04/24/24
March 14, 2007
The new MotoGP season started this past Sunday in Qatar: , so this seems like a good time to get a preview on the 2007 season. My first impression on the new season: Pedrosa needs to learn how to properly hit the corners and everybody else needs to get used to seeing the backsides of the Ducatis in the straight aways.
posted by NoMich to auto racing at 03:24 PM - 7 comments
Now we're talking about something truly exciting and dangerous.Besides being highly skilled athletes,these motorcycle racers have balls of solid Titanium.I just wish there was more coverage on TV. Most racing coverage is Nascar.
posted by sickleguy at 09:18 PM on March 14, 2007
Thanks for the additional info, dusted. I just discovered David Emmett today and you're right, he's a great writer. I'll bookmarked his 'blog. I think it's really interesting that the the new 800s are actually getting the same or better track times than the 990s. This is why Dani Pedrosa needs to learn how to take corners a little better. He's alreayd pretty killer on the straights.
posted by NoMich at 09:31 PM on March 14, 2007
To sickleguy, yes since FOX bought out The Speed Channel and made it "speed" it has become a nascar driven channel. I miss the great coverage of the bikes, formula one and especially world rally car.
posted by vipers-pit at 01:12 AM on March 15, 2007
sickleguy and vipers-pit: Dave Despain wants to set you straight. Yeah whatever, Dave. NASCAR is boring and your network sucks. Seriously, the Eurosport analysts and coverage put the American networks to shame. On an even more negative note, Ilmor Engineering pulled out of MotoGP this morning, due to lack of sponsorship. This has become a big problem in the series, with Kenny Roberts' team almost pulling out, before Motorpoint signed on as a sponsor. The transition from cigarette advertising has been incredibly difficult. It's bizarre that in a growing worldwide series with millions of viewers and more each year, sponsors aren't knocking down doors to get their names on the bikes.
posted by dusted at 12:27 PM on March 15, 2007
I was wondering why Rossi and Edwards were team Fiat Yamaha now. I take it we won't be inundated with Gauloises advertising anymore?
posted by NoMich at 12:49 PM on March 15, 2007
Most countries don't allow cigarette advertising anymore. Qatar does, so Marlboro plastered their name all over the Ducatis last weekend. Here's Kropotkin's (aka David Emmett) reaction to Ilmor's departure. He thinks the Ilmor team's focus on power as opposed to rideability has made the bike dangerous on corner exits.
posted by dusted at 01:06 PM on March 15, 2007
Whoo hoo! I love MotoGP, and David Emmett, the writer of both of those articles, has a great blog called Kropotkin Thinks. It's required reading for MotoGP fans, and his short, quick stuff is even better than the long articles, in my opinion. The Ducati's speed and power is just amazing - not even close to a fair fight. There are four of them running, and all four hit the highest speeds on the straight. The Japanese manufacturers need to work hard to catch up. Here's a fun 30 second YouTube highlight reel of the weekend.