The motorsports thread.

[jscottyk]

I wonder what Zarco does for next year.

The KTM thing is interesting but they are a few years out still from a competing machine.

The Factory's seem pretty content with their current riders saving Lorenzo at Ducati. They'll never get the money back on that deal.

Yeah, I'm happy for Tech 3 and the KTM deal, but Zarco needs a contract with more developed factory bike. And what the hell has happened to Lorenzo this year??

[pdxmech13]

Lorenzo was never going to ride a that GP17/18 bike well.

He is too smooth and the Yamaha was the perfect bike for him. I bet he could take Suzuki to the podium as it is more inline with the Yami. My guess is they don't spend much more time together and Ducati move on.

The Ducati's are just too damn abusive and it's a hold on and see type of approach. Dovi and Chaz Davies are riders that can excel on that type of machine.

Vinales is showing signs of a bust. He's a good rider but I just don't think he has the fire in his belly this year. Once you land on a factory team I'm sure you get a little more comfortable in life.

[pdxmech13]

In other news Eli Tomac is killing it right now.

Pretty pumped for him.

[dogrange]

The Ducati's are just too damn abusive and it's a hold on and see type of approach. Dovi and Chaz Davies are riders that can excel on that type of machine.

Sounds perfect for Marquez too. I assume that he is in long-term with Honda, tho.

[pdxmech13]

Yeah but there is no way Honda will let him go and if you are winning it would be stupid to leave because once you leave from a seat at that table you don't come back. Just ask Stoner and Rossi.

[sk_tle]

Honda should send Pedrosa to WSBK and hire Zarco for 2019.

[pdxmech13]

Oh Hell No you didn't.

Pedrosa is a bad ass. He unfortunately has some of the worst luck in the paddock.

I think that there is a stat somewhere that goes to the fact he is the only rider that has won at least 1 race a year since being in GP class.

Also, think of the freaking guys he's raced against. Some real talent and considered to be the best ever. So he's in elite company.

And Honda doesn't have a factory team in WSBK.

He'd fucking slay them bitches though.

Sorry. Got a little soft spot in my heart for the little fella. Also there is this.

Dani Pedrosa Has Hand Surgery after Argentina Crash - Asphalt & Rubber

[sk_tle]

Oh Hell No you didn't.

Pedrosa is a bad ass. He unfortunately has some of the worst luck in the paddock.

I think that there is a stat somewhere that goes to the fact he is the only rider that has won at least 1 race a year since being in GP class.

Also, think of the freaking guys he's raced against. Some real talent and considered to be the best ever. So he's in elite company.

And Honda doesn't have a factory team in WSBK.

He'd fucking slay them bitches though.

Sorry. Got a little soft spot in my heart for the little fella. Also there is this.

Dani Pedrosa Has Hand Surgery after Argentina Crash - Asphalt & Rubber

I also like him, and he is living and buying expensive bikes to our lbs here in switzerland so there is that. But despite winning gp on a regular basis you can't deny the fact he is only fast when he is not injured and he seems to be healthy 1 race per year. On sunday's broadcast when Zarco passed Pedrosa who highsided after hitting that wet patch a former french gp rider half- joked about Pedrosa potentially breaking his collarbone for the 28th time. At some point he should call it a day, retire and do something else that doesn't require breaking a bone every few weeks.

The question mark for Honda is : would Zarco win more race per year than Pedrosa on the same bike ? I can't answer that question but as a manager I would be willing to give it a try. Repsol is probably against that idea though.

[shorelocal]

Yeah but there is no way Honda will let him go and if you are winning it would be stupid to leave because once you leave from a seat at that table you don't come back. Just ask Stoner and Rossi.

But can Marquez win titles on more than one manufacturer's bike like Rossi did? Reason again why Rossi is the GOAT.

Would Marquez's style have seen him win in the 2-stroke era? I seriously doubt it ... the level of electronics in today's MotoGP bikes is huge and I believe has allowed Marquez to walk away many times when he should have been picking himself out of the kitty litter.

Marquez is an amazing rider with amazing talent and the Honda is suited well for him, but he's not the GOAT. I don't believe he will ever leave Honda, and Honda won't let him go like they let Rossi go (Rossi got the better of that deal, given both party's arrogance (rider vs. bike)).

IOM TT style racing is completely different to closed circuit racing ... it's all about balls not necessarily talent. Michael Rutter won lots of TT-style races but couldn't even win a BSB championship.

[sk_tle]

I don't like that balls vs talents comparison and I don't think it is true.

The reality is that both type of riders are both talented and brave. But those 2 types of racing, once very close 50-60y ago are now very different and require different skills. They can't race with the same aggressiveness, with the same margin of errors, tracks are different, bike set up to. To excel in motogp/SBK a rider needs to be as light as possible while being a bit heavier can be viewed as an asset to stabilize and tame a superbike on a very fast and bumpy road. Gp riders now have huge and smooth run off areas, it wasn't the case 2 decades ago, etc.

And being able to switch from one discipline to the other must be very difficult, props for them for tackling that challenge. Steve Plater still managed to be both an iom TT/NW200 znd british supersport champ. nb

[shorelocal]

I believe Fogarty was the last of the TT winners who was able to transition into a successful closed circuit race career (successful being top level world championship winner, not domestic series).

The money is just too large in closed circuit now for the fast guys to bother (or risk it) with the TT races.

I think it's like freestyle motocross ... what was once the domain of never-made-its from the motocross/supercross circuit* is now full of specialists. The motocross/supercross stars of today wouldn't even try some of the tricks the FMX riders pull off. Same with MotoGP and WSBK ... to them, the TTs are a side-show act at best .. they know MotoGP is the real show.

*Patrana has never won a pro AMA race on the big bikes (250 or 450)

[progetto]

Fantastic drive by Ricciardo in China, great passing at the hairpin.

[Drew]

I grew up with a kid that raced carts. Eventually got his ticket punched and raced the Indy 500 once. The time, money and energy to get him there was insane but it was a family thing and goal.

He used that experience and the family's business to get a contract building roll cages for NASCAR now.

I

I had lunch with Ronnie last week :)

[pdxmech13]

Small world.

Yeah, he's done alright for himself!

Was cool to see it all progress even though I was just a kid myself.

[jscottyk]

One thing to report from COTA today, Marquez is from another planet. From another universe perhaps. Unreal. His lean angle through T16, 17, 18 boggles my mind.

[sk_tle]

Marquez has been unbeaten in the US GP for the last 10 years. Some people complained about the track made worse when the track owner decided to scrub the surface instead of resurfacing. He just said everybody had to race with the same parameters and it was simply up to the rider and team to set up the bike accordingly.

I heard during the broadcast that Lorenzo could be headed to Suzuki next year. Sounds good for all parties involved, the ducati clearly don't suit him.

[pdxmech13]

Jorge is just itching for Valentino to retire.

As I mentioned earlier the Suzuki is Jorge's only chance at a factory ride and on a bike that suits his smooth as style.

Looks like Vale ends up laughing about that whole charade between that riff.

[jscottyk]

Any bets on Jerez?

[jscottyk]

Jorge is just itching for Valentino to retire.

As I mentioned earlier the Suzuki is Jorge's only chance at a factory ride and on a bike that suits his smooth as style.

Looks like Vale ends up laughing about that whole charade between that riff.

This is the silly season question of the year. What happens to Jorge?

Looks like Zarco is definitely on the KTM next year. I've been reading more and more about that program and am totally impressed.

[dogrange]

This is the silly season question of the year. What happens to Jorge?

Looks like Zarco is definitely on the KTM next year. I've been reading more and more about that program and am totally impressed.

Why? They seem still pretty far off the pace. Not being snarky, genuinely interested if there are significant signs of life there. If they could get Zarco, that would definitely signal a confidence vote that they are coming up quickly.