Predictable
Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 12:22PM
Yesterday's and this mornings results were predictable. Danica lived down to her expectations and finished 27th having struggled all race and went laps down early on. This was a Nationwide race and on this form she is a shoe-in to get an F1 ride. She does get press coverage though, more than the winner of the race did. If that is why you are racing then I guess it is a great result, but most of us go racing to try and win.
In Brno Mr. Lorenzo continued on his winning way. One English friend called it the dullest race all year, and there have been a few. I expected Valentino to do better with his couple of weeks to recuperate, but no. Looks like Lorenzo has the Championship sewn up baring a major crash. The Moto2 race sounded a far better race, but we won't see that till this afternoon, and we do not get the 125's at all, not that it sounded great. The young English pole setter faded in the race so I guess that was not much fun to watch either Eddie?
The big news is that the last two-stoke class will disappear in 2012 and be replaced by Moto3, they were up all night thinking that up. So instead of three great classes, all worthy in their own right, we have now a distinct system of second and third class citizens. It is a 250cc single, four stroke of twice the size to presumably make the same horsepower. And this is progress? That is what made the two stroke so popular, it was more efficient, and isn't that what being "green" is all about? It was simpler too. I remember Brian Hart who was making an F1 engine at the time being in our garage at Mugello and being astounded that we stripped the engines after each practice and warm up! He said they did not open an engine at the track, too complicated, just got another out of the crate if one went bad.
Of course this is done in the name of cost cutting and progress. At least it is not a one make series. Have the ticket prices been cut as a result of all this cost cutting? How about Dorna's profits? Has anyone asked the punters who pay to watch what they prefer? I for one vote for the two stroke days, and I do not feel alone, or someone living in the past.
Back in Britain Mr. Vergne had to settle for third in the reverse grid F3 sprint race, not much point putting it on pole in that scenario is it?
Here in the US there was an horrendous accident and eight deaths at an off-road race in Baja California. Unprotected spectators hit by a car. That is going to have repercussions. Driver had to run away to escape the wrath of the crowd, but who's fault is it, probably not his. Motor racing in whatever form involves drivers pushing themselves and their equipment to the limit of their performance, and inevitably beyond it. So as a track designer I start with the basis that there will be an accident, now how to mitigate the impact on the driver, and avoid harm to spectators. So, don't blame the driver when he crashes, after all that is what most of the punters have come to see. Ask why were the spectators there without protection? My condolences to the families and the injured. As I said, predictable.
In Brno Mr. Lorenzo continued on his winning way. One English friend called it the dullest race all year, and there have been a few. I expected Valentino to do better with his couple of weeks to recuperate, but no. Looks like Lorenzo has the Championship sewn up baring a major crash. The Moto2 race sounded a far better race, but we won't see that till this afternoon, and we do not get the 125's at all, not that it sounded great. The young English pole setter faded in the race so I guess that was not much fun to watch either Eddie?
The big news is that the last two-stoke class will disappear in 2012 and be replaced by Moto3, they were up all night thinking that up. So instead of three great classes, all worthy in their own right, we have now a distinct system of second and third class citizens. It is a 250cc single, four stroke of twice the size to presumably make the same horsepower. And this is progress? That is what made the two stroke so popular, it was more efficient, and isn't that what being "green" is all about? It was simpler too. I remember Brian Hart who was making an F1 engine at the time being in our garage at Mugello and being astounded that we stripped the engines after each practice and warm up! He said they did not open an engine at the track, too complicated, just got another out of the crate if one went bad.
Of course this is done in the name of cost cutting and progress. At least it is not a one make series. Have the ticket prices been cut as a result of all this cost cutting? How about Dorna's profits? Has anyone asked the punters who pay to watch what they prefer? I for one vote for the two stroke days, and I do not feel alone, or someone living in the past.
Back in Britain Mr. Vergne had to settle for third in the reverse grid F3 sprint race, not much point putting it on pole in that scenario is it?
Here in the US there was an horrendous accident and eight deaths at an off-road race in Baja California. Unprotected spectators hit by a car. That is going to have repercussions. Driver had to run away to escape the wrath of the crowd, but who's fault is it, probably not his. Motor racing in whatever form involves drivers pushing themselves and their equipment to the limit of their performance, and inevitably beyond it. So as a track designer I start with the basis that there will be an accident, now how to mitigate the impact on the driver, and avoid harm to spectators. So, don't blame the driver when he crashes, after all that is what most of the punters have come to see. Ask why were the spectators there without protection? My condolences to the families and the injured. As I said, predictable.
Reader Comments (5)
I'm with you Bob. Hated it when the 500 Class went four stroke, 250 followed and now the 125s. Hell, I'd like to see who on today's grid could ride the 750s, with no rider aids. Those were beasts to tame more than actually ride.
Thanks for all the great posts!
Yes it was boring and so boring I decided to miss the last 4 laps and take the poor dog for a walk. The Moto 2 race was much better and caught me by surprise when what I thought was the obvious winner was reeled in.
The quite vivid dream I had the other week was a grid full of 1000cc V6 2 strokes lining up as the top class in Moto GP with an estimated crowd of 200, 000 all of whom I was trying to wade through. It's what you might call a heck of a power nap.
Changing subject, that was an awful accident involving the off road truck. A Facebook friend went to the Red Bull X fighters event at Battersea Power Station on Saturday and nearly had a facefull of crashing MX bike. The bike actually hit a girl in the back and she was stretchered off so lets hope she's not badly hurt.
There's always a risk in the type of event of the public becoming involved in a drivers mistake, much more so than any road racing event but as we know there's a warning on the back of the ticket.
As usual, insightful and entertaining. I am so over the uninteresting state of play that is motogp these days that I'm not even bothering to watch it, prefering to read the race reports and comments from those who did watch.
Moto2 I think is interesting because of it's unpredictability. The fields are bigger, and anyone can win. That makes for entertainment. But who are the majority of the racers in the pack? Unknowns whose daddy's are able to buy a ride or swing a deal or two? I fear the sport is being sold out to those who have the dollars can ride, with or without talent, whilst those who do have the talent to ride a motorcycle fast and technical skills to be able to develop and set it up, are left wallowing in the fringes.
Moto 3, agreed they sat up all night thinking that one up. It was envitable, not necessary but envitable. Money talks. Sadly, the wrong people have the money and are therefore being heard.
When will commonsense reign?
Unfortunately common sense is not very common and hence will never reign. Motorcycle racing is just catching up with the four wheel brigade where dollars has always beaten talent, at least in the last thirty years. I too stopped watching the MotoGp's but now feel obliged to watch for the purposes of this blog.
Do you ever wonder if a few people got together who had some common sense what we could achieve?
Frequently Bob, I amuse myself with what it would be like in my fantasy world where common sense IS common, and consideration is a way of life.
As you know I pay attention to the business of world motorcycle racing on behalf of a client. But it's all becoming very, very boring. If it wasn't for the special connections that I have from this sport, I wouldn't care.
However, I am still enjoying big bore drag racing from a spectator's perspective. All that noise for a few seconds of speed :) Some things just don't change.