The simple pleasures of racing

[patnicholls]

This is a straightforward thread.

It's about what bike racing is best at - great racing and nothing more. All posts about anything other than great races don't belong in this thread.

I'll start with a toast to one of the best circuits on the MotoGP calendar, Catalunya, and a quick highlights package of this year's race which was a corker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCNJXhUg23o

I'd also like to mention what must have been one of the great all-time races but was sadly before my time - the 1998 125cc race there. The first fourteen (yes!) riders across the line were covered by three seconds and the final point-scorer was just two seconds behind that, from motogp.com . Imagine that! :D

[The Phantom]

Excellent idea. I'll have a look at that footage later on.

One of the most memorable last laps I ever saw was Fogarty vs Corser at Phillip Island, Race 2, 1999 - the two factory Ducatis going toe to toe the whole way around.

http://www.troycorser.com/news99/images/img11au.jpg

http://www.troycorser.com/news99/htm/au3.htm

[maxu05]

Watching Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards duke it out for the title was the best IMO, especially in the last race to decide the title.

[Corny]

walking at 9 o'clock in the morning to the circuit, being 2 KM's away and hearing the beasts getting started and warmed up:d aii aii

[neninja]

Watching Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards duke it out for the title was the best IMO, especially in the last race to decide the title.

I'll second that. The duels between Edwards and Bayliss that year were legendary.

[The Phantom]

I'll second that. The duels between Edwards and Bayliss that year were legendary.

+1 here too - I nearly threw that one in as my first contribution (oh yeah, there's plenty more :) )

I have the official hardcover SBK book from that season, here's some stats.

Valencia - Race 1 Bayliss, Race 2 Bayliss. Edwards 4th/3rd

Phillip Island - Race 1 Bayliss, Race 2 Bayliss. Edwards 2nd/2nd

Kyalami - Race 1 Bayliss, Race 2 Bayliss. Edwards 2nd/3rd

Sugo - Race 1 Edwards, Race 2 Tamada. Bayliss 5th/4th

Monza - Race 1 Bayliss, Race 2 Bayliss. Edwards 2nd/2nd

Silverstone - Race 1 Edwards, Race 2 Bayliss. Bayliss 5th in 1, Edwards 2nd in 2

Lausitz - Race 1 Bayliss, Race 2 Bayliss. Edwards 2nd/2nd

Misano - Race 1 Bayliss, Race 2 Bayliss. Edwards 2nd/2nd

Laguna - Race 1 Bayliss (that one must have hurt!), Race 2 Edwards. Edwards 3rd in 1, Bayliss 2nd in 2

Brands - Race 1 Edwards, Race 2 Edwards. Bayliss 3rd/2nd (payback for Laguna as Brands is a second home for Bayliss)

Oschersleben - Race 1 Edwards, Race 2 Edwards. Bayliss 2nd/2nd

Assen - Race 1 Edwards, Race 2 Edwards. Bayliss 2nd/DNF lap 9

Imola - Race 1 Edwards, Race 2 Edwards. Bayliss 2nd/2nd (and this was probably the best WSB round in 20 years - hard but fair from both protagonists). An emphatic win by Edwards, who is still the only guy who's really capable of showing Bayliss the fast way around IMHO. MotoGP just doesn't suit him...

A cursory look through the other top finishers shows that Xaus was the guy who was usually keeping these two honest, followed by Haga, then Hodgson, and with one podium visit apiece from Toseland who was on a HM Plant Ducati and Chili who was on an NCR Ducati (interestingly both these guys got their podiums in Assen when both Bayliss and Xaus DNF'd).

Final point standings:

Edwards - 552
Bayliss - 541
Hodgson - 326
Haga - 278
Bostrom- 261
Xaus - 249

And just to show how consistency rewards punters - podiums for runners-up:

Xaus - 11 podiums (you have to wonder about team orders)
Hodgson - 7 podiums
Haga - 7 podiums
Bostrom/Toseland/Chili - 1 podium apiece

From the last page of the SBK section:

"The tension could be cut with a knife as the teams arrived at the legendary Imola circuit for the final round. Colin Edwards immediately laid his cards on the table with some incredible times through the practise sessions. It goes without saying that he started from pole position, while his title rival Bayliss was third behind team-mate Xaus. It was clear however that the battle was going to be between the two champions.

Edwards powered into the lead and stayed there until the race was stopped for oil on the track. Bayliss responded and picked up the win in the second part but the American was first on aggregate times. Third was Ruben Xaus who had tried in vain to catch the leading duo to give a hand to Troy.

Colin and Troy then put on a fantastic show for the almost 100, 000 spectators at the Santerno circuit in race 2. The Texan blasted into the lead, but Bayliss counterattacked with some superb passing moves. In the end, the win went to the Honda rider, one second ahead of Bayliss, but the title belonged to Edwards. The end of the race is a triumph that sees the two protagonists of the 2002 season together on the podium".

You couldn't have scripted it better if you'd tried :)