Sorry ZLT, but I really have to call bullsh*t about your opinions.  Nobody in MotoGP is out there turning laps for the hell of it and every one of them absolutely hates losing.  The Ducati is a piece of dog poo in most respects.  Its a point and shoot bike you have to slide all over the place to get anything out of.  Nicky would probably enjoy it.  Your attitude is that of a quitter.

Anyway..

QuoteAnd Rossi didn't give up persay but he also wasn't pushing as hard after about halfway through the season

Rossi pushed the living hell out of that bike to get the results he was getting.  The yammy was the slowest bike on the grid coupled with the same overheating problems of past and mechanical failures of untested equipment changes, plus subpar tires last year.  Coming within one dnf of 2nd place in the championship on that equipment wasn't due to Rossi not pushing the wheels off the thing.

QuoteWhy push it with a bike that by premier class standards is inferior

Honestly if that was the mindset, then nobody would sign with anyone but Honda or Yamaha ( this year... no way with Yammy last year ).  Suzuki and Kawasaki wouldn't have anyone riding for them, and the paddock is quickly learning that riding the Ducati is a disaster if you aren't named Stoner.  We would essentially have what, 9 bikes in the field?  These guys push their bikes as hard as they can.  Half the bikes in the field suck compared to the front runners, but trust me those guys aren't packing it in just because they are slower.  Its why you see the men lower in the field go off track more often imo.... they push limits.  Honda has the most consistant bike over the years... so maybe we should just make it a Honda spec series?   

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 12:22:51 PM
Ducati has taken the attitude of "Well Stoner can ride it, why can't you?"

Absolutely untrue.  Ducati has spent much $$$ testing/developing (including trying to bring Bayliss and Biaggi in to test forthem) to try and make the GP8 more rideable for anyone not named Stoner. 

I must say I love your conviction in the complete absence of any factual support though.

All of those racers aren't trying nearly hard enough.  Definitely not as hard as DePuniet!  The reason he crashes so much is BECAUSE he's so good and pushing like no one else.

You know I'm right, I know daryl and derby both have a special place in their hearts for DePuniet. 

This race I think was amazing, great racing till the end.  Nice fight for 1-3 place, and not too shabby for 4-7 position.

I think everyone in GP pushes VERY hard every race, every time, all the time.  The only exception I can think of is Hoffmanns pregnant dog fest last year which cost him.  Anyone that doesn't push every time in GP can't compete.

So I am a quitter because I would prefer to ride for a team that will take my input seriously and work with me to try and develop a bike that I could ride and be competitive on rather than ride the wheels off of it and still not finish in the top 5 most races?

Anyway, I enjoy debating but when it becomes petty name calling and slanderous remarks about a person you don't even know, that is when I will respectfully bow out rather than lower myself to that level.

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 01:35:36 PM
So I am a quitter because I would prefer to ride for a team that will take my input seriously and work with me to try and develop a bike

ok, with all due respect, where in the world do you get these ideas?

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 12:22:51 PM
factory has been giving you the silent equivilant of go pound sand? Ducati has taken the attitude of "Well Stoner can ride it, why can't you?"

so when exactly did they do that?  when they publicly admitted that they are lost on set-up?  or when they admitted that they went too far in one direction with the gp8?  or when they started asking bayliss and biaggi for help?

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 12:22:51 PM
But why risk your neck when the factory basically ignores you when there are 4 other teams waiting in the wings that change up their camps regularly? And name one team out there that wouldn't be ready to negotiate with a veteran rider to support their up and coming stars for a better overall season.

a) it's your job
b) none of those guys cruise around out there, even in last place
c) how many rookies are there this year?  how are they performing?  watched any 250 races lately?  there's more coming...
d) the 'veteran' riders you are referring to really aren't all that veteran'y.  2-3 years doesn't make you someone to come in and develop a bike or a team

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 12:22:51 PM
And Rossi didn't give up persay but he also wasn't pushing as hard after about halfway through the season.

again with the no offense disclaimer but that right there is downright funny.

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 12:22:51 PM
As for Capirossi, yeah, I can see how he would be put out by being sent down to the support team.

sure, but at the time, in the shadow of what had happened in '07 for stoner, melandri, and capi, plus capi's age and number of years likely left in the series, that move made a lot of sense for ducati in general.  they *thought* they had the tiger by the tail, understandably so.  i'm sure it stung and i'm also sure that he understood.  plus given the fact that he really didn't get along with the gp7 and the high likelihood that they were going to continue developing it away from him/towards casey, i'm sure that getting the chance to ride another manu's bike was a very welcome change.

Damn dude, you must be bored in that hotel room...

Quote from: darylbowden on June 03, 2008, 02:08:11 PM
Damn dude, you must be bored in that hotel room...

tell me about it.  and not even there yet today.  90% of the work i have to do this week is mind-numbing...

but i'll quit on this topic now. 

Quote from: ZLTFUL on June 03, 2008, 01:35:36 PM

Anyway, I enjoy debating but when it becomes petty name calling and slanderous remarks about a person you don't even know, that is when I will respectfully bow out rather than lower myself to that level.

Name calling and slanderous remarks?  Where?  We're just all dumbfounded by the fact that you're the Miss Cleo of racing and we aren't privy to all the same as-yet-unreleased info.

Quote from: JesterDFW on June 03, 2008, 12:45:16 PM


Rossi pushed the living hell out of that bike to get the results he was getting.  The yammy was the slowest bike on the grid coupled with the same overheating problems of past and mechanical failures of untested equipment changes, plus subpar tires last year.  Coming within one dnf of 2nd place in the championship on that equipment wasn't due to Rossi not pushing the wheels off the thing.

The problem here is Rossi is so good he can be riding the bike to it's limits and make it look like he's not even trying.

It's so great to watch him again this season. The old Rossi is back. 

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67968

I was somewhat of the opinion that they could have used the GP7 this year and not even made a new bike.  The old bike was so incredibly dominant, that it probably would have been no less than an even match to this years updated machines from the other manufacturers.  Could be a good decision to backtrack a bit for Ducati. 

Regardless though, Stoner is still the only man to have any real success, even on the old machine.  It needs help, new or old.

"Preziosi added that it was more important to restore Stoner's confidence in the bike than to continue development on the GP8 for now."

(yeah i know i said i would drop it )

a rider's confidence in the bike is arguably more important than the bike itself.  see: all the other gp7/8 riders, rossi vs. michelin, or (other side of the coin) rossi first year on the yamaha.  "inferior" bike but he trusted it... and dusted everyone.

...one more thing      ...what can i say, it's lunch time.... 

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67945

vowing to help is a far cry from 'refusing to listen', or whatever that nonsense was.