It hardly feels like a week ago that I was soaking up the incredible sites and sounds of MotoGP racing in Italy (thanks to the cool folks at Red Bull), but now that the dust's settled I've had a chance to compile photos from the race. My shots, along with photos by Andrew Northcott, cover everything from track action to the occasional celebrity sighting, with an odd AMF-era Harley-Davidson Valentino Rossi tribute bike thrown in for good measure.
Dani Pedrosa may have put on a good show at yesterday's race in Catalunya, but I can't wait to see how American riders Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards perform at the Red Bull Grand Prix races at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis.
Photo © Andrew NorthcottClick to enter photo gallery
WARNING, SPOILERS FOLLOW.
2nd and 3rd was quite a race wasn’t it? Well, it LOOKED like it anyway. It seemed Rossi was just biding his time, waiting for the proper moment. Stoner never seemed to have a good handling bike. The Duc had some good power, but was all over the place in the corners. We saw the gap from 1st to 2nd got up to 7.9 seconds at one point and the 2nd place rider was just entering the front straight as 1st place was exiting the other end.
It really is a shame that Rossi, the undisputable master of all things MotoGP, including lousy starts, had to spend the 1st 4 laps moving from 9th to 2nd. He and Pedrosa may very well have had the best race of the year. As it was Rossi & Stoner put on great show….until Rossi got tired of him.
A prediction for next year
Nicky is done on the Repsol team. He’ll find himself on a B team maybe. He belongs with a really good WSBK team like Ten Kate. He was OK on the 990…won in ‘06 by a lot of luck and reasonably consistent finishes. He can’t ride the 800…it just doesn’t fit him.
He is without a doubt, THE class act of the field and regardless of his fate, deserves the same integrity with which he has treated his team and sponsors. Put him on good WSBK and he’ll probably win a championship.
If Spies is smart he’ll pay very close attention to the offer made him by Alstair Suzuki. MGP bikes just don’t fit guys his size…he’s way too big for it and he’ll have an even harder time than Nicky.
Lots of good observations in there Pete. If Rossi hadn’t had to start on the 3rd row, I’m sure we would have been watching the 1-2 battle through the race instead of the 2-3. I’ve only been watching bike racing for a short time, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard Hayden whine about his situation.
And if Hayden is cramped on the bike at 5′8″ (I believe), then Spies would be a lanky monster at 5′11″!
Hi Sloan,
Keep an eye on WSBK…the racing is probably the best there is. As often as not it’s a LOT closer than MotoGP, with 3 bikes abreast heading for, or in, the same piece of real estate.
Those guys aren’t the least bit shy about trading paint. Excellent racing!
It be cool if they’d add a few obstacles, like a bag of marbles in the turns and/or let loose a dozen or more squirrels on the track…