Circuit of the Americas... Sounds like it needs to have a world's fair attached to it.  Or its own space needle or something.

Which reminds me; why don't we have our own DFWM version of, "Things that make you say WTF"? 

At least they didn't name it Circuit Of TEXas. That would have made an horrendous acronym.

10 year contract with Dorna/ MotoGP!!! Woo-hoo!!!! [moto]

And now a video for your dining pleasure:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/15/video-austins-circuit-of-the-americas-woos-with-promo-clip/

     http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-fia-unveils-12-calendar-austin-gp-set-for-june-17

THE BEN!!!

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2011/06/25/spies-spies-spies/

It's been a long time since The Star Spangled Banner was heard on the MotoGP podium.
Somehow, I don't think it will be that long before we hear it again. As Eddie Lawson reportedly once said, the first win is the hardest.

We may be seeing the dawn of an era of single championship riders in MotoGP. If Spies can keep putting his Yamaha on the front row, Lorenzo might ask his crew to pull Rossi's 2010 garage wall out of storage.

Is it annoying anyone else watching the race that the announcer keeps saying Jorge Lorentho?  Clearly he doesn't have a lisp. 

I sure miss Bayliss and on the 999 everyone hated so much 
Toseland vs Bayliss at Assen 2007 race 2

Quote from: WonderBoy on July 24, 2011, 02:45:36 PM
Is it annoying anyone else watching the race that the announcer keeps saying Jorge Lorentho?  Clearly he doesn't have a lisp. 

What was much more annoying is how Speed Channel times commercial breaks to coincide perfectly with crucial overtakes during what was otherwise a parade. They need either to use picture-in-picture during the ads, or take a tip from the major sports and  let Ralph Shaheen read the Speed network promos while showing the race action behind the graphics .

The race was pretty interesting on-line, not that you could tell from the Speed version. Four Americans were on the grid this year, but Speed didn't push it to Fox Sports like they did in 2007. With such lackluster promotion and presentation, we can only expect MotoGP to languish in obscurity in the US, along with cricket and polo.

I have resisted buying MotoGP coverage on-line but after Laguna Seca, I have reconsidered.  I like Scott Russell for color commentary but the two others send me for the "mute" button every time.  No value-added.  Might as well have just the audio of the bikes circulating around the track; you'll learn more from that.  

Quote from: Cher on July 25, 2011, 07:56:12 AM
....Might as well have just the audio of the bikes circulating around the track...

Which is outstandingly good at Laguna, due to the small scale of the track. You can hear every bike on the track from anywhere on the track. Total Surround Sound!!!!

Quote from: Cher on July 25, 2011, 07:56:12 AM
I have resisted buying MotoGP coverage on-line but after Laguna Seca, I have reconsidered.  I like Scott Russell for color commentary but the two others send me for the "mute" button every time.  No value-added.  Might as well have just the audio of the bikes circulating around the track; you'll learn more from that.  

We'll have more of that to look forward to at the Indy race. I also like Russell. He actually knows what he is talking about. As a World Champ should! I used to like Gregg White from the Two Wheel Tuesday show. But apparently he was ordered by Speed to bring it down to first grade level after that show was canned for a stupid stunta bike show. He has never been the same since.

Austin GP news:

"As well as moving Bahrain to later on in the calendar, it is also understood that Austin will be moved to the end of the campaign â€" with it becoming the penultimate race of the season before Brazil. The two events will also form a back-to-back."

Here's the whole article in all of it's otherwise dull-ness:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93442

I think putting the Austin race as the next-to-last of the season would be awesome; lots of attention on the race and the venue if the last several seasons are anything to go by.  Plus, moving the Austin race date to November from June would also be a very... cool... thing  

 [clap

November weather would be really nice. Hope it doesn't clash some some big, important UT football game. Between football and race fans you'd be lucky to find a room in a 50 mile radius.