I know it's old news, but it's official. Jake Zemke is taking Hopper's place at Monza on the Stiggy Honda. I wonder how he'll do? New bikes, new tires, new circuit and zero testing. :-\ And there's the constant distraction of his teammate's fiance's boobies.
http://www.crash.net/World+Superbikes/News/146350/1/zemke_to_deputise_for_hopkins_at_monza.html (http://www.crash.net/World+Superbikes/News/146350/1/zemke_to_deputise_for_hopkins_at_monza.html)
I think the eye opener will be the difference in how Honda's with real engineering development perform under him in comparo to the sudo-HRC stuff that trickles back to AMA for Erion and Corona....I look forward to seeing what he can do...but it seems Stiggy, HM Plant, and Ten Kate all seem to do as much development as Erion used to do...
Quote from: zooom on May 05, 2009, 10:19:19 AM
I think the eye opener will be the difference in how Honda's with real engineering development perform under him in comparo to the sudo-HRC stuff that trickles back to AMA for Erion and Corona....
That's an aspect to this I hadn't thought of. See how a Honda rider does once he gets on a properly developed machine. It will be interesting to see how he does on the Stiggy machine.
I'm also glad another AMA rider is getting a shot on the world stage. It shows that as bad as the AMA/DMG thing is going the stigma isn't being placed on the riders.
Quote from: mikeb on May 05, 2009, 10:29:10 AM
That's an aspect to this I hadn't thought of. See how a Honda rider does once he gets on a properly developed machine. It will be interesting to see how he does on the Stiggy machine.
we saw what happens in that scenario at the end of WSS last year.
Quote from: gm2 on May 05, 2009, 11:31:52 AM
we saw what happens in that scenario at the end of WSS last year.
but WSS is a whole different stage in comparo to WSBK...granted the races get bloodier in WSS...
no matter what...it'll be interesting to see...
hayes went from an ama 600 to a wss machine. comparo of a honda rider to a 'properly developed machine'... reasonable comparison.
and zemke hasn't been on a 1000 in 2 years.
All I know... is that Zemke's wife is HOT :)