MotoGP Rimini San Marino Simoncelli 2023

[oldironnow]

Martin, unbattered, has record pace.

https://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2023/RSM/MotoGP/SPR/Grid.pdf

[Fatfatboy]

So far we've only been able to watch the FP's, Q's and the Sprint but I have to say my money is on Martin come race time.

Bagnia is a machine. Getting run over just a short week before jumping in. Bagnia is hanging tuff as well. I swear tghere is something about the pain killers that give these guys an advantage.
The full race will only tell.

[oldironnow]

The race reminded me of the late '80s, early '90s.

I could squint my eyes and see an array of Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz and Lawson.

Moto2 and 3 are as yet un-viewed.


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[Fatfatboy]

We just caught the race and what an amazing race it was.
Team Fat2 was biting nails and when Martin, Bezzechi and Bagnia crossed that finish line there was a whaa-hooo that woke the dogs.

I thought for sure Pedrosa was going to throw a wrench in the team’s hat trick.

I was double minded on the end. One side wanted to see Pedrosa on the podium but my team’s first hat trick was quite desirable as well.

At 37 years old Pedrosa is showing he’s still got it.

[oldironnow]

Amazing!

Good for you !

Before Binder crashed, I was doing the math in my head to see what my 2/3/4 would cost me to a 1/2/3 team.

12 points is a serious loss on a good day.


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[oldironnow]

Moto3

Full-textured race.

Whadaya want?

Runaway leader?
Points-leader falter?
Chasing-pack working together?
Huge chattering front-end slide in slow motion?
A worn-tire scrum at the end of the race like a bunch of your squid friends relentlessly out of shape after stuffing and out braking each other out in the boonies?

[Mad4TheCrest]

The racing in GP is very entertaining. WSBK hasn't been too bad either, and even MotoAM has been good (so sad to see so few spectators attended the last round at COTA - place looked empty). 43k over the entire weekend at Magny Cours WSBK was pitiful, but nothing like the total indifference local Texas riders showed at COTA. Of course, maybe their new law making filtering illegal put them in a bad mood. At least GP seems to still be drawing fans in person.

[oldironnow]

texas made it ill-eagle ??
Another good reason to stay out of texas.

Not sure I could handle waiting in-line with the cages.
All of my riding has been in California or the sparse West.

I was just watching some Magny-Cours, SSP and 300.
Indeed it was lightly attended.

Do you think those MotoGP numbers are real? They are outstanding!

Also, Moto2, finished that last night.
Pedro Acosta looks good enough to join MotoGP next season.


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[Mad4TheCrest]

oldironnow wrote

texas made it ill-eagle ?? ...

Yep:  https://www.motorcycle.com/bikes/news/texas-formally-outlaws-lane-splitting-44594332

About the GP numbers - they aren't as good as in Rossi's prime years, but they are healthy at EU venues.

WSBK is suffering from a weird mix I think of too many races per event but not enough events, if that makes sense.  I think three Superbike races, 2 of them full length, really dilutes the spectacle rather than enhances it. And there are big gaps of time in the schedule between events. That's a one-two punch to build indifference I think.

But more worrying is the absolute crash in attendance for MotoAm after some initially very encouraging attendance results in some early season rounds. I couldn't find any attendance figures for COTA, maybe because there wasn't any (?). It looked worse than Daytona.  And I think you said Laguna was sparsely attended (I feel guilty about that one - at 5 or 6 hours drive/ride I should have gone).