DesmoDork
July 26th, 2005, 02:47 AM
Did anyone see the MotoGP this past Sunday? I turned on the Tivo but could only see water! A total contrast to the sweltering Sunday we spent at Thunderhill...but at least we didn't have to chase Valentino around... :bow
Annie
July 26th, 2005, 10:06 AM
Of course we watched it! Aside from uploading all pics and posting on the forum after getting home from Thunderhill, watching the GP race was one of our top priorities! Alex doesn't like rain races - boring according to him. It might have been somewhat less exciting, but for some reason I found it rather amusing watching the fallen riders roll around in the mud :).
Colin
July 26th, 2005, 10:51 AM
I just saw it last night....I can't believe in England, where it rains a lot, they don't have better shelter for he cameras....nothing like trying to watch a race through the distortion of a lens covered in water...
I'm generally disappointed when I see a wet race, but they do have some entertainment value, often with different players riding up front than usual.
When can we start a thread w/spoilers?
DesmoDork
July 26th, 2005, 11:30 AM
Because the speeds are so much lower, I agree that they are a bit less thrilling but as you say Annie, it is still entertaining watching the slip-and-slide! Bike control can still be appreciated.
I totally agree with you Colin. Not being able to see the race because the camera lens is soaked is a joke on the island of rain!
Alex
July 26th, 2005, 02:31 PM
It's Tuesday; time for spoilers...
*** RACE SPOILER DISCUSSION BELOW ***
I was almost rooting for Sete to not screw up, but it was destined to be. So Rossi now has approximately double the championship points of the next rider, with quite a few races left in the season. He's more dominating (in every way) than when Schumacher was unbeatable in F1 the past few years. Will it get boring to watch as he cleans up race after race, or is motogp inherently more exciting to watch, even if the final race outcome is reasonably predictable?
Colin
July 26th, 2005, 06:52 PM
********** SPOILER BELOW ******************
Sete got a good start, I thought he might have a chance....then Hopkins made some good time....and Edwards....but I always knew in the back of my mind that Rossi would pull out the win.
The WAY he did it was amazing, though not surprising. Pulling 2s faster per lap for the last few laps to win by such a large margin was a clinic on domination. He made some mistakes in the race, so he's not infallible. But he stayed on the bike, learned from the mistakes, and crushed the field.
Kenny Jr. seems to kind of do well in the rain...he's clearly skilled, just needs a better bike. I chuckled when the commentator said "Kenny seems to do just well enough at a race or two to keep a factory ride."
It's sometimes frustrating to know that Rossi will likely win every race, and will certainly podium and have no challenge for the championship. But it's also fun to watch a master at work. Kind of like Jordon or Gretzky at their best. Predictable? Yes....but someday we'll be able to say we saw Rossi in his prime.
I do think m/c racing is inherently more interesting than F1. The cars just don't have much opportunity to pass, and with pitstops, it's often hard to tell who's in the lead. And they're sooo far removed from anything I could ever own.
DesmoDork
July 27th, 2005, 03:26 PM
It does diminish the race a bit to have a rider who can just pull away at will...I want to say that I enjoy watching such a great rider in action but the reality is that I really enjoy the battles. The lone rider out front does not make for good racing (Troy Corser in WSB for example).
Maybe Ducati will buy out Rossi from Yamaha? That would liven things up a bit. :D
Scott McC
July 27th, 2005, 11:44 PM
Very Interesting!
I love racing in the rain (well cars anyway...) but would probably need diapers on a bike! (FYI, I've been told that "real" motorcycle rain racing tires are a revelation and I hope to try them someday, but on a what??
I'm thinking an Aprilia RS250 (2-stroke) would be my first choice AFTER the XR100 Honda on a wet muddy Rodeo Rink during an American SuperCamps School "YAHOO!!!" (LET'S MAKE A MSMC GROUP EVENT AT SUPERCAMPS IN CALISTOGA OR SANTA ROSA!!! "REALLY!") :crazy
Cheers!
Scott McC
PS If Rossi is so dominant, why was he so "average" at Laguna (by comparison)?? :idunno