poles out of 6
much closer race tomorrow though I think
2nd is iannone on the duc
3rd is renzo
4 pedro
5 pol (with 2 crashes this weekend already)
crutch quald 6th
rossi 10th
they made a tire error so he missed out on a good hotlap
smith dovi and brandl ahead of rossi
#1 1'47.270
#2 1'47.450
0.180 gap
much better
gap from 1st to 10th is .521
half second between 10 riders
not bad

[Go4Long]

no comments yet, but I think by tuesday we can officially say that the spoiler policy is over.

GREAT race. Easily the best race at the front thus far. Strange given the qualifying order, but hey...good to see Lorenzo back near the top, he really did fight hard. Marcquez said that he wasn't pushing 100% until the final lap, but I'm not sure how much I believe that, I think that's partially him trying to get in Lorenzo's head.

Sucks that Crutchlow crashed out like that, and took Bradl with him...

I'm saying the same thing I said when he signed with them...that Duc is a career killer.

[Modelexis]

japan_us had the closest race result prediction, just wrong order for the top 3.

I thought the moto3 race was almost as good as the GP race to watch.
Really exciting when you can slingshot from 10th to first in one straight.

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by Go4Long
no comments yet, but I think by tuesday we can officially say that the spoiler policy is over.

GREAT race. Easily the best race at the front thus far. Strange given the qualifying order, but hey...good to see Lorenzo back near the top, he really did fight hard. Marcquez said that he wasn't pushing 100% until the final lap, but I'm not sure how much I believe that, I think that's partially him trying to get in Lorenzo's head.

Sucks that Crutchlow crashed out like that, and took Bradl with him...

I'm saying the same thing I said when he signed with them...that Duc is a career killer.

I think it takes the right type of rider to be on a Duc. Dovi rides that thing well. The bike just seems to lack consistency. The Yamis and Hondas perform the same all the time. The Ducs just seem to get squirmy under braking. I hate to say it but Duc needs to pull a Suzuki and bow out for a year or two and focus on a more competitive bike. Rossi couldnt make it work. Same with Hayden. All the riders dont like the front end lack of grip. Slow in the corners but plenty of power on the straights. The Japanese satellite teams are killing them. They havent been near the front since Stoner was riding them. I love Crutch but i thought he make a brutal mistake leaving Tech 3 to get on a bike that has been notoriously bad. That only worked for Rossi when he went to Yami from Honda. :D

[Go4Long]

Moves for 2015 already starting. Crutchlow going to LCR (strange move, but much like everyone else I think he was just anxious to get off that POS Ducati). Ianone up from Pramac to the factory spot (no surprise). The two Suzuki spots are still not officially spoken for, although pretty much everyone assumes that RDP will have one of them.

I think Aleix Espagaro will have some good options too. And Aprillia is set to make a return in 2016, so they will need some people on their machines next year doing development work...

[civic_stylez]

Crutch should go to Suzuki and get in while the team is young and push development. LCR has promise though, hopefully he can bring consistency. He never should have left Tech 3.

[Go4Long]

He was in a position where he came over from WSBK wanting to make a name for himself after a good performance there, he saw himself languishing on a second string team and just felt like he NEEDED a factory ride. I don't disagree that it was a bad move, but from a career perspective and a salary perspective it might have been a logical move to at least give the Duc a shot.

[Modelexis]

WHAT a moment for Pol Espargaro in FP3

https://vid.me/qN1

Predictions for the race in Indy tomorrow?
I'm gonna go with:

1. Marq
2. Ian
3. Lor

Hernandez looking really fast at Indy compared to the other circuits.

[Modelexis]

https://vid.me/Or4

[Modelexis]

KTM has just confirmed they will begin developing a bike to move from Moto3 into MotoGP in 2-3 years.

Their bike development will begin now from scratch.

[Go4Long]

And Aprilia announced a return to motogp in 2015. So two new factory efforts in 2015.

[civic_stylez]

Im still surprised Kawasaki hasnt made more of a play in the premier class. But im glad to see suzuki back and aprilia in the mix next year. :thumbsup:

[Modelexis]

You guys also hear that Scott Redding now has a seat on an Rcv213v

Gonna be a lot of wild cards in the mix next year

[Modelexis]

Also:


09/17/2014
JACK MILLER TO JOIN CWM LCR HONDA TEAM FOR THE 2015 MOTOGP CAMPAIGN

The CWM LCR Honda Team is pleased to officially announce that Australian rider, Jack Miller, will compete with them in the 2015 MotoGP World Championship riding the Honda RC213V-RS Open Specification bike.

The 19-year-old racer from Townsville, who is currently leading the Moto3 World Championship, will compete in the MotoGP Open Class thanks to the support of Honda Racing Corporation, LCR’s historical sponsors and new team partner CWM, alongside the more experienced British talent Cal Crutchlow riding the Honda RC213V Factory Specification bike.

This is the first time since their debut in the MotoGP class in 2006, that Lucio Cecchinello’s squad will field two riders, and this is largely thanks to new sponsor CWMFX.com.
- See more at: http://www.lcr.mc/#sthash.luB4tr9N.dpuf

[Go4Long]

Can't wait for Austin next year :)

[japan_us]

Originally posted by civic_stylez
Im still surprised Kawasaki hasnt made more of a play in the premier class. But im glad to see suzuki back and aprilia in the mix next year. :thumbsup:

I've said it before: I'll always have a soft spot for Kawi. Hopefully they return in the near future.

Let's just hope that the new rules make it more appealing for more manufacturers to jump in, and more importantly, make for more competitive racing.

Imagine no open class, and just two factory bikes + two satellites from: Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki, Aprilia, KTM and Kawi, meaning a massive 28 rider grid and likely no quality rider without a seat? :drool:

edit: I'll go further and dare to dream something along the lines of:

Honda: M. Marquez, Pedrosa, Miller, Redding
Yamaha: Rossi, Lorenzo, P. Espargaro, Vinales
Ducati: Dovi, Iannone, Giugliano, Fenati
Suzuki: E. Laverty, A. Marquez, Terol, Hayden
Aprilia: Bautista, Melandri, Rea, Rabat
KTM: Ajo, Kallio, Davies, Crutchlow
Kawi: Sykes, Baz, Rins, Zarco

Honda and Yamaha stay stacked...Ducati with an all Italian effort...Suzuki keeps the Laverty connection, while creating a rivalry with Honda by way of Alex, and getting development from Hayden...Aprilia gets their GP experience through Baustista and Melandri, while having a (likely) lower class champ in Rabat...KTM stays Euro (and British), and teams up the two Finns (I think Ajo will be special)...and Kawi keeps the Sykes/Baz combo, and has a future stud in Rins.

Obviously, I had to leave out some great riders, and some of the choices are just filler, but a show with this much talent and potential storylines would be incredible to see...if not extremely expensive! :D

Ok, back to reality.

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by japan_us


I've said it before: I'll always have a soft spot for Kawi. Hopefully they return in the near future.

Let's just hope that the new rules make it more appealing for more manufacturers to jump in, and more importantly, make for more competitive racing.

Imagine no open class, and just two factory bikes + two satellites from: Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki, Aprilia, KTM and Kawi, meaning a massive 28 rider grid and likely no quality rider without a seat? :drool:

edit: I'll go further and dare to dream something along the lines of:

Honda: M. Marquez, Pedrosa, Miller, Redding
Yamaha: Rossi, Lorenzo, P. Espargaro, Vinales
Ducati: Dovi, Iannone, Giugliano, Fenati
Suzuki: E. Laverty, A. Marquez, Terol, Hayden
Aprilia: Bautista, Melandri, Rea, Rabat
KTM: Ajo, Kallio, Davies, Crutchlow
Kawi: Sykes, Baz, Rins, Zarco

Honda and Yamaha stay stacked...Ducati with an all Italian effort...Suzuki keeps the Laverty connection, while creating a rivalry with Honda by way of Alex, and getting development from Hayden...Aprilia gets their GP experience through Baustista and Melandri, while having a (likely) lower class champ in Rabat...KTM stays Euro (and British), and teams up the two Finns (I think Ajo will be special)...and Kawi keeps the Sykes/Baz combo, and has a future stud in Rins.

Obviously, I had to leave out some great riders, and some of the choices are just filler, but a show with this much talent and potential storylines would be incredible to see...if not extremely expensive! :D

Ok, back to reality.


I like where your head is at.

My one addition... 2 maybe 3 tire suppliers. Push the edge even farther. Mich, Dunlop and Bridgers... or maybe Pirelli's.

[japan_us]

^ Yes, definitely. Not 100% sure how to implement it, but give the teams a few more tire options. For the most part, riders aren't complaining about engine performance, brakes, etc. - they complain about the tires.

Also, let's throw in BMW too, to make room for guys like Bradl. :)

[Modelexis]

Wow, what a fucking massive error by Marqez.

How stupid can you be.
It's pouring rain, you're on slicks and your team mate has crashed and you carry on racing without a brain, then you crash yourself and lose the race.

Unbelievable.

[japan_us]

A. Espargaro and Vinales on the factory Suzukis next year - awesome! Stoked about Vinales stepping up. The kid's unreal.

[Go4Long]

Yeah, Vinales could be able to keep up with Marcquez. But sometimes the step up doesn't go as well as we'd hope.

I think with everything that is happening from a series standpoint, with two new factory options going, LCR going back up to 2 bikes, etc. Next year is going to be a REALLY good year in MotoGP.

[japan_us]

Originally posted by Go4Long
Yeah, Vinales could be able to keep up with Marcquez. But sometimes the step up doesn't go as well as we'd hope.

...

Too true, and the Suzuki will most likely be no match for the other factories, at least not for a few seasons.

I think the Miller jump to GP is just a rush job by Honda to get another Aussie in the premier class. The kid has potential, but I hope he's not going over his head by skipping Moto2, which IMO, is the best stepping stone to GP.

[Modelexis]

Marquez and Pedrosa couldn't catch Renzo last year in Motegi, are we in for a repeat this year?

Rossi had braking issues last year, maybe more of a threat this year?

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by japan_us


Too true, and the Suzuki will most likely be no match for the other factories, at least not for a few seasons.

I think the Miller jump to GP is just a rush job by Honda to get another Aussie in the premier class. The kid has potential, but I hope he's not going over his head by skipping Moto2, which IMO, is the best stepping stone to GP.

I wouldnt rule them out too far though.. They have only been away from the game for a few seasons. They still have many years of experience. If they can work out the kinks and get the software to run smooth, I think they have a good shot at starting strong. (By strong i mean behind the top factory teams but ahead of the satellite teams. (and maybe ducati lol)

[japan_us]

^ Tough to say until Valencia, I suppose. Suzuki has always been the least transparent of the factories when it comes to development from the factory. For all we know, the GSX-RR is a beast already. Or, it could be exactly as the reported lap times have shown: a good distance behind the other factories.

Even the satellite teams run similar spec machines to the factory squad for a good portion of the season. It's even tighter now with the engine freeze. I just don't see the Suzuki troubling Tech 3 or LCR/M.VDS in terms of machinery. I do see a weaker rider in Smith, but Pol, Cal and Redding should still cross the line ahead of the Suzukis. Ducati has also shown decent gains this year, and their factory riders are quality, so I still expect them to be ahead.

My bet is that 2015 is a throw away year for development (since they won't have a freeze), with the main target being Top 10 results and finishing stronger than the Aprilias. Then in 2016, capitalize when the playing field is leveled by the new rules and tires.

Personally, I would love it if they were competitive from the get-go, but let's not forget that this is a brand that has produced only one win with 4-stroke machinery, and that was in the wet. They didn't exactly set the premier class on fire before they left, and haven't really done much in racing since then to suggest that they'll be noticeably better when they return.

I hope I'm wrong! :D

[civic_stylez]

^^ Normally I can offer some form of rebuttal or opinion but that is pretty spot on!

As long as the GP class is competitive, Im happy. Maybe just someday it will be on par with the Moto2 in terms of competitiveness but thats a dream in itself.

[Go4Long]

I've heard the announcers talking about miller on the Euro broadcasts as well...basically their thoughts are that because he's a fairly big kid he didn't really have the right body type to be competitive in Moto2 anyway, and may have just been swallowed up in to nothingness.

As for Suzuki. Don't kid yourself, I don't think they would be coming back if they weren't ready to be there. Do I think they'll win over honda and yamaha? probably not, do I think they'll be competitive? more so than Ducati. Aprilia's WSBK machine was always thought to be closer to a MotoGP bike than a real WSBK bike, so I think they'll bring a solid package as well, but I think it will be the closest non-open class machine to their street bikes (which is both a plus and a minus)

[japan_us]

^ Nobody is suggesting that Suzuki is there to embarrass themselves, but unless your definition of “competitive” is 10-15th, then it’s not “kidding yourself” to believe that Suzuki will take this year with a focus on development.

Honda is providing factory spec machines to both Cal and Redding. That makes four factory spec bikes, plus all the Open Class bikes get the same motor minus the seamless.

Yamaha has always provided Tech 3 with similar machines to those used by the factory team (at least to start the year). The riders and Herve can attest to that.

As for Ducati, Dovi is 5th in the standings, right after the four aliens. His points combined with Iannone are 234. In comparison, the Tech 3 team is only at 193, and the satellite Hondas (if you can even call Bradl’s that, since it’s factory spec) are sitting at 160. The Ducati totals could be higher if Iannone began the year with the factory team, but even if you substitute his points for Cal’s (who has had a horrible season), they are still the third best squad with 205 points.

Basically, what you’re telling me is that Suzuki will be more competitive than a team that is ahead of all but the Repsol and Movistar teams. Pol is a world champion, and on a good bike. Bradl is a world champion, and on one of the best bikes possible. Even Bautista is a former world champion, and has had good showings despite having to run a Showa/Nissin combo. Ducati is, at worst, equal to these combos, and the results say that they're in fact superior. And yet Suzuki will somehow be more competitive than them using A. Espargaro and a very green Vinales? I’m a huge Vinales fan, but the attitude around the premier class is that your first year is intended for learning – how the carbon disks work, how to optimize the Bridgestones, where the RPs on track are, and more or less just staying on the damn thing.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong if you believe that Suzuki will be more competitive than Ducati – we’re all entitled to our opinion. But, you’d be going off of gut instinct, and nothing more. Because the reality is that the Ducatis are actually running quite strong at the moment, and due to not having a freeze, have been able to improve their bike while putting it up against the actual competition every race weekend. In other words, we know how they stack up. What we don’t know is where Suzuki falls, both in terms of pace and development. Last I read, their times were 2-3 seconds off, and they don’t even have a seamless yet! Ask any of the factories if they could hack off 2-3 seconds in less than a year, and they'd say you're crazy. That's what Suzuki would have to do: they would have to introduce a machine that is within a tenth or two of the factory Hondas and Yamahas to be ahead of the Ducatis, and I just don’t believe that their machine is at that stage yet. Based on the rules, logic says that we would have seen this machine by now if it were that competitive.

So, 4 Hondas, 4 Yamahas, at least 2 Ducatis, a podium winning NGM bike with Bradl as the pilot, and improved Open Class Hondas with the likes of Miller and former champs Hayden and Aoyama … can you see why I believe that Top 10s would be considered excellent results for Suzuki next year, and why a better benchmark would be the Aprilias? That means race results in the 10-15 range.

This is not a knock on Suzuki, nor a suggestion that they’re not there to compete. It’s just not their time yet, and there is nothing – zero, zilch – that suggests otherwise.

Again, I could be wrong, but gun to my head there’s no way I take Suzuki over Ducati next year.

[Modelexis]

Some behind the scenes drama after the Aragon race, lmao

http://www.modelexis.com/beyond/cal1.jpg

http://www.modelexis.com/beyond/cal2.jpg

http://www.modelexis.com/beyond/cal3.jpg

[Modelexis]

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/by-the-numbers-marquez-championship-motegi/#more-73511

Given Marc Marquez’s dominance of the 2014 MotoGP championship, the question is not if, but when he will wrap up his second title in a row.

His original aim had been to win the title in front of his home crowd at Aragon, but crashes at Misano, and then Aragon, put an end to that idea.

With a massive lead in the championship, Marquez heads to the flyaway races with his primary aim shifted from winning at all costs, to making sure he returns to Spain and the final round of the series with the title already safely under his belt.

Motegi is the first opportunity for Marquez to take the title, and wrapping it up there would please his HRC bosses, as the circuit is owned by Honda and operated by a subsidiary.

But it is not a simple question of turning up and finishing, the reigning champion will have to ensure his rivals do not gain too much back on him if he is to lift the crown there.

He has a 75 point lead over his Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa, a 78 point advantage over Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, and a 90 point lead over the second factory Yamaha of Jorge Lorenzo. So what does Marquez need to do to win the title?

The easiest rival to eliminate will be Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez can afford to give away 15 points to Lorenzo, and would still be world champion even if Lorenzo won the remaining four races.

Finishing sixth or better would be enough to rule out any chance of Lorenzo taking the crown, while an 11th place finish would be good enough if Lorenzo finishes 2nd, or 15th spot if Lorenzo finishes 3rd. If Lorenzo finishes 4th or worse, his chances of the championship have gone.

Valentino Rossi is closer: Marquez can only afford to give away 3 points to Rossi if he is to eliminate the Italian from the championship race. If Rossi wins, or is 2nd, and finishes ahead of Marquez, the Italian will still have a mathematical shot at the title.

If Rossi finishes 3rd, Marquez must finish in 4th; if the Italian is 4th, then Marquez must finish 6th. If Valentino Rossi crosses the line in 5th place or lower, Marc Marquez must finish within three positions of the Yamaha man. If Rossi finishes 13th or worse, his championship is over.

The mathematics for Dani Pedrosa are simple: if Marc Marquez finishes ahead of him, his title shot is gone. Even if Pedrosa won the last three races, and Marc Marquez were to miss Australia, Sepang and Valencia through injury or illness, Marquez would be champion if he beats Pedrosa at Motegi.

If Pedrosa does beat Marquez at Motegi, then the difference between him and Marquez will define the challenge facing Pedrosa in the remaining races.

Of course, if Marquez wants to keep his chances of wrapping up the title at Motegi in his own hands, his simplest course of action is to win the race.

If he wins, his lead becomes insuperable for any of his three rivals. The only man he can allow to win the race is Jorge Lorenzo, and if Marquez finishes 2nd to Lorenzo, he will also be sure of the title. In short he needs to win, or to finish ahead of Pedrosa, Rossi and Lorenzo.

The unspoken assumption in all of this is that for any of his other rivals to become champion, Marquez cannot score any points in the last three races, and the rival who would be champ needs to win the last three straight.

The championship is a largely theoretical exercise. But this is motorcycle racing, and you never know what might happen. As Nicky Hayden always says: “That’s why we line up on Sunday.”