Nah its fine here :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisS
I think its great TB wants to stick around. He'll keep showing the young upstarts how its done, especially when he gets his hands on the 1098 ;) Gooo Troy .
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Nah its fine here :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisS
I think its great TB wants to stick around. He'll keep showing the young upstarts how its done, especially when he gets his hands on the 1098 ;) Gooo Troy .
Thank you for the welcome. It's great to finally be part of this forum.
Regarding Ben Spies and MotoGP, a feel he at least deserves a shot at a test. He's currently the best young racing talent here in the U.S. (my opinion), the defending AMA Superbike champ and possibly a back-to-back Superbike champ (if he can hold off Mat Mladin...which will be difficult at best). I'd just like to see what he is capable of. Given a test or two to get comfortable on a Suzuki MotoGP bike, I doubt he'd finish way behind everyone else. Maybe not top 10, but definitely not last.
Spies could go to World Superbike. But I don't know...I think if he can beat Mladin this year again, he proves what he can do on a Superbike.
Yes, having a sponsor with him would help to get a MotoGP ride. We'll see if that ever happens. I was hoping Spies would have been part of a Suzuki satellite team for '08 that was rumored earlier this year (Alstare, Aspar...take your pick) but looks unlikely now. After all, I believe MotoGP could use an increase on riders and teams on the gird, but that's another story.
I agree with you guys about some 250GP riders that could be just as good as Spies. Their knowledge of the tracks on the MotoGP alone gives them some advantage. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what Lorenzo, Dovisioso, and De Angelis, to name a few, can do when/if they get to the big show.
Well here's what we know about MotoGP season 2008.
Repsol Honda - Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa
Marlboro Ducati - Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri
Fiat / Fortuna Yamaha - Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo
Then on top of that Gresini are currently deciding between Toni Elias, Alex de Angeles, Andrea Dovizioso and James Toseland.
D'Antin Ducati have Alex Barros, Alex Hoffman, James Toseland and Toni Elias on speed dial.
Suzuki look like they want Chris Vermuelen and Loris Capirossi for next year, whether they get them both is in the air.
Kawasaki have John Hopkins and are chasing Loris Capirossi. Randy de Puniet may well stay there alongside is Capirex choses Suzuki.
Konica Minolta want two bikes next year. Shinya Nakano and James Toseland were said to be the riders but if they get two bikes the other one will probably be ridden by whoever Honda need to place so that could be Elias, Dovizioso etc.
Tech3 will keep Sylvain Guintoli (if he doesn't get a better offer) and their second rider will probably be the best guy left without a ride, ie Colin Edwards, Ant West etc.
Anyone else? Oh if their is a Aspar Suzuki team then Toni Elias or Alex de Angeles should be their top picks.
Great to see you back Matt!
Agreed - if you can beat Mladin on a Superbike you can probably run at the front of a WSB field with the right bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Gellar
Umm, ive heard Kawasaki are likely to run three bikes next year, so if Capirossi is going to Suzuki, then a likely Kawasaki three rider team would be Hopkins, DePuniet and West? No?Quote:
Originally Posted by mx311
Also, I think Ant has a great chance to show Randy up for the remainder of this year. Hes adapted very well to the Ninja and will only get quicker, (bar Laguna, as he doesnt know it) i think he's been impressive (watch out for him at Misano, where he won in WSS)..
Matt, its amazing how Ant's fortunes have changed since the last time you were around, what are your thoughts?
Cheers.
I wouldn't go as far as saying Kwak are likely to run three bikes but are considering it. Kawasaki ran three bikes in WSB and found it logistically too difficult so I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to stick with 2 factory bikes unless they can find someone willing to run a satellite team. Maybe Aspar if Zook can't come to the party?
As far as I can gather, this is what 2008 is looking like so far:
confirmed, likely
Repsol Honda: Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa
Gresini Honda: Andreas Dovizioso, James Toseland, Alex de Angeles
LCR: Carlos Chucka
JiR: Shinya Nakano
Fiat Yamaha: Valentino Rossi
Fortuna Yamaha: Jorge Lorenzo
Tech3 Yamaha: Colin Edwards, James Toseland, Sylvain Guintoli, Ant West
Rizla Suzuki: Chris Vermeulen, Loris Capirossi
Aspar Suzuki: Toni Elias, Ben Spies, Alex de Angeles
Monster Kawasaki: John Hopkins, Randy de Puniet, Ant West, Roger-Lee Hayden, Alex de Angeles
Ducati Corse: Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri
D'Antin Ducati: Alex Barros, Alex Hoffman, Sylvain Guintoli, Ant West, Andreas Dovizioso, Alex de Angeles
Pretty close i rekon, ill add some stuff..
LCR: Carlos Chucka, Ant West (Cecchinello wanted Ant for 250s in 2006, but he ended up moving all the resources of the team to GP with Stoner after Pons' team folded (Stoners option at that time.))
Rizla Suzuki: Chris Vermeulen, Loris Capirossi, Ben Spies
Aspar Suzuki: Toni Elias, Ben Spies, Alex de Angeles (team unlikely, more like 2009)
Monster Kawasaki: John Hopkins, Randy de Puniet, Ant West, Roger-Lee Hayden, Alex de Angeles, Loris Capirossi
Ducati Corse: Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri, Loris Capirossi (third bike)
There is a lot of 'third bike' talk (Ducati, Suzuki, Kawasaki) - is this down to the field being a teeny bit thin at 19 this year after Ilmor's departure and with the possible/probable departure of Team Roberts? (although Dorna want them in)
Let's hope they come to fruition, more competitive bikes is good. And the grids this year have been very close, with even Tech 3 in the mix more than I thought they would on the grid at least.
The Kawasaki one is a tough one - Randy has been very fast, particularly in qualifying, but has started crashing a little too much. Roger Lee put himself in the frame too but is probably an outsider - another season of AMA maybe. Ant is going well too, pretty consistant. Although if he hadn't gone off track at Donington in the wet, could have been a lot higher.
Certainly this weekend's chat puts Capirossi either staying at Ducati on a third bike or Suzuki rather than Team Green.
There is always talk of more bikes on the grid and it almost never happens. Why? Because the factory teams really struggle to run more that two bikes. Ever heard the old saying, "it takes four times the work to run two bikes, it takes ten times the work to run three."Quote:
Originally Posted by patnicholls
Team Roberts is interesting, from what I've heard if Gresini leave Honda then their two bikes will be offered to JiR and Team KR. I've also heard Team KR linked with running Kawasaki's. It would be a shame to lose them altogether. Running a customer bike may be the way to go. Shame though after last years performances.
Well from what I've heard if the Monster deal comes off then they have the say on who rides the Green (and black) machines in '08, so that's a big hello to Roger-Lee Hayden as Monster want two Americans. If Kawasaki are left to choose then I think failing signing a 'big name' rider then they'll stick with RdP, simply because they invested a lot in him. Again the old saying goes, "you can teach a fast rider to stop crashing".Quote:
Originally Posted by patnicholls