hell has frozen over... motogp+worldsbk merge

[gm2]

electronics have driven, but also kept up with, the development of the bikes.  and tires.  don't forget that things in GP are measured in very small increments.  a tenth is a huge advantage.

it's clearly still possible to highside, always will be.  outside TC the advances have been in fuel management, mapping, engine braking, location, yadda yadda.  ways to eek out the best possible lap every time (..800s faster than 990s).

the BSB ban of TC was about cost more than anything.

[gm2]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Oct/120903ool.htm

[DarkMonster620]

or backed off on the electronic rider aids.

+3

I think you'd still see the same guys winning races without all the electronic aids as you do now. Fast is fast. The difference is the races might be closer, as winning might not require such as precise style.

I do agree that most of the electronics should go. However, I have no problem with traction control. I like to watch racing, not crashing, and I'd rather see healthy riders battling it out the entire season. Look how boring things got since Stoner left this year.

+2

I liked the "old" racing, the 500 the beginning of "liter" class . ..  down to 800 back to "1000" . . .thru the past 10~12  years I've seen guys coming from the "lower" categories without "many" electronics to riding a computer with an airpump and not making it . . .then the "old school" guys not making into the geeky racing . .. that's MHO

[ducpainter]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Oct/120903ool.htm

We should start a DMF racing series.

[zooom]

We should start a DMF racing series.

RUN WHATCHA BRUNG BABEY!!!

[mitt]

We should start a DMF racing series.

Maybe there is room for a new rouge series to start up based on purely prototype bikes if the interest is really there. 


mitt

Whats the budget?

mitt

[ducpainter]

Whats the budget?

mitt

We're going to fall far short of the 11 Billion Euro that Bridgepoint leverages.

[zooom]

there is 1 possibly good thing that could potentially come out of this....

much like a MotoGP.com subscription for races, as apposed to SPEED or Eurosport or whatever...we can have WSBK webfeed.

[ducpainter]

there is 1 possibly good thing that could potentially come out of this....

much like a MotoGP.com subscription for races, as apposed to SPEED or Eurosport or whatever...we can have WSBK webfeed.

Surely Carmelo will want to maximize his pocket.

Just think...2 subs at how much? 100 buck each?

I'm still not getting the warm IZ_...

[derby]

Surely Carmelo will want to maximize his pocket.

Just think...2 subs at how much? 100 buck each?

I'm still not getting the warm IZ_...

american fans have been asking for a worldbsk stream for years. warm IZ_ or not, there's a market.

[ducpainter]

american fans have been asking for a worldbsk stream for years. warm IZ_ or not, there's a market.

Yup...

and after all...

it's all about marketing...

right?

[Uncle Mofo]

Sucks.

WSBK is now better than ever, due mainly to the strong direction of the Flammini brothers that have actively adapted the series to changing market conditions, instead of buckling to manufacturer demands... exactly what has killed AMA and is killing MotoGP. At one point or another, several manufacturers have attempted (esp Ducati) to bully WSBK rulemaking in their favor, only to have the Flamminis tell them to go pound sand. Some of those manufacturers have quit over this and other various reasons (like trying to fund a MotoGP campaign), but now they're all back in one form or another. Good, focused leadership has produced the best racing series on the planet.

OTOH, MotoGP is a train wreck, thanks to Dorna and Ezpeleta; There are only 3 manufacturers left, Repsol is the ONLY remaining sponsor of any significance, top riders are quitting or defecting to WSBK, and CRT is a joke for what's supposed to be The Premier Class. Even Johnny Rea, after being given a 'dream' ride, stated he's happy to return to WSBK. Honda pretty much gets what Honda wants, and threatens Dorna to quit the series otherwise... which now Dorna cannot afford. Once Rossi is gone, MotoGP will really tank, badly.

Now with Dorna in the WSBK driver's seat, WSBK is in peril......

[duccarlos]

And like the article mentioned, Dorna is now holding the manufacturers balls. So HRC can't just pack up. They will need to work with Dorna or not at all. No manufacturer can afford to quit both MotoGP and WSBK. If anything they might all decide to focus completely on one racing series and leave Dorna holding the bag. What would happen if MotoGP turned into a CRT only series? This seems to be the direction they were going anyway. Move all manufacturers to WSBK where you can compare apples to apples. Prototype series dies a painful death.

I do like the idea of finally streaming WSBK and you can bundle it. Would you be willing to pay $150?

[ducpainter]

<snip>Would you be willing to pay $150?

Nope

The race looks just as good a couple hours later...even a day later.

Sucks.

WSBK is now better than ever, due mainly to the strong direction of the Flammini brothers that have actively adapted the series to changing market conditions, instead of buckling to manufacturer demands... exactly what has killed AMA and is killing MotoGP. At one point or another, several manufacturers have attempted (esp Ducati) to bully WSBK rulemaking in their favor, only to have the Flamminis tell them to go pound sand. Some of those manufacturers have quit over this and other various reasons (like trying to fund a MotoGP campaign), but now they're all back in one form or another. Good, focused leadership has produced the best racing series on the planet.

OTOH, MotoGP is a train wreck, thanks to Dorna and Ezpeleta; There are only 3 manufacturers left, Repsol is the ONLY remaining sponsor of any significance, top riders are quitting or defecting to WSBK, and CRT is a joke for what's supposed to be The Premier Class. Even Johnny Rea, after being given a 'dream' ride, stated he's happy to return to WSBK. Honda pretty much gets what Honda wants, and threatens Dorna to quit the series otherwise... which now Dorna cannot afford. Once Rossi is gone, MotoGP will really tank, badly.

Now with Dorna in the WSBK driver's seat, WSBK is in peril......

It's all about the marketing remember?

I'm gonna start selling headlight decals.

[gm2]

Sucks.

WSBK is now better than ever, due mainly to the strong direction of the Flammini brothers that have actively adapted the series to changing market conditions, instead of buckling to manufacturer demands... exactly what has killed AMA and is killing MotoGP. At one point or another, several manufacturers have attempted (esp Ducati) to bully WSBK rulemaking in their favor, only to have the Flamminis tell them to go pound sand. Some of those manufacturers have quit over this and other various reasons (like trying to fund a MotoGP campaign), but now they're all back in one form or another. Good, focused leadership has produced the best racing series on the planet.

OTOH, MotoGP is a train wreck, thanks to Dorna and Ezpeleta; There are only 3 manufacturers left, Repsol is the ONLY remaining sponsor of any significance, top riders are quitting or defecting to WSBK, and CRT is a joke for what's supposed to be The Premier Class. Even Johnny Rea, after being given a 'dream' ride, stated he's happy to return to WSBK. Honda pretty much gets what Honda wants, and threatens Dorna to quit the series otherwise... which now Dorna cannot afford. Once Rossi is gone, MotoGP will really tank, badly.

Now with Dorna in the WSBK driver's seat, WSBK is in peril......

I of course agree that wsbk as a series is far more healthy than GP these days, however..

- the Flamini brothers haven't done much to adapt the series to anything, other than a spec tire and the recent (sorta) 1 bike rule.  they market it very well, expand into other countries, it's moderately affordable to be there, and are aided by the racing being so good.  that last bit is conveniently underscored by the racing getting worse and worse in GP.

- the current (slightly improving) train wreck that is the AMA is most definitely not a product of the series buckling to manufacturer demands.  it's the opposite of that.

- agreed GP is a mess, but it's not Dorna or Carmelo's fault.  it's the manufacturer's fault.  specifically the MSMA.  as fans and GP purists we may not love the decisions Carmelo has made in the wake of the mess, but it was Yamaha and especially Honda that got us there.  5 million euro to lease a satellite bike?  get the f outta here.

You cite the problem with GP being the present state (CRTs etc), which aint pretty for sure, but it was that or let the series die completely.  If budgets are the single biggest problem, and you're down to 12 bikes or whatever it was on the grid, what do you do?

of course johnny wants to go back to wsbk.  he's a racer: he wants to win.  that's for sure not happening on a CRT bike.