Quote from: fastwin on August 16, 2009, 03:05:04 PM
More good news for the 2010 MotoGP line up. I love Bautista in the 250GP wars and I think he could do well on the Rizla Suzook team. I'm sure he will be taking Capirossi's place as the article suggests (due to rumored retirement) and I bet Vermeulen takes Toseland's spot on Tech 3 Yamaha team. We'll see who teams with Bautista on the Rizla squad. That should be interesting.

Toseland has made no friends in MotoGP and his crew chief swapping stunt this last year pissed off everyone from Edwards on down and it still didn't help his performances. Just like Kenan Sofuoglu's great decision to go back to World Supersport after doing nothing in WSBK, maybe Toseland should go back to WSBK after doing nothing in MotoGP. No shame in that! Toseland's a great SBK rider, maybe that is where his destiny leads him. Hey, there was some rider named Bayliss that didn't do so well in MotoGP and he seemed to fare pretty well going back to WSBK. Of course he did stick it to them in the last MotoGP race of 2007 coming in as a "guest" rider!!! Guess he showed them!!

Anyway, good for Bautista! I'm looking forward 2010 goofy rules and all! [moto]


http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2009/08/16/bautista-to-suzuki

Capirex already has a contract offer for next year from Suzuki.  The Mole is out of a job.  I think Tech3 is going to wait on Spies before filling JT's seat.  JT is toast.

Didn't know that for a fact about Toseland. Figured Vermeulen might nab his seat. What about the rumors on Capirossi retiring... just 2010 silly season BS?? Figures. Kinda hope Spies stays where he is and does more in WSBK but I know he's chomping at the bit to try it. My take is that he is plenty young to spend another year or so in WSBK kicking ass and maybe taking a championship or two. That would certainly up his value in MotoGP. Just my 2 cents. Oh well, they never listen to my advice anyway!

Capirex referenced his looking forward to working with Bautista and I know they had already tendered a contract offer to him.  Pretty sure he's coming back for one more year.  I don't think JT's future is official, but considering he got everything he wanted this offseason, caused problems within Tech3, and then went backwards down the order... I'm pretty confident he's out of a job.  Hayden's gonna be out of a job if Lorenzo swaps to Ducati, but he'll probably move to Fiat or Swap with Colin to the Tech3 bike until Spies comes up.  I would imagine Spies takes JT's seat with factory support if he wins the sbk crown.

All good stuff! It will be fun to watch. Half the fun of a racing season is seeing who goes what and where at the end of the season. Just hope the economic climate doesn't torpedo all these juicy rumors! It will be interesting for sure to see where Spies lands. I still stand by my previous post about him staying in WSBK... I'd love to see him kick ass there for a couple of years then move on to MotoGP.

Yeah I'd like to see a full season of wsbk with Haga staying healthy and Spies not running into odd mechanical stuff.  Another year of those two ripping it up would be awesome.  I think the Aprilia is going to be even stronger next year and bet the BMW improves a lot as well.  Its possible we could see JT and Vermeulen back in the mix as well.  It could be one hell of a year if it pans out.

On the American front:  It sure is sad to have watched what seems to be the death of American bike racing.  For now anyway.  You'd imagine most of the young American talent will scratch and claw to find ways into the Euro championships with how things are here.  Its going to be tough for the youngsters.

The money is over here as opposed to Europe pay-wise for the riders. Even the young guys like Blake Young with no championships get paid more here in AMA/DMG wasteland than they would in say World Supersport. That's a big incentive... $$$$. There is not a boat load of Ben Spies quality riders in the US who can go over there, make a big splash and get the big buck contracts. I could see them staying here for bigger $$$ on a smaller stage. Big fish in a little bucket. Worked for Mat!

Minus Mladin the races will still go on next year, some of them might even be real good, but the bar will definitely be lowered. Not a good comparison but imagine MotoGP without Rossi and Lorenzo. There will still be winners and losers but it just won't be the same. Never the less, someone (Hayes??) will step to the front of the AMA/DMG SBK podium and give everyone something to shoot for. WSBK is none the worse without Bayliss (even though I miss him), I suppose the US SBK scene will stumble along without Mat. It has too... 

Quote from: fastwin on August 19, 2009, 07:28:11 AM

Minus Mladin the races will still go on next year, some of them might even be real good, but the bar will definitely be lowered. Not a good comparison but imagine MotoGP without Rossi and Lorenzo. There will still be winners and losers but it just won't be the same. Never the less, someone (Hayes??) will step to the front of the AMA/DMG SBK podium and give everyone something to shoot for. WSBK is none the worse without Bayliss (even though I miss him), I suppose the US SBK scene will stumble along without Mat. It has too... 

Mat stated at VIR that his heart hasn't been in it for a few races. No shame there, everyone and everything gets old sooner or later. Anyway, what does he have left to prove? or regret, for that matter: I don't think he'll do a Brett Fauvre. He would make one hell of a good riding coach.

Records are made to be broken, too. Maybe no one will touch Mat's record for the next few seasons, but even before his final race, you can other riders like Hayes, Bostrom, Pegram, and the Haydens stretching themselves, which has been entertaining to watch.

Good points Brian.  The thing I worry about for our youngsters is the visibility though.  You know at the end of the day, we all want to prove our mettle and reach the pinacle of whatever it is we choose to do.  Some make it and some don't, but its going to be real hard to get noticed for a shot at overseas racing when your homefront series are lost in the depths of mismanagment and dwindling fan base.  I don't see how the money and sponsors can remain where they are when fans pull out and manufacturers start to lack incentive to put anything into it.

Hopefully AMA/DMG will learn from mistakes and build it back up in the years to come.  They have taken a beating unlike I've seen from racers and fans alike... not to mention their own twisting of rules with the Buell and other situations in the past year.

AMA will be more exciting without Mladin due to the competitiveness, but will it even be available for viewing?  Do we care?

It has been really sad to see how few spectators there are in the stands and around the track when I watch the AMA/DMG races on TV. There is definitely a big drop in attendance from years past. Even then it wasn't like the stands were packed, but they damn sure are empty now. After the bikes whiz by there is emptiness and the sound of crickets! I can't imagine the track owners and promoters are happy with it all. I am sure they were pitched a huge pile of "bovine scatology" by DMG about how much better it will be now that they are in charge. I'm sure DMG blew smoke in everyone's eyes about NASCAR this and NASCAR that and how these "new" AMA races will draw in the masses just like the Daytona 500! Yeah, right.

I wonder if they really see how bad things are? I really don't see their business ego admitting they were wrong and going back to what it was like before. They have done nothing except show arrogance and keep adjusting their blinders and ear plugs to drone out the objections from racers and fans. Mat is clearing out about a year too late. I am sure his heart is not in it. What else does he have to prove and why put up with all the crap and the bozos in charge? His life will only improve after the end of the season.

More fun stuff for the 2010 MotoGP grid!! Barbera has a ride all right... on a new Ducati team!! I think Pinocchio called this one a few days ago about Team Aspar but now it sounds like the Aspar/Barbera connection is solid. Very cool!

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2009/08/19/barbera-to-motogp

I wonder if the Hayden bike will drop in price after they dump him.     for that matter the cedici if they dump Stoner not "communicating"

What does that mean?

per everything I've read Stoner wasn't forthcoming with the news to his sponsors and/or his Ducati team about sitting out and rumor has it they are pissed!  As for Nicky.....hell if they turn off traction control he should do better after all he grew up on a dirt track.

Didn't know all that. I'm still pissed Casey didn't call me and let me know. I can't imagine what the sponsors thought.

Quote from: fastwin on August 21, 2009, 02:48:50 AM
Didn't know all that. I'm still pissed Casey didn't call me and let me know. I can't imagine what the sponsors thought.

Casey stopped by my house last time he was in the US and complained the entire time. I threw him out, vomit and all