WSBK race 1 Qatar

[feejer222]

Biaggi 1st from Toseland then a 14 second gap to Lanzi in 3rd. Bayliss could only manage 5th and Corser 9th(?)

Great battle from lap 4 Biaggi & Tose cleared off and swopped paint upto last lap but one, when Biaggi opened up 1.5 seconds. He was tearful when he took off his lid.

Ex Moto GP rider, Biaggi's first ever WSBK race after a year without a ride because of political problems in the GP paddock. (Basically he is a pain to work with and no-one wanted him) He won the 250 GP title 4 years running.

Interesting tech point, only one of the exhausts on his Suzuki was flaming on over-run. Suzuki have gone to twin exhausts to accomodate all the cat converter crap on the K7, but on the track obviously this comes out. Possibly they have routed all exhaust gasses into one pipe but kept 2 so that the bike looks like the road bike.

Being Brit obviously I am rooting for James Toseland, how good would he have looked with a 14 second win if Biaggi had not moved over from the GP's? he looked sick on the rostrum.

Is anyone in the States interested in WSBK???...........is it televised much there?

Race 2 Toseland wins from Biaggi by just over a second :drinks:

 

[scubatech]

Hey there Feejer222, I enjoy WSB racing. I never miss a Moto GP by taping it as well as all of our AMA Superbike races. I try to catch as many WSB as I can. If it's not live were stuck with Tuesday only.Nascar brings in more dollars and viewers in the States. All motorcycle road racing is fun to me. I think Americans are still more car crazy overall.

 

[feejer222]

Hi Scubatech,

Bike racing has a huge following in the UK, so much so that we are hosting 3 rounds of the WSBK this year!!! You would never know it from the press though its hardly ever mentioned.

We have an anual sports-person of the year award every November organised by the BBC. Its been going 40 years or more and bikers hardly ever get a mention in the buildup, let alone win it, even when they are world champs. We have a couple of long standing world champions, in sidecar and trials (I think Lampkin won the world trials 7 consecutive years...correct me if I'm wrong).

My wife & I live for it, we have sponsored riders in the British superbikes for the last 5 years. (I like the tech stuff and I think she just likes fit young men in leather hehehe). We go to as many Brit meetings as we can and usually couple of Internationals evey year.

The best atmosphere is the WSBK round at Brands Hatch, a fantastic event, the one we look forward to every year. I would love to get to know more about AMA. It is screened here and I have watched it a lot over the years. I remember Nicky Hayden looking like quality in it. I would talk about the AMA riders and other Brit fans would say 'who?' I would say....just wait you will see.

Pity Hodge didnt get to grips with the AMA, he has no ride at all this year, lots of roumers about WSBK but nothing announced yet and we have already had a round.

Let me know your email if you want some pics of our lads.

Graham.

 

[scubatech]

Yes I'm really suprised he would be out of a ride this year. I was hopeing he could stay in A.M.A.

 

[feejer222]

I will keep you informed, lots of roumers flying around at the moment about a couple of Brit riders.

Did you get te pictures Scuba?

 

[scubatech]

Got them Graham, thanks.

Ken

 

[cougar8000]

It was a great race. Nice to see Biagii back in the saddle. Not sure what happened to Bailys.

 

[squeezer]

I love watching WSBK. Since it's usually tape delayed here, I rarely chat about it online. I put it on the DVR and watch 'em while I'm on our treadmill. I finally watched the second race yesterday.

That was a great opening meet. I'm pretty stoked about Philip Island. Just gotta believe that the Ducs will be mixing it up a bit better there like they did last year. And the Yamahas were so much better in race 2 than race 1 that you have to think they figured something out. I think I'll be rooting for the Yamahas this year just 'cause I ride one, but it would be great to see Toseland win and flash a smile at the Ducati pit. :yahoo:

Bike racing -- except perhaps for supercross -- barely blips the sports radar on this side of the pond. I keep hoping racing fans will eventually tune in. It doesn't take much to become an addict.

By the way, I think Hodge left everyone over here with the impression that he was a championship rider on a non-championship bike. At this point, I'm almost hoping he does a Biaggi -- sit out a year if he can't land a spot on a top team. Maybe Duc will come back to AMA next year and bring a seat for him again on a newer, more competitive machine.