This Sunday, be there or be square, MotoGP

[arkline]

SpeedTV. 3:00 PM Eastern; 12:00 noon Pacific. You folks in the middle two time zones will have to figure it out for yourselves. The season begins in Jerez. This coming weekend! Winter is finally over! Can you tell I'm excited? Wah-freekin-Hoo! :eusa_clap::041::082::082::082::icon_lol::081:

[DJ Down Under]

Colin...what are you doing....and do I see CT (toe).:104:

DJ

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/424/424185_77476.jpg

[geechie]

The grandson will be playing ball in Statesboro, Ga. this Sunday, so you know where I'll be.

George

[Road Dog]

I really hope we see a Nicky and Marco show this year.

I would't mind seeing Rossi go out on top either.

[Wild Will]

for the heads up; I'll tape it and watch later! Much appreciated. I have some important Ducati biz on Sunday a.m.
Cheers!

[arkline]

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/424/424700_19256.jpg

[DJ Down Under]

Spot the two new Aussie rookies.

DJ

[DJ Down Under]

First times.

DJ

1. Loris Capirossi 156.260.

2. Marco Melandri 1:57.056.

3. Casey Stoner 157.131.

4. Jose Luis Cardoso 1:57.272

5. Shinya Nakano 1:57.626.

6. Alex Hofmann 1:58.477.

7. Kenny Roberts 1:58.566.

8. Nicky Hayden 158.575.

9. Chris Vermeulen 1:58.627.

10. Sete Gibernau 1:58.655.

11. Dani Pedrosa 1:59.173.

12. Carlos Checa 2:01.268.

13. Makoto Tamada 2:04.356.

14. Randy de Puniet 2:07.720.

15. James Ellison 2:08.386.

16. John Hopkins 2:25.516.

17. Colin Edwards 2:48.089.

Toni Elias

Valentino Rossi.

[DJ Down Under]

Nice Aussie flag paint job on Casey's bike.

DJ

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/425/425108_89196.jpg

[DJ Down Under]

Here's the grid....very interesting.

Front row...Loris..Sete..Nakano
Next row....Nicky..Pedrosa..Elias
Third row...Melandri..De Puniet..Rossi
Forth row..Edwards..Vermeulan..Hopkins
Fifth row...Roberts..Checa..Stoner
Sixth row..Tamarda..Cardoso..Ellison..Hofmann

[supermotoC]

Ok, odds on whether Gibernau crashes or breaks?????? Those new Ducs look very fast. I hope Yamaha has figured out the front end chatter issue.
Don't post the results (at least in the subject of the post) until after we've seen it in the US (we're a day behind you, and 8hrs behind Spain).
Who would name a race track "He-RETH"?

[arkline]

Good question about Gibernau. What is the statute of limitations for a gypsy curse?

The spread, front to back, in final qualifying is 3.277 seconds. The spread from Rossi to Capirossi is 1.096. Edwards, qualifying exactly in the middle, is only 21 thou slower than Valentino.The two young 250 graduates are in the lower half of the field and Hayden comes in with .666 tacked on to his 1'39 for the fourth spot in the grid. This is gonna be inneresting.

Gotta go Buy Some video tape!

[DJ Down Under]

What a race...I couldn't believe it when..'you know who'..went down on the first corner...:icon_eek:

And the next lap or so 'what's his name' went out with a macanical..did you see him give his machanics heaps in the pits..:icon_eek:

And how good was #@$%#@..:icon_eek:

And what a finsh...:icon_eek:

I don't want to spoil it for you guys...btw...I know you guys are a day behind..but..live is live...don't you guys get it live?

DJ

[DJ Down Under]

Who's a lucky boy...(don't look if you haven't seen it yet) http://www.mcnews.com.au/motorcycleracing2006/motogp/rnd1/gallery_a/images/Rossi_06GP01_2095_AN.jpg

DJ

[supermotoC]

Looks like a very interesting racing season ahead......

The curse LIVES ON!!

[DarthRider]

So who won?

[Road Dog]

So who won?

No what won, who came second!

[DJ Down Under]

Originally Posted by DarthRider
So who won?

Here ya go Dave. http://www.motorsport.com/photos/motogp/2006/spa/motogp-2006-spa-tm-0100.jpg

Winners are grinners..:003:

DJ

[Deans BMW]

DJ, give a report, I was out climbing rocks.

[arkline]

Absolutely fantastic start to the season. By fantastic I mean it would have been hard to forecast the start, the middle and the finish.

Final standings:

1. Capirossi - Ducati - Man, he was out and away the whole race. That Duc was sailing and the tires held throughout. Very impressive beginning. He and Melandri were getting pretty hot towards the end of last season and he must have been thrilled to be on the HOT bike.

2. Pedrosa - Repsol Honda - For a "newbie" he doesn't ride half bad. For a while Capirossi was 2.2 seconds ahead and once Pedrosa took over second, he chipped it down to .5 something. Then his tires seemed to go off and he started losing fractions until the end. Grand showing for Pedrosa, world 250 champion and all.

3. Hayden - also Repsol - Hayden was in a constant struggle to keep a handle on third towards the end of the race. Elias, Melandri, and Stoner kept him honest. His Honda seemed not to have the fizz needed as the race came to a close.

Elias, Melandri, Stoner, and Nakano all did themselves proud. Lotsa tussle in the middle. Lotsa heart. Hopkins ride must have improved a whole lot, as has Roberts. Very impressive given the tough times last season.

But who'd a thunk that Rossi would get bumped and fall off in the first turn. Then get back on in a distant last, ride with a broken brake lever and what appeared to be a missing right peg and end up catching up with the back end riders and even passing a couple to end up 14th. And it appears that Gibernau is still under some unlucky cloud. Out with mechanical troubles in the second lap. Too bad. The Ducs should have been speedier and Capirossi's tire choices held him in good stead.

Altogether a very satisfying start. Um, two more weeks to wait. Qatar...

[geechie]

Those new Ducs look very fast.

As a matter of fact, they are very fast.

What an interesting race.

George

[supermotoC]

If you watched the first turn crash - Tony Elias basically kicked the chair out from underneath him. He did well (started rolling again only 48[!] seconds behind Capirossi, and squirmed his way to 15th. I'd like to know what Valentino's lap times were like compared to Pedrosa's/Capirossi's times. I bet Vale could've stayed/buried the Ducati in the turns, although the red bikes sure came out of the corners very hard, countersteering being the order of the day. Can't WAIT for Qatar.