Final test session completed. Anyone in the top 8 can win a race at any given track, man its going to be a great season. Probably the most talented season I can remember, and I've been a fan for a long time.

How about Spies? In a pre-test interview, said he was just going to get use to the bike and not try to make great lap times for this test session. I for one believe him, that he wasn't really trying that hard, and that when he does, he is going to be a huge threat, especially with the new rules that level the playing field a bit.

I truly believe we are going to be seeing the next american motogp champion. fifth on an all new bike, new track new everything!!

1Valentino RossiFiat Yamaha Team2:00.925
2 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 2:01.320
3 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.680
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:01.822
5 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.266
6 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:02.272
7 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.479
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:02.493
9 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 2:02.647
10 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:02.763
11 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.810
12 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:03.032
13 Randy De Puniet Lcr Honda MotoGP 2:03.043
14 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2:03.195
15 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:03.245
16 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:03.274
17 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 2:03.359
18 Yamaha O Yamaha O 2:05.803
19 Yamaha T Yamaha T 2:06.621

 

Obviously Schwantz's method of learning new tracks is very effective.

 

Yes, I can't wait... I think more of the Americans will leave for WSBK & try to make it to MotoGP. Jason Disalvo is riding Aprillia in WSS. Maybe Zempke, May, Boz & Hayes will look to move up.

 

Disalvo....interesting...

 

ya, that should be interesting. Personally, I don't care for Disalvo. I've seen too many interviews where he is a rude ***** to reporters and other riders. He has talent for sure, but really needs a reality check.

Its good to know some American riders may be moving to WSB. I know for WSB right now, I really don't have much incentive to watch it. So maybe if more American riders start, I will. Although, it was some of the best racing I've seen watching Spies last year. So I'll at least start watching it this year.

But honestly, the only series I'm excited about is MotoGP. I can't wait.....

 

I just got my plane tickets to Salt Lake City, UT for WSBK weekend. Since I have been watching Moto Road Racing I have enjoyed WSBK just as much as MotoGP. There are battles in Super & Sport bike. Yes the American representation has been almost nonexistent until last year. But regardless of nationalities, you see some top notch riders battling. I am finding myself less interested in AMA/DMG... Hope they will do something to make the racing more exciting & work to repair fan relations.

 

Bring me back some autographs

 

See what I can do on the autographs... Zemke joins Yates on Jordan Motorsports Suzuki. Was wondering where all the Honda riders would wind up.

 

Seems like a good pair.

 

Sort of a late arrival to the discussion, but wanted to add my perspective on what happens when DMG (NASCAR) runs a series. I was with a Grand Am Cup (Based on the old Motorola Cup Showroom Stock Series, now called Continental Challenge) team for about 4 years (04-08).

Grand Am was run by the infamous Roger Edmondson, who also ran MotoST (Enduro bike racing) prior to DMG's buyout of AMA. We had some great tracks, great cars and close racing early in the life of Grand Am. Then they decided that the Prototypes in the Grand Am series should be NASCARIZED, made it damn near impossible for Porsche to win in Grand Am Cup against the Mustangs (Remember it's showroom stock, and the Mustangs raced were built by Multimatic with crate engines, etc--Sound like the Buell situation in AMA, anyone?)

In a straight fight against ALMS Porsche GT cars, the Daytona Prototypes would lose. The first year of the DPs at the Rolex, The Racers Group won overall with a 911 GT3RSR. The next year, the GT Porsche teams were forced to run GT3 cup cars (More of a production based chassis) so as not to embarass the 'top class' anymore, in fact that next Rolex 24 there was a 4 hour red flag because the DPs 'ran out of rain tires', and the GT's were threatening to win overall again.

Grand Am no longer runs at Laguna (May have something to do with AMA not going back, as well), Grand Am's scheduling leaves a lot to be desired, as does the new AMA schedule. If left to their own devices, and some outside managers arent brought in, AMA will nver be the top teir series it once was, IMO.