Czech Republic MotoGP

[Rev004]

Well Boys & Gals the summer break is just about over the the boys and there two wheels with the Czech Republic MotoGP round kicking off this weekend and I spose the one thing that we will all be thinking is what will the next few rounds bring us.

The one sure thing is that this championship is far from over even though Rossi holds all the cards with a 25 point buffer with Stoner the next closest and if Rossi is to win the championship he will need to finish the year off better than the 07. If my memory serves me correctly Rossi will want to aviod a repeat of the last seven rounds last year as he only put himself on the podium twice to finish the year off. Rossi & Stoner will be the 2 to fight out the season and the only thing that can upset that is some badluck which may allow Pedrosa to become another statistic in this equation, but with him 41 points in the rears he will need something to go wrong with both Rossi and Stoner to be even allowed to get back into the running.

The one question that we will be wanting answered is did Rossi rattle Stoner good enough to have one the battle of the wills and given Stoners confidence a shake or has it fired Stoner up even more, well we are about to see what the Aussie is made of and I'm sure that we are in for one hell of a race to the championship so lets bring it on.

Well I've got my Money on Stoner again, so now it's open to you guys & gals whats your thoughts for the season end and who do you predict to take out the overall prize..

I think Stoner but I just want an Aussie to win and he's the only one capable at the moment Soooooooooooo Gooooooooo STONER :aussie

[jamie]

Well its going to be tough one for stoner but as long as he uses his head and dosnt repeat the US race i think he will take it ouy.Id love it to come down to the island and stoner take it out there.Ill be there to see that

[simmo]

Cool Stoner, Rossi & who will be 3rd ???? help me out Guys
I think Stoner will get his finger out for the next one and have a go.

[Rev004]

Yip good Question Simmo we will have to wait and see how qualifying goes as Hayden is out with a foot injury, Pedrosa is meant to be fighting fit, Lorenzo is also in good shape as well and last but not least John Hopkins is expected back this weekend as well.

Top 5 for 07 were Stoner, Hopkins, Hayden, Pedrosa & Vermeulin with Rossi finishing 7th.

I will Post the Qualifying results for you and you can go for life.

[busakid08]

Well if Stoner has stopped sulking he will prolly get up and get his flying computer in the lead again, hopefully Rossi will just try and piss him off even more and he will cry again lol
Go Rossiiieeeeeeeeeeee

[Rev]

Stoner could win it........if.............he keeps his trap shut & stops telling his rivals what he doesn't like............if I was Rossi I'd repeat the Laguna dose........(if I could get near him )

[Astro]

I think Rossi's strengths are outstanding riding skills (obviously), he enjoys what he does, is relatively fearless and a master at finding and attacking a rivals weaknesses. His weakness so far have been that the Ducati is probably the superior bike (by a smidge) and he couldn't find a way to rattle Stoner. I reckon he just stopped enjoying himself and lost his edge.

In the last round Rossi found out what you need to do to get past Stoner. Now he'll pick at him and just keep on doing whatever is needed to be the one in front. He'll start enjoying the game as much as the race and that will put the fire back in his belly. He'll either take it out... or wipe himself out.

As an Aussie, I'd like to see Stoner take it again, but Rossi is my sentimental favorite. So, I'd have to say that I'd be happy if either of them wins it this year.

[Ruffy]

Rossi's bike - from scratch!

I wouldn't have the patience for it


http://www.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=5933


Ruffy

[Madmax]

Rossi's bike - from scratch!

I wouldn't have the patience for it


http://www.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=5933


Ruffy

What a labour of love that would have to be. Just flicking through the building of it. Did you see the chain??? Strewth!!

Thank God someone else did it - looked like Japanese to me


Max

[Rev004]

MotoGP 2008 - Round 12 - Brno (Czech Republic)

With batteries recharged after three weekends of no racing action, MotoGP makes a welcome return in Brno where the fierce battle for this yearâ€s thrilling championship will recommence.

Brno is the second most visited city in premier class history with a total of 31 events held since 1965. 11 races were held on the old road course which was used until 1977. After a ten-year break, a new-look 5.4km Brno circuit was introduced to the championship, where, with the sole exception of the 1992 season, it has remained ever since.

The track has been resurfaced for this yearâ€s event, which will offer tyre manufacturers a new challenge, but Bridgestone can draw from several seasons of success at the Czech track. Loris Capirossi was victorious for Ducati in 2006, taking pole position and the fastest lap of the race, while Casey Stoner repeated the feat one year later, leading a Bridgestone 1-2 with John Hopkins taking a career-best second place for Suzuki.

Bridgestone heads into the final third of the season with two of its riders at the head of the championship classification. Valentino Rossiâ€s win in Laguna Seca extended his lead of the series to 212 points, while Casey Stoner continued his championship revival to claim second in the table.

Hiroshi Yamada - Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit

“Brno is a track that has been quite favourable for Bridgestone in recent years, and we have celebrated victory there for the previous two seasons with the Ducati team, first with Loris Capirossi in 2006 and again last year with Casey Stoner. We have two very formidable riders at the top of the table with Valentino and Casey, but there are still 175 points available over the next seven races, so the championship is far from over. This weekendâ€s race has the added complications of a new track surface, but I am sure we will see a competitive battle at the front, especially with our rivals more determined than ever to renew their championship challenge.”

Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager, Race Tyre Development

“Brno has been resurfaced since last yearâ€s event so we have had to revise our approach to the weekend. Even if we have been competitive in recent seasons, we have had to produce different tyre compounds for this yearâ€s event compared to the usual Brno-spec in order to adapt to the new surface. In accordance with the sporting regulations, and thanks to IRTA, tyre manufacturers were permitted to test at the circuit for two days back in June, and this allowed us the chance to acquire data from this new asphalt, which appears less grippy than before. The track itself is renowned for its elevation changes, which put a real focus on bike set-up and rider confidence, so all elements of the bike-rider-tyre package will be put to the test this weekend.”

2007 Flashback

Casey Stoner, John Hopkins and Loris Capirossi got the 2007 Brno weekend off to a flying start and were the only men to lap under the 1m59s mark on race tyres on Friday. Stoner went on to score his fifth pole of the season in Saturdayâ€s qualifying session, while Suzukiâ€s Hopkins and Kawasakiâ€s Randy de Puniet took second row grid slots with 4th and 5th. Stoner won the race in dominant style, but was closely matched by eventual second placed man Hopkins for much of the race. Chris Vermeulen backed up Suzukiâ€s strong form with fifth at the chequered flag.

[Rev004]

Having participated in a superb fight at Laguna Seca, front-runners Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner predicted more exciting action this weekend, at Brno on Thursday.


Leading World Championship pair Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner both attended the official press conference at the Cardion AB Grand Prix Ceske Republiky on Thursday and after their amazing duel in the United States last month the duo are ready for more of the same.

The legendary Italian rider and his young Australian counterpart were the focus of worldwide attention after their brilliant American fight and Stoner´s post-race comments questioning Rossi´s tactics added to the hype - but the two stars shared smiles and a handshake in the Brno media centre as they looked forward to further drama this weekend.

World Champion Stoner, who trails Rossi by 25 points in the general classification, appeared to have mellowed in his view on the Laguna contest declaring, `Like all riders we react the way that we do sometimes. Valentino has made comments that I have agreed with on what Toni (Elias) has done in the past. Maybe we over-reacted.´

`I think I am going to hopefully just be putting up more of a fight in the last few laps this time, whereas I ran off and crashed at the last race. It would be nice if I can put pressure on right up until the last lap.´

Rossi reflected on his victory on in California last month saying, `It was a fantastic race for me and for my team because we were able to produce a great performance. We were working hard throughout the weekend, I had a good setting and it was a great, great battle with Stoner.´

In reference to this weekend's twelfth GP of the year Rossi added, `I had a bad race here last year but some good results here in the past. It is a track that I like and where I won my first Grand Prix in 1996. I am very curious to try it out on the Bridgestone tyres and to understand the grip and the potential of the new surface.´

Commenting on the title race `The Doctor´ also said, `Seven races are a lot. It is a long way. We have to work hard because there are a lot of different tracks from here until the end of the season.´

Meanwhile, Stoner provided his perspective on the championship run-in joking, `For Valentino it is a long way to the end of the season but for us it is a short time! We always need more races, but we can only do what we can do and we look forward to the rest of the season.´

[Rev004]

Well Boys & Gals it looks like it going to be one hell of a weekend so here's some info on how todays qualifying went.

A back-and-forth battle between the top two MotoGP riders of the moment continued in Brno on Friday, as Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner took turns in leading the way in the first free practice sessions for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky.

Having been usurped in the closing stages of the morning run by his Italian rival, it was Stoner who ended the day as the premier class´ leading man, recording a fastest lap of 1´57.231 and edging out Rossi by 0.179. The winner and poleman of the 2007 Czech race has been the dominant force in practice and qualifying runs since late June, and proved that he hadn´t missed a beat over the summer break. He ran off track shortly after clocking his quickest time of the day, but otherwise had little problem in navigating the Brno track onboard his Ducati Desmosedici GP8.

Catching up with his countryman and his former teammate at the termination of the session, 2006 racewinner Loris Capirossi had his first experience of the circuit onboard Rizla Suzuki machinery. The Italian veteran was half a second down on second placed Rossi on the combined timesheet.

Entrusted with a factory spec Honda RC212V from this weekend until the end of the season, San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano edged out his teammate on the standard bike, Alex de Angelis, in the final moments of the session. The satellite team duo were separated by just 0.036, although Nakano had been very happy with the handling of his new machine.

Chris Vermeulen completed an all-Bridgestone top six, with the only Michelin rider featuring in the top ten on day one being Tech 3 Yamaha´s seventh-placed Colin Edwards. Last year´s runner-up at Brno, John Hopkins, was eighth despite a pair of crashes on his return to action from a leg fracture, whilst Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli rounded off the fastest ten riders of the day onboard their satellite Ducati bikes.

There were crashes in the session for De Angelis, LCR Honda´s Randy de Puniet and second Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland, without consequences, whilst bigger difficulties came for Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa. Third in the World Championship standings, the Spaniard was once again feeling the after-effects of his Sachsenring crash and hand injuries, finishing sixteenth on the opening timed runs at Brno.

FREE PRACTISE No 1

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.782 293.478
2 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.911 295.081 0.129
3 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.021 290.010 1.239
4 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.134 283.762 1.352
5 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'59.220 288.461 1.438
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.400 287.386 1.618
7 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'59.756 295.243 1.974
8 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.770 290.322 1.988
9 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'59.965 293.239 2.183
10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'00.082 292.365 2.300
11 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 2'00.083 294.840 2.301
12 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 2'00.429 287.923 2.647
13 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2'00.447 293.000 2.665
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 2'00.496 283.986 2.714
15 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 2'01.074 292.524 3.292
16 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'01.128 289.855 3.346
17 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'01.231 296.215 3.449



FREE PRACTISE No 2

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.231 294.197
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.410 292.445 0.179
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.000 290.322 0.769
4 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.228 290.010 0.997
5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.264 285.789 1.033
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.462 286.548 1.231
7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'58.672 292.682 1.441
8 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'58.830 288.615 1.599
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'58.881 294.759 1.650
10 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 1'58.923 294.197 1.692
11 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'58.977 292.286 1.746
12 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 1'59.094 289.156 1.863
13 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'59.328 289.855 2.097
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'59.405 284.135 2.174
15 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.943 292.921 2.712
16 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'00.540 295.566 3.309
17 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'00.621 288.692 3.3

So at this stage there's nothing in it between the 2 rivals and are the 2 guys setting the pace at the moment. Great to see Vermeulen up there even though he's over a second of the pace but it's early days so we will have to wait and see what tomorrow will bring.

[Rev004]

Well fellars just to chuck a spanner in the works for those people in the tipping game it could be a wet race todays round fo free practise was in the wet ans trhe Aussies showed then how it's done.


Casey Stoner continued to lead the way in Brno on Saturday morning, this time on a damp track.


On the mend from his Friday fever, Casey Stoner continued to give his rivals the shakes on Saturday morning in Brno. The reigning MotoGP World Champion was the quickest man on track in the damp third practice session, building expectations of a sixth consecutive pole position this weekend. The Australian´s fastest time of 2´09.609 came on only his fourth lap of the day.

Another rider who will fancy his chances if the Czech Republic circuit stays wet is Chris Vermeulen, second on the morning timesheet. The Suzuki rider trailed his fellow Antipodean by just over half a second –the only rider within a second of Stoner´s wet marker.

San Carlo Honda Gresini continued to impress in the run, although this time it was standard RC212V-using Alex de Angelis who came out on top. He was third quickest, nearly two-tenths of a second ahead of factory spec model equipped teammate Shinya Nakano on the Japanese rider´s first wet outing on the machine.

World Championship leader Valentino Rossi was fifth on the timesheet, ahead of John Hopkins, Loris Capirossi and highest finishing Michelin man Dani Pedrosa. Having struggled yesterday with hand pain and tyre problems, Pedrosa´s first wet run since his Sachsenring fall gave him a positional improvement in the standings.


MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 3 Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'09.609 283.241
2 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 2'10.168 275.299 0.559
3 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 2'10.941 272.383 1.332
4 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 2'11.117 277.634 1.508
5 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2'11.215 281.323 1.606
6 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'11.374 278.925 1.765
7 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 2'11.389 278.709 1.780
8 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'11.762 277.992 2.153
9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'11.879 284.135 2.270
10 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'11.950 280.010 2.341
11 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 2'12.069 272.589 2.460
12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 2'12.213 272.934 2.604
13 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 2'12.276 279.141 2.667
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 2'13.885 266.732 4.276
15 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2'14.384 272.246 4.775
16 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 2'14.862 266.009 5.253
17 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 2'15.613 271.288 6.004

Hey it's great to see the Ant up in the top ten as well but thats what happens when things get wet it brings everything back to a level playing field.

Well now we will have to wait and see how qualifying goes in a few hours time, but if it's a wet race my Money is on both Stoner and Vermeulen to be on the podium.

[Rev004]

Well fellars heres the bit that you have been waiting for and I don't think I need to tell you who took poll but none the less it was Stoner closely followed a second and a bit behind Rossi. It's also great to see that Vermeulen & Ant West are also up towards the pointy end of the field.
So heres the report from qualifying followed by the final qualifying results.



Despite feeling less than 100% with a fever, there was no stopping Casey Stoner from taking a sixth successive pole position for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky, as the Australian imposed his will on his rivals in a wet qualifying session.

Stoner recorded a fastest time of 2´11.657 in the soaking session, giving him the longest pole streak since fellow countryman Mick Doohan´s twelve-in-a-row from 1997. In doing so, he relegated MotoGP´s self-styled `Doctor´ -World Championship leader Valentino Rossi- down to second on the grid. Rossi was suffering his own ailment on Saturday, with an ear and sinus infection posing him problems. Even with their respective medical woes, both Stoner and Rossi can be expected to battle against each other once more in Brno when the red light goes out on Sunday.

The front row will be completed by last year´s runner-up at Brno, Kawasaki´s John Hopkins, as the Anglo-American lines up for his first MotoGP race since the June visit to Donington Park. A first front row for `Team Green´ marked an ideal return for Hopkins, who will be out for a maiden podium to salvage something from his 2008 campaign.

Out to stop him is former teammate Chris Vermeulen, the Rizla Suzuki rider who heads the second row. Vermeulen has been on the rostrum at the last two races, and conditions were favourable for the wet weather specialist to classify himself ahead of Alex de Angelis and Anthony West –the remaining duo on the second line as both had their best qualifying sessions of the year.

Randy De Puniet ran off track after recording his fastest time of the qualifying period, and elected against another attempt at bettering his marker. His LCR Honda bike fell in the gravel as it came to the end of its trajectory, with some minor repairs made as the Frenchman returned to the garage. De Puniet was the highest placing Michelin rider in seventh, and the only non-Bridgestone representative in the top ten.

San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano was getting used to the factory spec RC212V that he will race for the first time, a task made more difficult by the drenched track. He starts from row three, a line concluded by Loris Capirossi, who ran off in the early going.

Crashing at the midway point of the session was Tech 3 Yamaha´s James Toseland, who avoided lowsiding his M1 but was unable to avoid a tumble.


MotoGP Qualifying Practice Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'11.657 284.735
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2'12.846 283.762 1.189
3 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'12.959 279.647 1.302
4 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 2'13.002 275.089 1.345
5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 2'13.352 271.561 1.695
6 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'14.064 278.135 2.407
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 2'14.535 265.356 2.878
8 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 2'14.718 277.349 3.061
9 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 2'14.805 276.003 3.148
10 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 2'14.861 276.710 3.204
11 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'15.880 278.422 4.223
12 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'16.032 271.288 4.375
13 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 2'16.510 272.589 4.853
14 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 2'17.632 264.511 5.975
15 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 2'20.074 257.204 8.417

Out of limit time
52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha

Thats all the doctor wrote fellars so who's everyone got there money on, for me it's Stoner for the Win with Vermeulen 2nd and Rossi 3rd. Now wouldn't it be great to see a all :aussie Podium now wouldn't that be one for the History Books..

So Gooooooooooooo Stoner :aussie

[BUSGO]

Thanks for the info so far Revvy.
If the race is a dry one, I'm punting for a Stoner, Rossi then Hayden finish.
If the race is wet, then the outstanding Suzuki traction control will reign (rain) and Vermeulen will win with Stoner 2nd and Rossi 3rd but to do it Chris will have to get past the other two and retain the lead on the final straight.
I won't be surprised if Rossi doesn't get another "off the track" to try and retain the lead in this race.