MotoGP 2012

[Jared]

Who else is watching this year?  I'm getting really excited for this weekend!!!!

[tk]

Does anyone know the time and station it is broadcast on?

[Jared]

Looks like Speed on Sunday at 2 local time.  Pretty funny they haven't updated their page yet to reflect the change over to 1000cc this year.  I am going to be watching BBC coverage online, have not been impressed by their coverage of road racing in the past.

http://www.speedtv.com/programs/motogp-world-championship/

[beedawg]

I don't get as excited about racing as I used to.  Not sure why.  I'm just not a very good spectator, I guess.  I was never able to watch any of those movies like Long Way Down, Long Way Around, or World's Fastest Indian, either.  They all put me to sleep in the first half hour.

Racing's about the only motorcycling I can watch on TV, but I have trouble listening to anyone on Speed, and I get really tired of hearing Jamie Whitham saying "Yeahyeahyeah" and "Yep yep yep" on the Eurosport WSBK broadcasts.  Those guys seem to feel compelled to talk even when they have nothing to say.  Maybe they're too much like me. 

I really like Julian Ryder and Toby Moody on the Eurosport broadcasts of MotoGP, and I hope they're back again this year.  I can't stand the BBC announcers.

[Ray916MN]

Should be a good one.

I'll be interested to see whether these comments fire Rossi up.

Translated from Italian

MotoGP Stoner: "Lorenzo has more talent than Rossi"

In an interview picked up by Spanish sports daily Marca , the reigning MotoGP Casey Stoner said some of the most important race on the 2012 title , which begins this weekend with the Grand Prix of Qatar and sees again Australia's start with the underdogs. Once again, the Australian champion has not lost the opportunity to release some of the statements 'polemics' against Valentino Rossi . Thank goodness that in a few hours start testing at Losail, and will talk about the timing ...
"It 's hard to say who the pilot with more talent - said Stoner - Valentino is talented in many things which to me is lacking, for example in dealing with the media. In some respects he has more talent than me, other than I am. It 'holds true for all. Lorenzo has been shown to have more talent, Valentino, and he proved it when both had the same bike. Even Dani [ Pedrosa ] has a great talent, and if he can make a great season without injuries, everyone will have to deal with him "
"We [the pilots] we're all here for the same reason - he added the Australian - we have the same passion. We all run the same risks and we must respect each other: there is no reason to hate, to hate an opponent. We are people mature and we must realize. I have great respect for the drivers who drive in a clear way, without doing silly things. We know that there may be an accident at any time, and we know how difficult it is to stay in front of each week, the effort that this entails. I have great respect for Lorenzo, is a great fighter. The same is true for Valentino, Dani, Andrew ... "

[beedawg]

from the article posted by Ray:

     "I have great respect for Lorenzo, is a great fighter. The same
     is true for Valentino, Dani, Andrew ... "

Who's Andrew?

[Ray916MN]

from the article posted by Ray:

     "I have great respect for Lorenzo, is a great fighter. The same
     is true for Valentino, Dani, Andrew ... "

Who's Andrew?

My guess it is just poor Italian translation of Andrea as in Dovizioso.

[Jared]

Nice find Ray.  Stoner had definitely upped the smack talk over the last month or two.

Brent, I know what you mean about the BBC coverage.  I like the pre and post race access they have vs. Eurosport, but the commentary is not at the same level.

[beedawg]

I remember Valentino saying something about one or two riders being better than himself.  That might have been last year.  I think Rossi's knows his best days are probably behind him.  When it stops being fun, he'll move on to something else.  Right now, he's got a big fan base, and he's getting paid to do something lots of people would consider a privilege.  I'm glad he's still out there.

[Tim...]

Me thinks Stoner will run away with it.  MOTOGP has got boring over the years - much rather watch BSPK or WSBK

[beedawg]

Me thinks Stoner will run away with it.  MOTOGP has got boring over the years - much rather watch BSPK or WSBK

Hasn't Stoner won it like 4 out of the last 5 years? 

BSPK = British Superbike?  I haven't watched much of it.  Maybe I should.

I started watching World Superbike when BMW got in it.  There are some great riders, several former MotoGP riders (Biaggi, Checa, Melandri, Guintoli, John Hopkins), and it's more competitive than MotoGP, usually without one rider dominating the field.  Don't really care for the commentary, but there's generally more dicing than MotoGP.  The riders look like they're closer to the edge (which is probably the case), and that makes it fun to watch.

I watched a few FIM Superstock races a couple years ago when Badovini was winning every race.  Now he's running at the back of the pack in WSBK.

Someone recently told me that AMA is where it's at now.

Brent

[Jared]

Tim, you are probably right.  Now that Stoner is over his "lactose intolerance" he is dominating, and did the same even when he was on the Ducati.  Barring injury I think it's unlikely that anyone will be able to give him any sort of challenge.

For pure racing, MotoGP isn't the most exciting.  Moto2 was probably the best racing I saw last year. I am looking forward to see how the CRT bikes shake out this year and hope that there will be some good battles in that (sub)class. 

Not sure why, but it's hard for me to get as engaged in some of the other series, even WSBK.  Maybe because the stakes are higher and grids are smaller in MotoGP I find myself really pulling for a specific rider.

Some of the other Stoner/Rossi smack talk:

Stoner from March 8th:
http://superbikeplanet.com/2012/Mar/120308a.htm
Much like several Aussie World Champion predecessors, Casey Stoner rarely resists the chance to land a mental blow on his rivals through the media.

Last Saturday, Repsol trotted out its sponsored 2012 World Championship riders in a dog-and-pony show in Madrid (team intros in Spain actually do include horses). Reigning World Champion Stoner stepped into that opening to jab MotoGP rival Valentino Rossi and his troubles with Ducati during testing last week at Sepang.

"All the other Ducatis were faster than his during the test," Stoner said about Rossi. "He wasn't worried about a single fast lap, but he is the lead rider on the team, and he should be the fastest before complaining so much. He needs to figure out why the GP12 performed well in the first test, and poorly in the second ... but I honestly hope they can turn things around, as it would be good for the entire championship."

Pulling out the Ovaltine secret decoder ring, Stoner meant: "Hey, Vale. Quit yer bitching, mate. You're slow, lost and not getting any younger. I hope you have a good year because in the words of the immortal MC Hammer, you can't touch this."
ENDS

And HRC's official Twitter feed from February:

[pkpk]

I'd like to think this is the year we see Rossi, Tiger Woods and Jeff Gordon all make a come back for one last glimpse of their dominating years (hold your commentary over left turning, stick and ball sports please.)

Brent, was that comment about AMA a joke?  Seriously have no clue who races that series at this point.  Would love to be interested if there is a reason.

[beedawg]

Paul, the person who made the AMA comment wasn't joking.  Maybe he was just bored with everything else. 

[pkpk]

Thanks Brent, that is interesting.

You answered me pretty fast, but since my Applaud/Smite count didn't change, I guess you are ambivalent about me.