I agree with Stoner

[Chucaro]

It was very bad for the marshalls favouring Valentino Rossi (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/04/3181361.htm'section=justin)to try to restart the bikes. Only one marshall helped Stoner :mad:

This is not the first time that it happens and not only to Stoner. I guess that something have to be done.:mad:

[klappers]

yes.. poor form... condsidering how the crash happened

[wardy1]

This whole episode was a disgrace from what I saw. I'm not an avid watcher of the sport but hey, fair is fair

[slug_burner]

No assistance after a crash, if you can pick up your bike and get it started fair enough but if a marshall helps you then no restart should be allowed. That would fix the issue of playing favourites.

[TerryO]

The crash was just a racing incident, nothing more nothing less. Nothing sinister in what happened.

Marshals and flaggies at both the WSBK and MotoGP championship events all around the world are all volunteers and in that part of the world Rossi is god so I'm not surprised at what they did or in this case didn't do.

Would this type of behaviour with Aussie flaggies happen here? ...Nope!

cheers,
Terry

[ADMIRAL]

I think there will be steam coming out of Rossi's ears when he has time to digest what Casey said to him in the pits. The relationship between them will certainly be no better. Ironic considering Rossi's comments about the problems Casey had in the last year or so, riding the Ducati. Now he has had first hand experience.

[Redback]

Yep as Terry has said, It's not like he did it on purpose and he apoligised after the race which shows he knew he had made a mistake and was truely sorry about it, it's racing and it is for a world title, was Casey right in being angry, yes he was.

This happens all the time, Mick Doohan did the same thing to Kevin Schwantz, it happens, you just move on to the next race.

Baz.

[Chucaro]

Yep as Terry has said, It's not like he did it on purpose and he apoligised after the race which shows he knew he had made a mistake and was truely sorry about it, it's racing and it is for a world title, was Casey right in being angry, yes he was.

This happens all the time, Mick Doohan did the same thing to Kevin Schwantz, it happens, you just move on to the next race.

Baz.

It is not about Rossi mistake, is about the marshalls help Rosi and not Stoner which is wrong.

[Redback]

It is not about Rossi mistake, is about the marshalls help Rosi and not Stoner which is wrong.

Yes and it will happen again, as he is MotoGP at the moment, when he was out with an injury, crowds dropped 40%, they love him and will do anything to help him, it's happened before, it's just that it's Stoner this time.

I watched the race last night, yes they didn't help him first up, but they did eventually, but the bike wouldn't start once they did help him.

Just how it is, he's lucky it was Spain and not Italy;)

Baz.

[adam big lad disco]

Hi i know most of you guys will hate me for this? i'm a huge moto gp fan and all i can say it couldn't have hapened to a better bloke as for as I'M concerned Stacey Moner cry's about everything :wasntme: it's racing at the end of the day get over it! If it was at p island it prob happen again as rossi is loved every where in the world he has the biggest fan base by far!

Rossi has made the moto gp scene what it is today and with out him it wouldn't be waht it is today! FACT:D

Thanks Adam

[PAT303]

Rossi had it over everyone until Stoner arrived.Casey Stoner isn't bowled over by Rossi and Rossi knows that only too well,Rossi was the one to break during thier title fight a few years back and Rossi is in trouble at Ducati and Stoner is on fire at Honda,a bike that last year was nowhere.Not being able to re-start would fix this problem and Rossi will be fuming over Stoners on screen jibe,the fact he was very calm while he said it would worry him the most. Pat

[BigJon]

I don't know a thing about Moto GP and I am not at all interested. Having said that, if track marshals are giving different levels of help to different riders then there is definitely something wrong with the entire setup.

[adam big lad disco]

Stoner is no where near the rider rossi is now and never will be if i remember a few years back when stacey won the ducati actually had a bigger engine then all of the over bikes! When stacey has won 9 world championships beat every record there is to beat then he can say what he said on sunday but untill then which will be never i think he should just lighten up and crack a smile the miserable **** :D:p

The Honda is the best bike on the track at the moment but stacey can only win racers when he is out front which is BORING! as soon as there is anyone one behind him pressuring him he cracks and falls off!

[ScottW]

Stoner is no where near the rider rossi is now and never will be if i remember a few years back when stacey won the ducati actually had a bigger engine then all of the over bikes! When stacey has won 9 world championships beat every record there is to beat then he can say what he said on sunday but untill then which will be never i think he should just lighten up and crack a smile the miserable **** :D:p

The Honda is the best bike on the track at the moment but stacey can only win racers when he is out front which is BORING! as soon as there is anyone one behind him pressuring him he cracks and falls off!

Lol, Rossi fanboi much?

[640Newton]

The whole episode highlights how stupid Stoner really is. His statement to Rossi that "his ambition outweighed his ability" is the most uneducated insult I've heard in years. It is the equivalent of a one-hit wonder boxer telling Ali that he's nothing special or a first division player telling Pele that he's not that good at football.

Whether people like it or not, Rossi is the Pele or Ali equivalent in MotoGP and that is something that Stoner will never be. It was an ill-advised insult that shows a complete lack of respect from a one-hit wonder who managed to get his solitary championship on a superior bike.

[BigJon]

It was an ill-advised insult that shows a complete lack of respect from a one-hit wonder who managed to get his solitary championship on a superior bike.

Which is still one more championship than anyone here....

[vnx205]

.... ..... ....... ......
i remember a few years back when stacey won the ducati actually had a bigger engine then all of the over bikes!
.... ....... ........


Your one-eyed enthusiasm for Rossi seems to have clouded your memory.

Unless of course, Stoner managed to ignore the rule change that had taken place before the 2007 series.

This source seems to suggest that he rode a legal bike in 2007. In other words, he had the same size engine as his opponents.

Ducati Desmosedici - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Ducati_Desmosedici_GP8_at_EICMA_2008.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Ducati Desmosedici GP8 at EICMA 2008.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Ducati_Desmosedici_GP8_at_EICMA_2008.jpg/250px-Ducati_Desmosedici_GP8_at_EICMA_2008.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/9/98/Ducati_Desmosedici_GP8_at_EICMA_2008.jpg/250px-Ducati_Desmosedici_GP8_at_EICMA_2008.jpg

For 2007, MotoGP rules were changed to cap motors to a maximum displacement of 800 cc. In response, Ducati built the GP7. Its specifications were: 800 cc bike, double L-Twin motor (4 Cylinder Twin Pulse), approximately 168 kW (225 hp) at 19000 rpm and a greater than 330 km/h top speed (Confirmed 337.2 km/h (209.6 mph))
.... .... ....
Further testing of the GP7 in Motegi, Japan, revealed that the 800 cc machine could run faster laps than the higher-displacement 990 cc bikes, and held nearly a second advantage over the next fastest 800 cc bike, a Honda ridden by Dani Pedrosa.

MotoGP's 800 cc era officially began with the first race of the 2007 MotoGP season, at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Casey Stoner won the race on the new GP7.
.... .. .... .....
Stoner and his Bridgestone-shod Ducati proved to be the top combination in MotoGP and he won the world championship at Motegi, Japan, on September 23, 2007, four races before the end of the season.

[vnx205]

The whole episode highlights how stupid Stoner really is. His statement to Rossi that "his ambition outweighed his ability" is the most uneducated insult I've heard in years. It is the equivalent of a one-hit wonder boxer telling Ali that he's nothing special or a first division player telling Pele that he's not that good at football.

No it is not!
Stoner was not commenting on his career performance.
He was commenting on a single incident.
Rossi tried an overtaking move and was not able to bring it off successfully.
That looks to me as if on that occasion his ambition outweighed his ability.
Even Ali and Pele probably made uncharacteristic mistakes during their lifetime.


Whether people like it or not, Rossi is the Pele or Ali equivalent in MotoGP and that is something that Stoner will never be. It was an ill-advised insult that shows a complete lack of respect from a one-hit wonder who managed to get his solitary championship on a superior bike.

Some people here seem very keen to condemn Stoner and make generalised comments about his talent, yet they want to deny Stoner the right to point out to Rossi that he had tried something that he wasn't good enough to complete.

I suggest that Stoner may be reasonably qualified to judge Rossi's execution of that overtaking move. Very few of us have the same level of qualifications to judge Stoner's talent.

[adam big lad disco]

whoops sorry i thought that rule came in for the 2008 moto gp sorry.

I agree Stacey moaner is a very fast rider and a very talented rider but he is no wher near the class of Rossi!

He just needs to stop crying about everything and just race! If he had his way moto gp would be very boring race to watch it's people like rossi lorenzo speeds that make it fun to watch!

Thanks Adam

[ashhhhh]

I think they are a very evenly matched pair and they are both douche bags!
Stoner is a whinger and Rossi has a huge head.

As stated, its just racing.
Fun to watch and even better when there are some personality clashes. :cool:

[TerryO]

This kind of conflict is exctly what the MotoGP paddock needs to build interest back in it as it is slowly heading into a no mans wasteland as WSBK gains in strength each year.

No one can truely deny that Stoner is a real talent, whether or not by the end of his racing career he has as many championships under his belt as Rossi only time will tell. Right now I wouldn't right him off as a one hit wonder, nor do I think Rossi has won his last championship.

There needs to be another couple of high profile riders come along and beat Rossi before he retires or the MotoGP championship will be in massive trouble when he leaves.

This is what happens when one man becomes bigger then a sport / championship, its good while its works but when the star loses his appeal it is hard for the sport to recover. Especially when there is a series like WSBK that is gaining momentum and no longer lives in the shadow of the MotoGP.

The single biggest mistake the FIM noddies made was allowing Rossi to keep his own race number when he won all those world championships. What they did by this was say that the Number ONE plate was not important or something to aspire to and that is just plain stupid.

cheers,
Terry

[CraigE]

This kind of conflict is exctly what the MotoGP paddock needs to build interest back in it as it is slowly heading into a no mans wasteland as WSBK gains in strength each year.

No one can truely deny that Stoner is a real talent, whether or not by the end of his racing career he has as many championships under his belt as Rossi only time will tell. Right now I wouldn't right him off as a one hit wonder, nor do I think Rossi has won his last championship.

There needs to be another couple of high profile riders come along and beat Rossi before he retires or the MotoGP championship will be in massive trouble when he leaves.

This is what happens when one man becomes bigger then a sport / championship, its good while its works but when the star loses his appeal it is hard for the sport to recover. Especially when there is a series like WSBK that is gaining momentum and no longer lives in the shadow of the MotoGP.

The single biggest mistake the FIM noddies made was allowing Rossi to keep his own race number when he won all those world championships. What they did by this was say that the Number ONE plate was not important or something to aspire to and that is just plain stupid.

cheers,
Terry
Terry,
I prefer WSBK anyway as they have at least some resemblance of bikes you can buy.
As for the number 1 plate that is pretty much rubbish, we all know who is the current champion and the number 1 is just a formality. Under most motor sport regs you do not have to display the number 1. Many many motor sport champions have kept their normal racing number as it has more benefit with no detriment. Rossi, Lowndes, Brrock to name a few.
The reason MotoGP is beocming a farce is not because of the race, but because only 3 or 4 teams are competitive same as F1. Not for a minute denying Rossi, Stoner etc are great riders they are.
The only time either of these are interesting is when the top drivers/riders crash and some competition occurs.

[jerryd]

Slightly off topic but I think Moto 2 is much more interesting to watch with some real racing.

The marshalls did seem to favor Rossi though.

[PAT303]

whoops sorry i thought that rule came in for the 2008 moto gp sorry.

I agree Stacey moaner is a very fast rider and a very talented rider but he is no wher near the class of Rossi!

He just needs to stop crying about everything and just race! If he had his way moto gp would be very boring race to watch it's people like rossi lorenzo speeds that make it fun to watch!

Thanks Adam

Yeh mate,Stoner like Mark Webber wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth yet both are in the top stop in thier sports,both are journymen who's parents morgaged thier houses to get them there and both are there because of hard work and raw talent.Rossi is a good rider but I wonder how far he would have got without a one G Burgess engineering his bike for all his Moto GP career,the best engineer of the modern era.I find it sad that you and many others like you,people that have achieved nothing are so quick to bag out Australians that reach the pinacle of thier chosen sport without any help from Australia and without a famous name,I also find it funny that you find it insulting that Stoner gave Rossi a serve,that's called spark mate,not taking **** from anyone.Team owners like that in a rider and it would have put a grin on many of thier faces. Pat

[Chucaro]

It is interesting that only the riders take the credit for the results and no one give credit to Jeremy Burgess who to me is a legend and have abig share of the carrer of Mick and Valentino.
Do not get me wrong Valentino is a great rider but I would like to see how he perform without Jeremy Burgess in the garage.

[CraigE]

It is interesting that only the riders take the credit for the results and no one give credit to Jeremy Burgess who to me is a legend and have abig share of the carrer of Mick and Valentino.
Do not get me wrong Valentino is a great rider but I would like to see how he perform without Jeremy Burgess in the garage.
Bang on, Burgess is a large part of the success of these riders and their teams. Having said that the riders still can ride and would have accomplished good results with any of the lead teams, maybe not as much as they have, but would have still had success.
Look I like Rossi and Stoner, but IMHO the Marshalls should be directed to assist the person caught up in any incident first, not the person who has caused th incident.
Even for a talent like Rossi the move he made was never going to stick in those conditions.

[vnx205]

A few minutes ago on "RPM", Mick Doohan commented that Stoner's remark was a fair enough assessment of Rossi's prang. Rossi tried something and wasn't quite good enough to bring it off.

[Clarkey]

i agree with stoner but an easy fix is fit the bike with a starter

[adam big lad disco]

Yeh mate,Stoner like Mark Webber wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth yet both are in the top stop in thier sports,both are journymen who's parents morgaged thier houses to get them there and both are there because of hard work and raw talent.Rossi is a good rider but I wonder how far he would have got without a one G Burgess engineering his bike for all his Moto GP career,the best engineer of the modern era.I find it sad that you and many others like you,people that have achieved nothing are so quick to bag out Australians that reach the pinacle of thier chosen sport without any help from Australia and without a famous name,I also find it funny that you find it insulting that Stoner gave Rossi a serve,that's called spark mate,not taking **** from anyone.Team owners like that in a rider and it would have put a grin on many of thier faces. Pat

Hey mate where do you get that i bagged austrailians out i love webber as a racer if he doesn't win the race he doesn't crack the s@#ts and make up some **** weak excuse up like Stacey! i might have been born in england but i'm proud to be in australia!! :twisted::twisted:

And as for as people like me what is that suppose to mean you do not know anything about me as for as you know i could be part owner of a international buisness!!!!!!!:twisted::p:twisted:

Also burgess is fantastic and prob one of the best but do you reckon he would move from one team to another if he didn't think Rossi was good enough!

And when i watched the race the marshalls had to push rossi first because he was one trapped under his bike two in front of stoner! thaey can't push stoner through Rossi!!!!!

Thanks Adam

[klappers]

Hey mate where do you get that i bagged austrailians out i love webber as a racer if he doesn't win the race he doesn't crack the s@#ts and make up some **** weak excuse up like Stacey! i might have been born in england but i'm proud to be in australia!! :twisted::twisted:

And as for as people like me what is that suppose to mean you do not know anything about me as for as you know i could be part owner of a international buisness!!!!!!!:twisted::p:twisted:

Also burgess is fantastic and prob one of the best but do you reckon he would move from one team to another if he didn't think Rossi was good enough!

And when i watched the race the marshalls had to push rossi first because he was one trapped under his bike two in front of stoner! thaey can't push stoner through Rossi!!!!!
Thanks Adam


Well this is true, but they can always go around. There is no way that what Rossi was doing was going to work. Not possible, to wet completely wrong angle. There was no racing etiquette in that move. To me that looks like boderline take down. But hey.. wtf would I know.. lol. :angel:

[rick130]

I can't believe I'm about to fuel this, I've stayed out of it on the couple of bike forums I'm on.....

First up, a straight racing accident, but something you'd more likely see at a club day, not from one of the greats.

To me it shows he's really feeling the pressure, from the Italian media in particular.

After bagging Casey quite a number of times over the last few years, and JB saying they'd have the bike sorted in 80 seconds or whatever he quipped, I think they have a new found appreciation for how clever Mr Stoner is to get that bloody thing around a track.

Secondly, the big issue with the marshals isn't so much that they flocked to Vale, more that they left a bike and rider near the racing line !

They did try to push start Casey, but most gave up very quickly and just walked away and left him with just one poor bugger pushing uphill and on the track ! WTF ?

Thirdly, that comeback from Casey, even if rehearsed was a ripper, as that's exactly what the move was, ambition overcoming talent.

For the life of me I can't understand the 'fan bois' getting upset about Caseys quip, Vale's a man, he makes mistakes, he isn't God (really, he isn't ;) )

If I was in the same boat I wouldn't give a rats who you are, if you did that to me I'd say something the same (and have done when taken out)
It was a rookie error in those conditions, another corner or two and Rossi would have had him anyway.
The Honda boys were in conserve mode looking after their rubber, you only needed to look at tyres at the end of the race, most, including Haydon's and Rossi's were toast, the Honda's were much better.

The kids that have only seen the Vale era should've been around when Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz, McGee, et al were carving each other up, or earlier still Barry Sheen and Eddie Lawson. (who I wish I had seen race)

Can you imagine any of them not fuming ?
It would have been fists behind the tent afterwards, guaranteed :D

[rick130]

From a poster on a MotoGP forum quoting from several articles.
For some reason Stoner hasn't been given his due in how clever he is at getting the most out of these beasts, and everyone has been quick to jump on him when he lost the Duc front end, yet there were only a few times over the years his team-mates could get close to him in outright speed.
A couple of UK posters in several forums say that the UK media in particular have been relentless in bagging or belittling his triumphs and playing up his offs.
Apparently the Continental (except maybe the Italians) and US media are much more balanced, obviously parochialism discounts adding the Oz bike media's slant. :D


Dovi's (selected) comments:
I saw Stoner's telemetry, and his throttle control is incredibly delicate. He also uses very little traction control."
Is it any wonder that Stoner got a bit testy in '07 when every commentator and his dog was calling it that it was the Duc electronics, with phrases like: 'the playstation kid', 'the king of t/c', 'whacks the throttle open and lets the electronics do the rest' etc.?

Capirex's (selected) comments:
Looking at Stoner's telemetry with the Ducati, you can understand that he rides it very well, but it's also true that his style cannot be replicated; he really uses the rear brake a lot, and he's applying a lot of pressure on it in situations where it's difficult to do so. In situations where I'm not able to do the same. On the contrary, he is very smooth on the front brake, using constant pressure with it."
However, it's Rossi's comments only about four weeks apart that I find most interesting: in the famous 'Chiambretti Night' interview, Rossi somewhat jokingly said of Stoner that:
He is a madman, who often repeat the same mistakes."
I'm not having a go at Rossi, but to me this latest comment of:
"Casey is very good at opening the throttle and straightening up the bike, but I understood this without looking at the telemetry. This is something that, especially with the spec tires which give less performance, is important for going fast. It's a trick, but it's a difficult one that Casey knows how to do pretty well. It's also important because riding like that puts the bike in less trouble, so we may need to learn it..."
is indicative that he has been on the steepest learning curve of his career probably since first jumping on a 500.. and fair dues to him, I think that his latest comment about Stoner is as close as any rider could be asked to admitting that maybe he has been a bit less than generous to Stoner in the past in his public assessment of Stoner's abilities. A long time ago on this forum I said that I could see the day -when they are no longer active competitiors - that Rossi and Stoner will be able to sit down and share laughs as two old warriors with mutual respect, and I remain so convinced.Rossi: "Hoping for better" (http://gpone.com/index.php/en/slider/3286-rossi-qspero-vada-meglio-di-losailq.html)

Stoner's secret? "He doesn't lean" (http://gpone.com/index.php/en/news/35-in-evidenza/3287-il-segreto-di-stoner-qlui-non-piegaq.html)

[rick130]

From this months AMN


On leaving Ducati

Basically indicated he really struggled with the PR obligations - "I got really worn out by it all. It was the complete opposite of the life I had dreamed of."

"It wasn't riding the Ducati or Valentino talking to Ducati that made me change....it was the Lorenzo thing in 2009 that annoyed me. Ducati are always crying about how they haven't got enough money, then they offered Lorenzo more than double what I was on. They're two faced. The people I actually work with- Felipe Preziosi and the guys who worked on the bikes - were brilliant, but the bosses tell you one thing and do another."

On the Honda

"The Honda turns much better that my lines are now totally different", he smiles. "There's a couple of points where the Ducati feels better than the Honda but there's a lot of points where the Honda feels a lot better than the Ducati."

On Traction Control and power delivery

Not a fan of TC and clearly enjoying that he is now getting public recognition as being a rider that uses less than others.

On power delivery - "When I first rode the Honda we used the other guys settings during the first exits and for me the engine was way too dull, too smooth. It would just slowly come on, so we reduced that over the next runs, then we went too far and the thing was really aggressive, so we whacked it back one step and we've been happy with it since."


Burgess

"All this talk about an advanced seamless gearbox will not be the reason Honda will win races. I can tell you you would be a mug to think that the Yamaha YZR-M1 gearbox is not something special. If anyone thinks Honda now has cutting edge technology it might be because they have come from behind. Yamaha has a very smooth, advanced system. I know how it works and have been privy to the inside of some of the trick F1 gearboxes with the top teams. Seamless shifting is not an engineering marvel. You might save one hendretdth of a second, and that's only on an upshift, although it is nice feeling for the rider."

[p38arover]

The kids that have only seen the Vale era should've been around when Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz, McGee, et al were carving each other up, or earlier still Barry Sheen and Eddie Lawson. (who I wish I had seen race)

I am watching on pay TV, the first episode of Best Bike Battles. This was the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island in 1989. What a top race between Wayne Gardner, Wayne Rainey, Christian Sarron, and Kevin Magee. The lead swapping multiple times on each lap is brilliant to behold.

I've programmed the IQ box to record the next 10 episodes.

[p38arover]

I've just finished watching the 1989 race and during it Freddie Spencer dropped his bike. The marshals helped him up then walked away even though he was asking for a push.

[rick130]

'89 would've been the race where Donna ran up the straight to Wayne at the finish, wasn't it Ron ?
Amazing race and not a dry eye in the house at the finish, Gardner raced on raw emotion IMO.

Just found this quote from Wayne Rainey regarding that race.

“Gardner ran into the back of me twice, and didn’t even notice. He was one of the sloppiest guys I ever raced – he reminded me of a bulldog on a bike. When he was on a good day, he could ride that thing right out of the saddle. He was a bit like Kevin, but more out of control. Not a thinking racer: he rode by the excitement of the crowd. If nobody was there I think he wouldn’t do much.”

Apparently back in the Barry Sheene era his big rivalry was with Kenny Roberts Snr and they really really didn't like each other, during or after their careers.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

"On power delivery - "When I first rode the Honda we used the other guys settings during the first exits and for me the engine was way too dull, too smooth. It would just slowly come on, so we reduced that over the next runs, then we went too far and the thing was really aggressive, so we whacked it back one step and we've been happy with it since."

This is similar to Doohan going with the Big Bang engine,,
they all (the rest) had to try it to keep up,, but not many could master it,,:cool::cool::cool:

[Pedro_The_Swift]

"Apparently back in the Barry Sheene era his big rivalry was with Kenny Roberts Snr and they really really didn't like each other, during or after their careers."

Literally stuff of Legends,,,

I dont think I saw Sheene take a backwards step ever,,

[p38arover]

'89 would've been the race where Donna ran up the straight to Wayne at the finish, wasn't it Ron ?

That wasn't shown but I think you are right.

Re Gardner running into Rainey, I didn't notice that so I will have to record it again (I deleted it last night) and watch again. A couple of times in that race Gardner had to stand the bike up in corners top avoid Rainey who came in underneath him. The commentator didn't mention any running into the back of Rainey.

Interesting that no one has commented on the Aussie marshals not helping Freddy Spencer.


Apparently back in the Barry Sheene era his big rivalry was with Kenny Roberts Snr and they really really didn't like each other, during or after their careers.

That wasn't obvious in the programme, "Champions" which I saw last week and which was about Kenny Roberts. Were Roberts and Sheene in the same team (both rode Yamaha) when Kenny retired from riding MotoGP?

Hopefully, the full race of Sheene vs Roberts in 1979 will be shown on Best Bike Battles.

On Barry's death:



Kenny Roberts, the former triple world 500cc motorcycling champion, led the tributes to his long-standing rival and friend Barry Sheene who died in hospital in Australia yesterday, aged 52, after an eight-month fight against cancer (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/09/14/smmott14.xml).

The racing duels between the two became part of sporting legend, particularly the incredible dicing for supremacy in the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Sheene, having nosed ahead, gave Roberts the v-sign as he pulled away, only for the American to have the last laugh and take victory.

"We were rivals, and I wouldn't have achieved what I did had it not have been for Barry - I simply did not want him to beat me at any time, and he felt the same way about me. He was a huge competitor who pulled no punches. He spoke what he believed, and that is what I liked about him.

"We were good friends, we went through an awful lot. I appreciated his abilities. In Britain there was never anyone else like him, and probably there never will be. He was a one-off, always good fun, and a great competitor."

In a tribute to Barry on his death, one fan wrote (item trimmed):



Mallory Park Clubhouse, race of the Year 1975. A crowd of us in the bar after Saturday practice talking bikes when in walks Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts. We invited them over and had one of the best nights I can ever remember talking bikes and drinking more than a few beers. How those two raced the next day is beyond me, I can't even remember now who won, but then again who cares?

Those two items don't seem consistent with people who disliked each other.

[p38arover]

Other quotes I've found:


"The sole reason I get up in the morning is to beat Barry Sheene."
Kenny Roberts on Barry Sheene.

"He couldn't develop a cold, never mind a motorcycle."
Barry Sheene on Kenny Roberts.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/features/i-love-the-70s/7014-2.html#ixzz1IymCjdoZ

[TerryO]

Terry,
I prefer WSBK anyway as they have at least some resemblance of bikes you can buy.
As for the number 1 plate that is pretty much rubbish, we all know who is the current champion and the number 1 is just a formality. Under most motor sport regs you do not have to display the number 1. Many many motor sport champions have kept their normal racing number as it has more benefit with no detriment.


Re the Number one plate not being important ...said like a true enthusiast who only looks at the sport from the inside out. Rather then from the perspective of a prospective convert looking at the sport from the outside in.

To grow or even maintain a following in any sport you need to attract new viewers and followers as people move on.

No sport has a serious future without being on TV as without it there are no sponsors and hardly no one gets to see the action no matter how good it is.

TV is everything in sport and retaining and attracting new viewers is the goal that has to be acheived for any chance of growth or continued success of the series. The more viewers the larger the potential sponsorship as any televised motorsport is just another form of advertising for most vehicle manufacturers and product suppliers.

I newbie watching racing for the first time on TV can't see who is the champion or who finished in the top ten without those bikes carrying the previous years top ten finishing order. In motorcycle racing in many championships they have taken the easy option of trying to build the sport based on personality rather then the actual competition itself.

This is extremely short sighted and when Rossi and his famous racing number leaves the MotoGP championship the series will be in serious trouble. That is unless Rossi spends a couple of seasons getting beaten and the number one plate once again has its status built back up again.

cheers,
Terry

[rick130]

I could have it wrong, Ron, my comment was based on a few comments I think I recall Barry saying during a telecast.

He had a lot of time for KRjnr, as he saw him a lot as young Kenny was growing up and I think he said he was nicer person than his old man.

Memory isn't quite what it used to be though :D

[rick130]

"On power delivery - "When I first rode the Honda we used the other guys settings during the first exits and for me the engine was way too dull, too smooth. It would just slowly come on, so we reduced that over the next runs, then we went too far and the thing was really aggressive, so we whacked it back one step and we've been happy with it since."

This is similar to Doohan going with the Big Bang engine,,
they all (the rest) had to try it to keep up,, but not many could master it,,:cool::cool::cool:

I thought it was the screamer that came on in a rush ?
The Big Bang has a softer power delivery ?
Or have I got it arse about ?

If anyone is interested there is some brilliant graphics on another forum showing the different crank throws for the current generation of engines when they are configured for either a Screamer or Big Bang configuration.

Apparently the 500cc riders (and I assume the current lot) took to helicopter flying like ducks to water as they had unbelievable control of the cyclic (I think) whereas Joe Public really struggled for the feel.

[rick130]

I've just finished watching the 1989 race and during it Freddie Spencer dropped his bike. The marshals helped him up then walked away even though he was asking for a push.

Was that still in the era of no outside assistance for starting ?
Can't remember, Ron.

My opinion is that the marshals are there to help remove the bikes and riders from danger, not to assist re-starting and if you are a racer don't expect them to.

Someone above mentioned 'just' adding a starter.
If it was written into the rules they would, but it would take a complete re-design of the crankcase to incorporate it, adding a larger battery somewhere and obviously be a bit of a nightmare (initially) in packaging it, not to mention the extra quite a few kg's (racers hate that)

It would increase costs (not that it would really be noticed in Honda's budget for example) but could be argued as need on safety grounds.

Having said that, a highly tuned race engine that's stinking hot and just been dropped and stalled could be a mongrel to start and it may not happen anyway.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

can you imagine the sponsors turning up for a photoshoot after they PAID this team to win them a World Championship,,

and the bike has 46 on it????

Rossi must have a lot of clout,,,


You only have a personel number if you are uncompetitive,,,
and,
competitive teams only care about ONE number.


Hey Rick,,
it might interest you to know our engine management system has a rollover
function---
dont ask me how I know this,,,

[CraigE]

Come on really?? Does not matter what form of racing it is, if not within the first 5 minutes of watching any broadcast, at least by the end of one race you would know who the championship leader is or who was last years winner. The #1 only really lets you know who the reigning champion is from the previous year. Most have some indication on their vehicles that they are the current champion, though it may not be the #1.
There are many variations of motor sport where the champion is not given a number 1 plate at all.
Anyone that has an interest in any of the disciplines will always do their homework a bit. As for the novice viewer, well they are usually only passing and fleeting supporters of any sport.
But hey if thats what it takes to get people interested, well who am I to judge.
:D:D

Re the Number one plate not being important ...said like a true enthusiast who only looks at the sport from the inside out. Rather then from the perspective of a prospective convert looking at the sport from the outside in.

To grow or even maintain a following in any sport you need to attract new viewers and followers as people move on.

No sport has a serious future without being on TV as without it there are no sponsors and hardly no one gets to see the action no matter how good it is.

TV is everything in sport and retaining and attracting new viewers is the goal that has to be acheived for any chance of growth or continued success of the series. The more viewers the larger the potential sponsorship as any televised motorsport is just another form of advertising for most vehicle manufacturers and product suppliers.

I newbie watching racing for the first time on TV can't see who is the champion or who finished in the top ten without those bikes carrying the previous years top ten finishing order. In motorcycle racing in many championships they have taken the easy option of trying to build the sport based on personality rather then the actual competition itself.

This is extremely short sighted and when Rossi and his famous racing number leaves the MotoGP championship the series will be in serious trouble. That is unless Rossi spends a couple of seasons getting beaten and the number one plate once again has its status built back up again.

cheers,
Terry