MotoGP qualifying Holland

[feejer222]

Conditions windy, but not as bad as Donington.

Stoner survived a major out of seat escapade yesterday.

Capirossi still not riding after a crash yesterday, has a flesh wound in his arm. Spies who is there, turned the ride down. He said that he feels he cannot compete and doesn't want to do any more GP's until he can do it on a level footing. He said he feels that he has learned enough to do well at Leguna. Paul Denning at Suzuki said that they were surprised and dissapointed that he turned the ride down.

Mistake???

Spies said that the bike was a little too crampt.

Paul Denning at the end of the interview thanked Randy Mamola for the great coverage that the Eurosport team have given the UK over the years.

(I Mentioned in another thread that they have been dropped by Dorna at the end of this year).

50 to go: Stoner holding Pole.

Camera following Stoner....he is another universe, he looks extremely fast and aggresive.

45 points between Stoner & Rossi....9 races to go......5 point difference between first & second. Is this weekend a pivotal race?

46 to go: Still Stoner.

Camera on Lorenzo doesn't look anywhere near as quick as Stoner.

46 to go: Hopkins slides off and runs back to the pits.

45 to go:

Sto

Ped

RdP

Hay

Ros

DeA

Nak

Edw

Tos

Current computer technology being tested allows teams to measure the angles of the track and the grip level then programe it into the bike!!

42 to go: Rossi goes 2nd.

Just watched Anthony West dragging his elbow...incredible! Goes 7th only point 4 of a second behind Rossi in 2nd.

Just heard West was on a qualifier....you could tell!

Vermulen took pole here last year, can only make 10th at the moment. This is the home track of his old WSBK team Tenkate.

36 to go:

Sto

Ros

Ped

RdP

Nak

DeA

Hay

Dov

Wes

Edw 11th Tose 12th

35 to go: Edwards up to 6th.

26 to go: Tose goes 7th.

24 to go: Edwards goes pole as the qualifying tyres come out.

Stoner goes out and comes back in shaking his head, they remove the front wheel.

22 to go: still Edwards.

DeAngelis bangs his tank as he gets baulked and wastes a qualifyer.

21 to go: still Edwards.

Randy Mamola gets the 2 Kawasaki riders mixed up and tells us that Anthony Hopkins is on a hot lap much to the amusement of the other commentaters.

20 to go: Rossi pole

19 to go:

Ros

Edw

Sto

RdP

Lor

Ped

Hay

Nak

DeA

18 to go: Stoner back out.

DeAngelis' front wheel bounces 3 times as he goes through the gears whilst changing direction over the kerbs through the chicane.

12 to go: Stoner back to pole

Mamola now asking if there is an actor called James Edwards? His new nick-name is Randolf Turpin

10 to go: Stoner from Rossi from Edwards from Hayden.

Stoner was booed on the podium at Donington by an element of the crowd. There has been much speculation in the press as to who it is as it's happened before. Staunch Rossi fans are the biggest suspect. He said it just makes his resolve stronger....certainly looks that way here he is riding like his pants are on fire.

8 to go: Rossi back out. Just in touch with Stoner on the first split......1 tenth away at the second split.....and does it!!! Rossi pole. 1:35.659

6 to go: Pedrossa now on a hot lap. Doesn't look as quick...goes third.

5 to go: Stoner back out with another tyre.

4:28 to go: Vermulen leap frogs up to 8th.

4:06 to go: Stoner faster on the first split by 1 tenth......5 hundredths at the second split......and takes pole 1:35.520

2:30 to go: Hopkins has a huge crash still down just showed crash in slo mo looked extremely fast. Bike is destroyed. Hopkins not moving.

1:13 to go: Rossi on a fast lap....now up on both first 2 splits......missed pole by .2 of a second

Chequered flag is out Lorenzo on a bad fast lap and stays at 7th.

Pedrossa still on a fast lap...has 1/4 of a second at the first split.......Goes 2nd by 3 hundredths of a second.

Grid:

Stoner

Pedrossa

Rossi

Hayden

DePuniet

Edwards

Lorenzo

Vermulen

Nakano

Guintoli

Dovizioso

DeAngelis

Toseland

Elias

Hopkins..............Broken ankle.

West

Melandri

 

[keithaba]

Wheeee!!! Fun read, thanks for the update. I can just hear the announcer's voice getting more intense as we near the final results.

 

[FZ/FJR Mike]

If the pack loses touch with Stoner in first 10 laps, bye bye. Great commentary. Thanks.

 

[squeezer]

What's up with Spies turning down that ride? That seems weird to me.

Great write up again, feejer. Thanks!

 

[GunMD]

What's up with Spies turning down that ride? That seems weird to me.
Great write up again, feejer. Thanks!

He was already behind the rest of the pack by missing so much practice time, AND he has MotoGP testing at Indy in one week. He didn't want to risk riding in what could be crappy, rainy conditions having had very little track time and have something happen that would jeopardize next week's event at Indy. Can't say I really blame him. You know he wanted to ride, but it takes some vision to walk away from it and protect your career from some horrific crash. Smart move, IMO.

 

[feejer222]

What's up with Spies turning down that ride? That seems weird to me.
Great write up again, feejer. Thanks!

Very strange, who in their right mind would refuse? Not sure its so smart Gun, these chances don't come too often. If the brass at Suzuki expected him to ride then it must have been realistic.

 

[GunMD]

Very strange, who in their right mind would refuse? Not sure its so smart Gun, these chances don't come too often. If the brass at Suzuki expected him to ride then it must have been realistic.

I don't know if I agree with you there, feej. :dntknw: I suspect that there is more going on behind the scenes than we know about between Ben and Suzuki IRT a MotoGP ride next year. I can't see Suzuki wanting to jeopardize Ben for a couple of reasons...one being next week's testing at Indy, the other being his domination in AMA this year. I can't really fault Ben for not wanting to risk what is essentially a guaranteed ride next year in GP (be it w/ Suzuki or someone else) over a race where he pretty much knew he couldn't finish higher than back-o-the-pack.

Besides, after watching Capirex and Hopper have mega get-offs I'm not sure I'd wanna ride either.

 

[BobbyBlue]

Thanks again Feej for the great play by play...you such a good dude, dude !

On the Spies un-ride, I see Guns point but I have to agree with Feej, If it was good for the Suzuki brass then why not ?

But as Gun said there is so much backstage stuff that we know zip about, who knows. I am still very surprrised at his lackluster performance last time out. I gotta admit to a little bias here. My grandparents ranch in Longview is a couple doors down from his digs and I've run into him on a couple occasions and he seems a bit aloof and not so friendly. I realize its not a personality contest..Pedrosa comes to mind, at least he makes enough to rent a personality you'd think, but I've met Shwantz and Brad Lackey and Howerton and Shobert and they were all really nice guys. Just my .02 cent.

Should be a great race if Casey doesnt run away at the start !

Bobby

 

[El Toro]

Hopkins has been shipped back to the States for his recuperation. Broken bones in ankle and leg. Knee problems as yet undiagnosed. He will be out for about a month if things go well. The crash was a low side slide at high speed. The bike was pretty much toast. Hopkins looked like toast too as he laid their in the gravel, but he was seen walking around later, even with the broken ankle and leg bones. They say he should immobilize the breaks for about 4 weeks. We'll see if he has the patience to sit out Laguna Seca. KIawasaki said they don't want him to come back until both the back injury AND the new injury are 100%.

I thought the biggest news other than Capirossi's and Hopkins' crashes was that in 2011 they will eliminate the 250 class in favor of a 600 class.

As for Spies, its a good call for him to pass on Assen. There are a lot of contractual issues in play. He's got nothing to gain from riding at Assen, and he has a lot to lose - including the sense of his potential value in Moto GP next year.

 

[feejer222]

Very strange, who in their right mind would refuse? Not sure its so smart Gun, these chances don't come too often. If the brass at Suzuki expected him to ride then it must have been realistic.

I don't know if I agree with you there, feej. :dntknw: I suspect that there is more going on behind the scenes than we know about between Ben and Suzuki IRT a MotoGP ride next year. I can't see Suzuki wanting to jeopardize Ben for a couple of reasons...one being next week's testing at Indy, the other being his domination in AMA this year. I can't really fault Ben for not wanting to risk what is essentially a guaranteed ride next year in GP (be it w/ Suzuki or someone else) over a race where he pretty much knew he couldn't finish higher than back-o-the-pack.

Besides, after watching Capirex and Hopper have mega get-offs I'm not sure I'd wanna ride either.

In retrospect you are probably right he had no practice there really and would have been in at the deep end. A sensible decision, lets hope Suzuki rcognise his thinking.

 

[FZ/FJR Mike]

Orientals aren't always tuned into Western logic. I've read Spies' pre-MotoGP contract demands are quite high as he's asking right now. Sure hope this doesn't sour his chances for 09.

 

[El Toro]

The Hopkins crash was at 230 kph (about 144 mph). Its his left foot (shifter foot) that's messed up. Maybe he could get Kawasaki to let him ride an AE .