Pecco Moto GP

[GuzziMoto]

1 hour ago, p6x said:

@GuzziMoto

If you remember, Fabio Quartararo started his motorcycling racing career in Spain. Any racing circuit in Spain he would be familiar with, given that he raced there on numerous occasions.

As for Joe Roberts, and not only, e.g. Fabio Quartararo and many others, the only way to make it to MotoGP is to race in one of the rookie cups organized in Europe. Europe no longer being the sole organizer. Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and many other countries have started to look for talent early in the years. If you come out of the pack, then Europe is the spring board, especially Spain.

There used to be many US pilots in MotoGP, but the supply has dried up since Hayden won the MotoGP in 2006.

There are lots of European pilots, a few non European. Maybe Beaubier and Roberts will end up in GP?

Yeah, I am sure FQ knows Jerez. But I don't think that is as important as how well his Yamaha will do there compared to the others. If he can't get away then he risks others on bikes like the Ducati motoring past him on the straights and holding him up in the corners. Jerez doesn't have excessive straights, so he has a better shot at getting away then he will at some other tracks. At least that is the theory. But last year Fabio didn't do well at Jerez, finishing 13th. It was his worst race all year. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Joe Roberts is clearly aiming to be in MotoGP. And I hope he makes it. If he does, I will be happy for him. But between him and Cameron Beaubier I think Beaubier has accomplished more success so far and has shown more potential. But never say never, there is still hope. Roberts needs to take a step up. Maybe this win will give him the confidence he needs. But in the end he got this win because the 7 guys faster than he was that day crashed. Most of them crashed because of a freak rain and not really rider error. Only one guy was rider error.

But hey, I will root for any American out there. Once upon a time American were a dominant force in GP racing. Now we are happy to have two guys in Moto2.

[p6x]

4 hours ago, GuzziMoto said:

But hey, I will root for any American out there. Once upon a time American were a dominant force in GP racing. Now we are happy to have two guys in Moto2.

In my opinion, to make it in MotoGP, you have to compete in Europe; ideally, Spain. They have the competitions to help you come out of the pack. Although, if I understood correctly, Beaubier is coming from US Superbike? which in itself is already a performance to be doing well in Moto2.

Yes, I remember the Kenny Robert, Randy Mamola, Wayne Rayney, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Junior... These guys were two stroke riders though.

I wonder why the drought? I should ask Colin Edwards the next time I see him.

[GuzziMoto]

15 hours ago, p6x said:

In my opinion, to make it in MotoGP, you have to compete in Europe; ideally, Spain. They have the competitions to help you come out of the pack. Although, if I understood correctly, Beaubier is coming from US Superbike? which in itself is already a performance to be doing well in Moto2.

Yes, I remember the Kenny Robert, Randy Mamola, Wayne Rayney, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Junior... These guys were two stroke riders though.

I wonder why the drought? I should ask Colin Edwards the next time I see him.

Racing is fickle. It runs hot and cold on riders from certain countries. At one point riders from America were hot, and they were getting the good rides, the opportunities. There have also been runs of guys from Australia. And right now it seems it is Spain. The reality is being successful at motorcycle racing is a combination of talent and opportunity. Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity isn't.

Running in Europe, in particular in Spain, is useful to get you noticed, to possibly get you the opportunity. But it isn't required to develop the skills. Take Beaubier for example. He rose to the top here in America racing superbikes. The same as Spies, and most of the Americans before him. Roberts went to Europe, but it really didn't pan out for him and he came back here to race production based bikes and re-establish himself. 

In the end, who gets the opportunity and who doesn't is something of a lottery. No doubt as we speak somebody in some obscure part of the world is racing motorcycles and doing things most of us could never dream of. But he won't get the opportunity to race MotoGP.

[p6x]

20 hours ago, GuzziMoto said:

last year Fabio didn't do well at Jerez, finishing 13th.

Fabio was leading the race though! then he got his arm pump problem causing him to fall behind.

I am probably going out on a limb here, but I would put my money on Fabio Quartararo to win Jerez. He only has to start at the front, and nobody will see him before the finish lane.

My next guess would be Rims or Mir; the only unknown I have is either Aleix or Maverick. For Maverick, he said that he should be ready to show his real potential from Jerez onwards.

I don't think Ducati, Honda, KTM can really do much. There is something about Marc Marquez that we probably don't know.

 

[GuzziMoto]

Could be. I would say FQ needs to finish the first lap still in the lead. Just starting up front doesn't help if he gets beat to turn one.

[p6x]

@GuzziMoto just as an aside, have you seen what Danilo Petrucci does in MotoAmerica Superbike?

three races, three wins...

Does it serve to gauge level of competition?

[GuzziMoto]

21 minutes ago, p6x said:

@GuzziMoto just as an aside, have you seen what Danilo Petrucci does in MotoAmerica Superbike?

three races, three wins...

Does it serve to gauge level of competition?

He did have a great start to racing here in the states. It helped that the first two races were at a track he knew well (probably had more laps around COTA than the American racers). Then they went to Road Atlanta, where he had never been. He still did well there the first race, winning after the leader (Gagne) crashed. Had Gagne not crashed it did not look like Petrucci had anything for him. But, as they say, to finish first first you must finish. In the second race at Road Atlanta Petrucci's Ducati failed him, and Gagne didn't crash. So Gagne won by a mile.

I do think how well Petrucci is doing says something about the level of competition here in the states. It says that the top guys here are pretty F'ing fast. Because Petrucci is a top level rider and he isn't having a cake walk here. Petrucci is running at the front, but he isn't way out in front. There are at least a couple guys here who can run with him and even beat him. That said, I like Petrucci and am glad he is racing here. I think it is good for our series. The guy is a true racer. He elevates the series, and is forcing the other competitors to step up.

 

[LowRyter]

DP#9 is running the latest Ducati.  All the other bikes are legacy in one form or the other.  I see that Shek moved the team from a location close to me to Pennsylvania and teamed up with Ferraci.    One of the big challenges beside the unfamiliar tracks are the Dunlop tires. 

I have wonder what's wrong with the bike after the engine smoked, DNF'd and how they'll get it back together.

[GuzziMoto]

Well, Ferracci certainly knows what he is doing. Good to see him back in racing at the top level in this country.

[p6x]

5 hours ago, LowRyter said:

DP#9 is running the latest Ducati.  All the other bikes are legacy in one form or the other.  I see that Shek moved the team from a location close to me to Pennsylvania and teamed up with Ferraci.    One of the big challenges beside the unfamiliar tracks are the Dunlop tires. 

I have wonder what's wrong with the bike after the engine smoked, DNF'd and how they'll get it back together.

What kind of bikes are there anyway? I thought they were just production motorcycles without the road legal appendixes, and a few tweaks. But not purpose built race bikes. Am I wrong?

 

[LowRyter]

25 minutes ago, p6x said:

What kind of bikes are there anyway? I thought they were just production motorcycles without the road legal appendixes, and a few tweaks. But not purpose built race bikes. Am I wrong?

 

They are purposely modified street bikes for racing.  I think MA, BSB & WSBK are very close with the rules.  But the basic Yamaha street bike is at least 6 years old, the Suzuki like 10.  The Ducati is just a couple of years old.  So the Duc has newer tech and the legacy bikes have a longer track record of refinement but perhaps run out of tweaks.  

Super Stock class bikes are a class down from the Superbikes and have fewer modifications.

I think AMA Superbikes in the late '00's took it about as far as it would go.  Those bikes were truly tricked out, even the gas tanks were moved under stock appearing bodywork.  Then the rules got stricter to what we have now.

Having written all that, even off the showroom, those bikes are extremely capable and few riders can get close to exploiting them.  Modifications make them that much faster.  

[p6x]

1 hour ago, LowRyter said:

Having written all that, even off the showroom, those bikes are extremely capable and few riders can get close to exploiting them.  Modifications make them that much faster.  

I was listening to a journalist who got to test MotoGP bikes on testing days together with the GP pilots. He was someone who competes in lesser classes I think the 300, so he is not just a scribe.

He said that at Jerez, MotoGP pilots were lapping 15 seconds faster than the best of the testers. That gives a little perspective.

[LowRyter]

1 hour ago, p6x said:

I was listening to a journalist who got to test MotoGP bikes on testing days together with the GP pilots. He was someone who competes in lesser classes I think the 300, so he is not just a scribe.

He said that at Jerez, MotoGP pilots were lapping 15 seconds faster than the best of the testers. That gives a little perspective.

OTOH, Mario Andretti tested Kenny Roberts 500 and ran fast enough to qualify in the pack. 

[p6x]

On 4/28/2022 at 9:49 AM, LowRyter said:

DP#9 is running the latest Ducati.  All the other bikes are legacy in one form or the other.  I see that Shek moved the team from a location close to me to Pennsylvania and teamed up with Ferraci.    One of the big challenges beside the unfamiliar tracks are the Dunlop tires. 

I have wonder what's wrong with the bike after the engine smoked, DNF'd and how they'll get it back together.

How different is the AMA Superbike motorbikes say, Bautista's Panigale SP4 with Danilo's?

[p6x]

On 4/28/2022 at 8:00 AM, GuzziMoto said:

Could be. I would say FQ needs to finish the first lap still in the lead. Just starting up front doesn't help if he gets beat to turn one.

After watching FP1 and FP2, I would say Fabio Quartararo will be hard to beat in Jerez.

I don't think any one can approach him on sector 1 and 3.

Seeing Marc Marquez so far is odd.