It was after Mugello, which Stoner won in late May to lead the standings that some of us began to suspect it might be his year again.  At round five, he looked very tough.  But then he was a wreck after Catalunya, having given up the lead, and he faded noticeably at Assen and again at Laguna.  Going into this mid-season weekend, he was thought by many, including moi-même, to have his work cut out for him at Sachsenring.  So, on a wet track he has the top practice lap on Friday.  Perhaps he’s feeling better?  A little too soon to say.

Notice how on Fridays (Thursdays in the Netherlands) guys like Toni Elias, de Puniet and de Angelis, de bums, always seem to have something going on.  Some weeks, it carries over to Saturday, and they end up in the second row on the grid, fully enjoying the sweeties with the umbrellas.  But it almost never carries over to Sunday.  De Puniet’s fourth in Jerez was a gift, de Angelis has finished as high as sixth—at Qatar—with Elias scoring a sixth at Laguna.  There’s a whole lot of difference between running one fast lap and running thirty fast laps.

And the sick part of this sport?  The hellers are doing laps in eighty-three seconds and the “bums” are taking all of eighty-five seconds.  Like they’re going slow.

Last year in Germany, Lorenzo and Pedrosa went out early.  Stoner beat Rossi (the last race Rossi would lose until October 5^th at Philip Island), with Vermeulen on the podium and the aforementioned de Angelis in 4^th place.  In the background, on the jukebox, you’d swear you could hear bits and pieces of Patsy Cline’s haunting, “Crazy…”               Yes, that’s right, Alex de Angelis finished in 4^th place.

Will it be Germany where Stoner reasserts his claim to the top spot?  I think not.  But all that needs to happen is for, say, Stoner to win, Pedrosa to finish 2^nd, Lorenzo 3rd, and Rossi, uh, 7th, whence the championship standings would look like this– –

Stoner                160

Rossi                   160

Lorenzo              158

Pedrosa               112

At roughly the same time pigs fly. 

Bummer for our boy Casey, who hasn’t been sandbagging.  He’s probably not winning this race, nor is Signor Rossi going to loaf his way to seventh.  I expect Rossi and Pedrosa to slug it out, with Lorenzo injured, lurking and dangerous, Stoner fading, Dovizioso threatening, Hayden being heard from, and even a Marco Melandri around if it rains. 

And I hear your boys Dani and Dovi got themselves brand new engines for the Sachsenring Rennen.

My question–who’s gonna LOSE it this year at Sachsenring? 

Probably not Signor Rossi.

 *  *  *

The forecast: rain for qualifications; cloudy and cool on race day.

Image via Wikipedia

The end of August isn’t that far away.  It’s time to start thinking MotoGP.

I post on motorcycle.com twice on each race weekend, on Friday and Monday. 

When the madness descends upon Indianapolis for what will be the biggest crowd of the MotoGP season, I’ll be posting all weekend, in addition to covering the race for the website.

Have a great time in Indianapolis this year, and please wear your helmet.

Stoner and Hayden Now Teammates

I’ll be “covering” the entire MotoGP season this year for motorcycle.com.  “Covering” is in quotes because they won’t actually be sending me to the races.  Rather, I’ll be watching them on TV or reading about them at the MotoGP website and the other sites that actually send reporters to the venues.  We’re on a budget here, I’m new at this motorcycle racing stuff, and it just doesn’t make good sense to send me flying around the world in order that I can more accurately post my inane comments about the races.  I’ll just do like I’ve always done and make the stuff up as I go.

That being said, it promises to be an exciting season.  The main thing I’m looking forward to is seeing Nicky Hayden riding the big red Ducati.  There are a few rule changes, several different venues, and lots of European and Asian sturm und drang that most Americans couldn’t care less about.  Including me.  However, I’ll be writing my pre- and post-race reports in my inimitable style, in the hope of generating a few laughs, with or without the real information you can easily find elsewhere.

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s a great preview of this weekend’s race in San Marino, which I didn’t even know was a country, from crash.net.    Visit crash.net @ http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/feature/13204-0/san_marino_grand_prix_-_preview.html

Cast your mind back to the 2007 San Marino Grand Prix. Casey Stoner claimed a dominant victory, while Valentino Rossi suffered a devastating retirement that all but brought an end to his MotoGP title hopes.

Fast forward back to 2008 and as the MotoGP riders get ready for this year’s edition of the Misano event, the roles are very much reversed; Rossi heads to his home circuit with his fingers gently brushing this year’s trophy, while Stoner balances precariously on his back foot.

Fifty points separate the two with only six races of this year’s occasionally bruising, but consistently thrilling, title race remaining and the momentum has certainly shifted to Rossi.Following on from the victory at Laguna Seca that will likely go down in MotoGP folklore in years to come, Rossi added another 25 points to his margin at Brno when Stoner slid off his Ducati and into retirement whilst leading.

It was a costly mistake that could well deny Stoner the chance at a second consecutive MotoGP title, although in terms of out-and-out speed, the Ducati rider does seem to have the edge on the competition at the moment.

However, speed does not always mean consistency, and Rossi has proven this year that you need both. Still, while he returns to Misano – which is just a short distance from where he grew up – with high hopes of keeping Stoner honest, his first target is to redeem himself in front the barmy army of fans that watched him fail to finish last year. Expect to see a sea of yellow and blue lining the circuit this weekend…

Victory would also see Rossi win his 68th race, significant because it would equal that of Giacomo Agostini’s record. Regarded by many as the greater rider of all time – alongside Rossi of course – Agostini is expected to be in attendance, just to make the moment all the more poignant.

Beyond Rossi’s win and Stoner’s mistake in Czech Republic, the big news to come out of the previous round was undoubtedly the dismal performance by the Michelin riders, most notably Dani Pedrosa.  Embarking on a comeback trail following injury, one-time championship leader Pedrosa was forced to amble around the back of the field all weekend on the way to 15th place in the race, while he also took the decision not to stay at the circuit for post-event testing. A public lambasting of Michelin duly followed.

Although Michelin insist they will be more competitive at Misano, an increasing amount of noise is being made about a switch to a control tyre next season, a contract rivals Bridgestone would be favourites to win. Even if that doesn’t occur though, Michelin could face an exodus of teams switching to alternative rubber in 2009 if the situation doesn’t improve…

His absence has, however, caused him to slip from the battle for fourth place in the standings, which is continuing to be led by Jorge Lorenzo, the Italian showing flashes of his best form again as he grapples with the myriad of injuries that have stymied his rookie season.

He is coming under pressure, however, from Andrea Dovizioso, who got his head down to finish ninth in Brno, despite being amongst those to be hobbled by their rubber. Another rider to consider Misano his home round, Dovizioso will look to bridge the ten point gap to arch-rival Lorenzo and snatch ‘best of the rest’ status from him.

Colin Edwards, one of the sharpest critics of Michelin following Brno, remains just eight points further back in sixth place, although he is under pressure from the in-form Chris Vermeulen, the Suzuki rider’s two podiums and a sixth place finish hauling him well into the fight for fourth place in the standings.

Suzuki have high hopes for Misano too after Loris Capirossi grabbed a third consecutive podium for them at Brno, a race that also saw the lesser heralded riders grab a few headlines.   This included Toni Elias on the Alice Ducati, who produced a marvellous performance to claim second place in the Czech Republic, while Shinya Nakano showed his capabilities on up to date machinery with fourth place. Anthony West on the Kawasaki in fifth place completed the day for unsung heroes.

Ironically, not one of those three riders is well positioned to hold onto their rides for next season, so each will head to Misano needing to impressive prospective employees instead. Something similar to Brno should do it…

Even so, the only rider confirmed to lose their spot in 2009 is West, who is set to be ousted by Marco Melandri at Team Green if he cannot secure a ride on a third bike. The Italian showed well at Brno, particularly in the latter stages, but whether the likelihood of his move to Kawasaki will take the pressure off or cause him to lose motivation remains to be seen…

Elsewhere, James Toseland will be looking to haul himself inside the top ten overall again having slipped to 11th in the standings, while Alex de Angelis heads to Misano with the ability to officially call the San Marino Grand Prix his home race. Following Nakano’s performance at Brno, he will be eager to show off his occasionally fleeting competitiveness here.

In the 250cc class, Marco Simoncelli will be another home-town rider keen to build on his championship lead, which currently stands at 16 points over Mika Kallio, while Mike Di Meglio looks set to maintain his place in charge of the 125cc class, regardless of what happens this weekend.

• Moto Gp – Valentino Rossi Wins the Czech Grand Prix

Here’s what we know heading into Event #14 on the MotoGP circuit at the Brickyard on September 14:

Rossi is the man.  By far, the best rider out there this year.  He is going to be hard to beat for the title, which is not to say he may not be beatable at the IMS.  The long main straight at IMS has got to favor Ducati, whether it’s Stoner or the new guy, Toni Elias.  And some people wonder whether Stoner is big enough physically to handle that bike of his, which he’s laid down twice in the last two races.  The two Spaniards, Lorenzo and Pedrosa, crossed the line between bravery and recklessness more than once and are paying for it with their fractures.  They’ll be back, as fast and dangerous as ever, and soon.

Brno Results:

Rossi winning at Brno. Courtesy of motogp.com

Here is motogp.com’s report on the race at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday August 17:

Valentino Rossi once again benefited from Casey Stoner´s misfortune for a second consecutive MotoGP victory, crossing the finish line first at the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky. The Fiat Yamaha rider´s win –coupled with an early crash from his title rival- increased his lead to 50 points in the standings and dealt a crucial strike to his World Championship chances.

Stoner was caught by surprise on the sixth lap when out at the front. He had over a second of advantage over Rossi after taking the holeshot, but slipped his front wheel out on the new Brno asphalt and was lowsided into the gravel. It was Stoner´s first DNF since his joining the Ducati Marlboro team for the 2007 season.

Ducati were, however, represented on the podium in the Czech Republic, courtesy of Alice Team rider Toni Elias. The Spaniard had experienced problems on the sighting lap –a sign that did not bode well for his race- but burst through the 800cc stars ahead of him from thirteenth on the grid. His second place marks the first podium for both he and his satellite team in 2008, and he became only the second satellite rider to step onto the rostrum this year.

Another podium first came from Loris Capirossi, as the veteran made his maiden appearance on the rostrum for Rizla Suzuki. The Italian had taken off from the end of the third row, but showed that there was still life in his MotoGP career by making Suzuki the fourth manufacturer with which he had taken a top three finish in the premier class.

Shinya Nakano paid back Honda for their decision to supply him with a factory spec RC212V for the remainder of the season, giving an immediate return with fourth place for San Carlo Honda Gresini. The Japanese rider was the highest placing rider for the manufacturer, with Michelin-shod factory man Dani Pedrosa way down in fifteenth place.

Riding for his future in MotoGP, Anthony West had the best result of his premier class career onboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. The Australian came home fifth after a superb ride, holding off fellow countryman Chris Vermeulen.

Marco Melandri finished seventh in a race that will do much to aid his cause, whilst the top ten was completed by Alex de Angelis, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. The latter two were the only Michelin riders amongst the first ten past the line.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rossi rides on after Stoner crash
• Rossi pounces on Stoner’s MotoGP misfortune

This from the Motor Speedway:

MotoGP: Riders can take Lap of Champions at IMS to benefit charity.

Written by Indianapolis Motor Speedway       Thursday, 31 July 2008

Motorcycle enthusiasts can ride into history Saturday, Sept. 13 by taking a parade lap on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Lap of Champions, a charity event during the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP: -

Lap of Champions participants will ride around the IMs circuit during the historic first MotoGP race at IMs. Riders can participate in the Lap of Champions at a variety of levels, with proceeds for this Ride for Kids® event benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation:

$100:  One pass for the Lap of Champions, perfect for riders who already have their race tickets.

$300:  Participants will receive one pass for the Lap of Champions, one three day ticket to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP from Sept. 12-14 with reserved Paddock Penthouse seating and VIP parking, a commemorative T-shirt and hat, and one ticket for a drawing that includes fantastic prizes.

$425: Participants will receive one pass for the Lap of Champions, two three-day tickets to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP from Sept. 12-14 with reserved Paddock Penthouse seating and VIP parking, two commemorative T-shirts and hats, and one ticket for a drawing that also includes fantastic prizes.

Great motorcycle-oriented prizes will be awarded in the drawing, including an AGV GP Tech helmet, AGV Sport leathers, boots and gloves, a set of Dunlop tires and much more.

Additional drawing tickets are $200 each for participants at the $300 and $425 levels. Drawing ticket holders must be present to win. (When was the last time you saw that?)

The top fundraiser for this event will receive his or her choice of an Aerostich Roadcrafter or Darien riding suit.

This event is limited to 250 riders, so prompt registration is encouraged.

Register today online at www.rideforkids.org . For more information about the event or the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, call (800) 253-6530 or (828)  665-6891.

The Lap of Champions is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. (ET) Saturday, Sept. 13, rain or shine.

• April Foolery: Indy MotoGP organizers blow all the cash on Nazi hookers

Valentino Rossi gave a clinic on Sunday, out-riding Casey Stoner for his first ever win at Laguna Seca.  Stoner, despite having the faster qualifying times, could never catch Rossi after a first lap pass and ended up a distant second.  Points is points, but Rossi was clearly the more skilled rider in Monterey.

Rossi spanks Stoner at Laguna Seca

Photo courtesy of motogp.com

CBS did a pretty good job of broadcasting the race, although the announcers kept cutting to commercial with breathless comments like, “My heart is beating!” and “This is exciting!”.  They caught Lorenzo’s high side crash pretty well, but had to spend too much time tracking the field while Stoner and Rossi ran away with the race.  Also, you would think that with a race this brief, around 45 minutes, CBS could afford fewer commercial breaks during the race, and hope to make up for the revenue shortfall by building viewership for future races.  I was also surprised by the utter lack of crowd shots; it was hard to tell if there was ANYONE actually there for the race.

With Lorenzo and Pedrosa healing from injuries (although with the summer break both are likely to be back at full speed in August), the 2008 season has become Stoner and Rossi.  The folks at the Motor Speedway have now started cranking up their PR machine in hopes of attracting 150,000 fans for race weekend in September.  Two of their flacks were also interviewed yesterday, expressing some surprise that a lot of attendees will be riding their bikes to Indianapolis, and wondering about things like parking.  Hello!!!

Other than a nice article by Phil Wilson in the Indianapolis Star, there wasn’t a lot of coverage out there early on.  MotoGP still suffers from a lack of awareness among American motorsports fans, a problem which the annual Indianapolis GP should help address.

Final Laguna Seca standings:

1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Factory 44:04.311

2 Casey Stoner Ducati MotoGP 44:17.312

3 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki MotoGP 44:30.920

4 Andrea Dovizioso Honda Scot 44:39.212

5 Nicky Hayden Honda HRC 44:39.974

6 Randy De Puniet Honda LCR 44:41.979

7 Antonio Elias Ducati d Antin 44:45.940

8 Ben Spies Suzuki MotoGP 44:46.238

9 James Toseland Yamaha Tech3 44:47.330

10 Shinya Nakano Honda Gresini 44:48.702

11 Jamie Hacking Kawasaki Racing 44:50.569

12 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati d Antin 44:59.584

13 Alex De Angelis Honda Gresini 44:59.832

14 Colin Edwards Yamaha Tech3 45:06.691

15 Loris Capirossi Suzuki MotoGP 45:12.518

16 Marco Melandri Ducati MotoGP 45:15.273

17 Anthony West Kawasaki Racing 45:34.872

Latest MotoGP World Championship standings:

1 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 212

2 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team 187

3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team 171

4 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 114

5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP 103

6 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha 100

7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 89

8 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team 84

9 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha 72

10 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 70

11 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 61

12 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team 46

13 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 41

14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 40

15 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team 38

16 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team 32

17 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Team 32

18 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team 22

19 Ben SPIES USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 10

20 Jamie HACKING USA Kawasaki Racing Team 5

21 Tadayuki OKADA JPN Repsol Honda Team 2

Related articles

• Rossi ends Stoner’s MotoGP win streak

Winner of two straight, all of a sudden Casey Stoner is back.  Back in contention to repeat his 2007 championship.  Heading to Germany on July 13, and Laguna Seca on July 20.  It’s starting to get interesting.

Dani Pedrosa, who finished second at Assen, now leads the series.  Valentino Rossi fell on lap 1 and still sits in 2nd place, followed by Stoner.  Jorge Lorenzo and American Colin Edwards round out the top 5.

Edwards and Nicki Hayden finished 3rd and 4th, the strongest American showing of the year.  They are undoubtedly looking forward to late July in California.  If it’s not on fire by then. 

As Rossi showed this past week, anything can happen in MotoGP.  The race at Laguna Seca on July 20 will be a the last race before a 4 week vacation.  They come back in the Czech Republic on August 17, then to fabulous San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, for God’s sake, on August 31.

No wonder people don’t know about it.  Where the heck is Riviera di Rimini?

Whatever.  On September 14 it’s happening in Indianapolis in what promises to be the largest stop on the MotoGP tour.  Riders from 32 states will make the trip to Circle City, supported by a cast of thousands.  An AMA Flat Track race at the Fairgrounds,  Kenny Chesney at the new stadium, X-Fest at Verizon Music Center.  Broad Ripple, the Arts District, the circle, Fountain Square, 16th & Georgetown will be jumping.  Exhibition riding competition at the War Memorial.  Something for every taste and budget, as it were.

This just in:

NBC will offer live coverage of the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 14th at 3-4pm ET.

Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment will coordinate production of the race with NBC.

Assen Results

September 2008 Calendar – Indianapolis

SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20

Official MotoGP Indianapolis GP Schedule at The Motor Speedway.

Friday, September 12

125cc Practice #1 8:45-9:45 a.m.

MotoGP Practice #1 10-11 a.m.

250cc Practice #1 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

125cc Qualifying #1 1:05-1:35 p.m.

MotoGP Practice #2 1:50-2:50 p.m.

250cc Qualifying #1 3:05-3:50 p.m.

MotoGP Practice #3 4:15-5:15 p.m.

Red Bull Riders Cup Practice 5:30-6 p.m.

Red Bull Riders Cup Qualifying #1 6:30-7 p.m.

Saturday, September 13

125cc Practice 2 9-9:45 a.m.

MotoGP Practice #4 10-11 a.m.

250cc Practice #2 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

125cc Qualifying :2 1:05-1:35 p.m.

MotoGP Qualifying 1:50-2:50 p.m.

250cc Qualifying #2 3:05-3:50 p.m.

Red Bull Riders Cup Qualifying #2 4-4:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 14 Race Day

125cc warm-up 8:40-9 a.m.

250cc warm-up 9:10-9:30 a.m.

MotoGP warm-up 9:40-10:05 a.m.

Red Bull Riders Cup Race 10:25 a.m.

125cc Race (23 laps) Noon

250cc Race (26 laps) 1:15 p.m.

Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP Race (28 laps) 3 p.m.

Official Event Schedule for AMA Flat Track Championship Series at the Indiana Fairgrounds Saturday, September 13

Practice & Qualifying          4:00 pm

Rider Autograph Session     5:30 pm

Opening Ceremonies          7:00 pm

Heat Races Begin              7:30 pm

National Finals Begins        9:30 pm

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Casey Stoner winning at Donington.  Photo courtesy of motogp.com

Old news:  Rossi won his third race in a row at Mugello in Italy.  Pedrosa stopped the win streak at 3 by winning at Catalunya in Spain.  Stoner on his Ducati broke through for his first win since Round 1 by winning the Great Britain GP at Donington, sharing the podium with the usual suspects, Rossi and Pedrosa.

MotoGP World Standings After Round 8

1   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Fiat Yamaha Team   162

2   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   151

3   Casey STONER   AUS   Ducati Marlboro Team   117

4   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Fiat Yamaha Team   104

5   Colin EDWARDS   USA   Tech 3 Yamaha   82

6   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   JiR Team Scot MotoGP   68

7   Nicky HAYDEN   USA   Repsol Honda Team   57

8   James TOSELAND   GBR   Tech 3 Yamaha   53

So far this season, here’s what we know.

Yamaha and Honda own 7 of the top 8 spots.  The top riders include two Spaniards, two Italians, two Americans, a Briton and an Australian.  More than half of the season remains, and it’s a four man race.  The top four riders are the only ones to have won a race this season.   Lorenzo is hanging in after crashing in practice at Catalunya.  Colin Edwards hasn’t given Americans much to cheer about, and 2006 world champion Nicky Hayden hasn’t been seen on a podium yet.

In most sports, that would be it for the season.  MotoGP, by being contested on two wheels and at, like, 12,000 rpms, has plenty of potential for drivers to drop out of races.  As Mr. Berra remarked, it ain’t over until it’s over.

Stoner, the reigning world champion on his badass Ducati, has put himself in contention after a 6 race drought.  Rossi, in the midst of another great season, leads in points; he and Pedrosa have been on the podium in every race this year, a pretty remarkable feat in itself.

On to Assen this week.