feejer222
Well-known member
Elbowz (yesterday).
My man of the meeting so far.
43 Minutes to go in the 1 hour qualifying session:
Conditions very wet. The Australians have it at the moment, Stoner & Vermulen fighting for pole currently on dead level times down to the thousandth of a second, with West a close third..
Forecast for race day dry but cold.
Watching them on a track that I am very familiar with, and used to seeing the BSB bikes on. They appear to be going almost as quick round the corners as the BSB boys in the dry. Just 6 seconds down on the BSB dry times!!
Ben Spies currently on row 5. Spies doing well in the wet.
Pedrossa had a big highside yesterday but is OK.
39 to go:
Stoner
Vermulen
West
Hayden (just gone back out with a new tyre)
Edwards
Guintoli
Rossi
DePunier
Dovizioso
Spies 11th. 1st time on the tyres/ bike/ track, very impressive.
The crowd for qualifying in pouring rain probably competes with a dry BSB event!
32 to go
Sto
Ver
Wes
Ros
Hay
Tos
Ped
Hop
Edw
Anthony West been testing in Japan since last time out (to get re-chipped) and has improved rear end grip.
West just about hung onto the bike after a massive high-side, his backside must have been 3 feet in the air.
The theory in the wet is to put in banker laps, which if you crash will get you a reasonable place on the grid. These are one off flying laps in the middle of a series. Then in the last 10 minutes they all go for it and risk a crash to try and get a top time in.
30 to go
Stoner
Vermulan
West
Rossi
Hayden
Tosland
Pedrossa
Hopper
Edwards
Guintoli
DePunier
Nakkano
Spies
Dovizioso
DeAngelis
Lorenzo
Elias
Melandri...(no change there then).
Rossi on a hot lap, out of the seat.
Rain now stopped and a vague dry line forming with 28 to go. Light wind might help dry it out a bit.
Should be interesting towards the end of the session.
Mamola now commenting on the incredible corner speed of the 3 Austrailians.....Told ya!
24 to go:
Sto
Ver
Wes
Ros
Hay
Edw
Tos
Ped
Hop
Hayden and Toseland just back out with new tyres.
21 to go Spies goes 7th!!!
Lorenzo struggling with confidence he has admited himself.
18 to go: Vermulen takes pole.
Nakano recovering from a big crash this morning, going faster now.
15 to go: Stoner back out and re-takes pole by 4 tenths. Stoner and Melandri came onto the start straight together, Melandri was struggling along the kerb about 30mph slower than Stoner. Stoner took a long look sideways at Melandri and shook his head as he powered away from him. How embarrasing for Melandri.
13 to go: Stoner faster again now a full second over Vermulen.
The race is for second tomorrow, the win is pretty much decided!!
10 to go: Rossi on a hot lap, but gets baulked and stays 4th, until Dovizioso pushes him to 5th.
9 to go: Edwards goes 2nd. Rossi on an insane lap.
8:30 to go: Rossi goes 2nd. point 7 of a second behind Stoner.
Everybody has stepped up the pace now, all bikes going quicker. All still on full wets.
BSB lap times are 1:32.8'ish Current best time is 1:38.869 on a wet track.
6 to go:
Sto
Ros
Edw
Ver
Dov
Wes
Ped
Hay
DeA
5:30 to go: Rossi and Stoner both on flying laps. Rossi doesn't do any better
4:55 Hayden goes 2nd!
4:41 Stoner inmpoves his time again 1:38.783
Spies was up in the first split but lost it badly in the next.
Toseland struggling for some reason, down to 13th.
2:53 Stoner faster again by 2 hundredths.
2:25 Rossi on another flyer.....2:05 Rossi takes 2nd
1:58 Toseland crashes but re-mounts
1:0 to go Toseland down again coming out of Starkies. Probably 100mph plus. Walks away.
After clock stops: Vermulen takes 2nd. Stoner goes even faster. Rossi takes 2nd.
Grid:
Stoner
Rossi
Vermulen
Hayden
Edwards
Dovizioso
West
Spies
Pedrossa
Nakano
Hopkins
Guintoli
DeAngelis
DePunier
Melandri
Toseland
Lorenzo
Elias
What a ride from Spies, ride of the day for me. He says he has been forced to slide in the wet which has made him feel more comfortable on it. The bike is hard to compare with his usual ride. He thinks he can get top 10 if it rains.
What a shame for Toseland at his home GP, there has been such a build up to it, everyone hoping to see him get a podium. This is his worst qualifying to date at 16th.
My man of the meeting so far.
43 Minutes to go in the 1 hour qualifying session:
Conditions very wet. The Australians have it at the moment, Stoner & Vermulen fighting for pole currently on dead level times down to the thousandth of a second, with West a close third..
Forecast for race day dry but cold.
Watching them on a track that I am very familiar with, and used to seeing the BSB bikes on. They appear to be going almost as quick round the corners as the BSB boys in the dry. Just 6 seconds down on the BSB dry times!!
Ben Spies currently on row 5. Spies doing well in the wet.
Pedrossa had a big highside yesterday but is OK.
39 to go:
Stoner
Vermulen
West
Hayden (just gone back out with a new tyre)
Edwards
Guintoli
Rossi
DePunier
Dovizioso
Spies 11th. 1st time on the tyres/ bike/ track, very impressive.
The crowd for qualifying in pouring rain probably competes with a dry BSB event!
32 to go
Sto
Ver
Wes
Ros
Hay
Tos
Ped
Hop
Edw
Anthony West been testing in Japan since last time out (to get re-chipped) and has improved rear end grip.
West just about hung onto the bike after a massive high-side, his backside must have been 3 feet in the air.
The theory in the wet is to put in banker laps, which if you crash will get you a reasonable place on the grid. These are one off flying laps in the middle of a series. Then in the last 10 minutes they all go for it and risk a crash to try and get a top time in.
30 to go
Stoner
Vermulan
West
Rossi
Hayden
Tosland
Pedrossa
Hopper
Edwards
Guintoli
DePunier
Nakkano
Spies
Dovizioso
DeAngelis
Lorenzo
Elias
Melandri...(no change there then).
Rossi on a hot lap, out of the seat.
Rain now stopped and a vague dry line forming with 28 to go. Light wind might help dry it out a bit.
Should be interesting towards the end of the session.
Mamola now commenting on the incredible corner speed of the 3 Austrailians.....Told ya!
24 to go:
Sto
Ver
Wes
Ros
Hay
Edw
Tos
Ped
Hop
Hayden and Toseland just back out with new tyres.
21 to go Spies goes 7th!!!
Lorenzo struggling with confidence he has admited himself.
18 to go: Vermulen takes pole.
Nakano recovering from a big crash this morning, going faster now.
15 to go: Stoner back out and re-takes pole by 4 tenths. Stoner and Melandri came onto the start straight together, Melandri was struggling along the kerb about 30mph slower than Stoner. Stoner took a long look sideways at Melandri and shook his head as he powered away from him. How embarrasing for Melandri.
13 to go: Stoner faster again now a full second over Vermulen.
The race is for second tomorrow, the win is pretty much decided!!
10 to go: Rossi on a hot lap, but gets baulked and stays 4th, until Dovizioso pushes him to 5th.
9 to go: Edwards goes 2nd. Rossi on an insane lap.
8:30 to go: Rossi goes 2nd. point 7 of a second behind Stoner.
Everybody has stepped up the pace now, all bikes going quicker. All still on full wets.
BSB lap times are 1:32.8'ish Current best time is 1:38.869 on a wet track.
6 to go:
Sto
Ros
Edw
Ver
Dov
Wes
Ped
Hay
DeA
5:30 to go: Rossi and Stoner both on flying laps. Rossi doesn't do any better
4:55 Hayden goes 2nd!
4:41 Stoner inmpoves his time again 1:38.783
Spies was up in the first split but lost it badly in the next.
Toseland struggling for some reason, down to 13th.
2:53 Stoner faster again by 2 hundredths.
2:25 Rossi on another flyer.....2:05 Rossi takes 2nd
1:58 Toseland crashes but re-mounts
1:0 to go Toseland down again coming out of Starkies. Probably 100mph plus. Walks away.
After clock stops: Vermulen takes 2nd. Stoner goes even faster. Rossi takes 2nd.
Grid:
Stoner
Rossi
Vermulen
Hayden
Edwards
Dovizioso
West
Spies
Pedrossa
Nakano
Hopkins
Guintoli
DeAngelis
DePunier
Melandri
Toseland
Lorenzo
Elias
What a ride from Spies, ride of the day for me. He says he has been forced to slide in the wet which has made him feel more comfortable on it. The bike is hard to compare with his usual ride. He thinks he can get top 10 if it rains.
What a shame for Toseland at his home GP, there has been such a build up to it, everyone hoping to see him get a podium. This is his worst qualifying to date at 16th.
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