Rossi Steals Win from Stoner at Red Bull USGP
After experiencing MotoGP racing firsthand in Mugello, Italy, I was bummed I couldn't make it up to Laguna Seca for the Red Bull USGP... and after a riveting race, I really wish I could have be there!
Hopes were high for American Nicky Hayden who qualified third, but he ultimately managed a fifth place finish behind Dovizioso, Vermeulen, Stoner, and Rossi. Casey Stoner's pace was so blistering that Valentino Rossi said of the blurry Australian, "To stop Stoner, you'd have to shoot him," but in spite of Stoner's record-setting pole position start, Rossi surpassed him to the top spot.
Rossi, who raced in his native Italy with a cheeky helmet graphic, was upstaged-- at least visually-- by Colin Edwards' Stars & Stripes livery (seen here; click to enlarge). Edwards' bike was emblazoned with a Statue of Liberty graphic recognizing the connection to the French Tech 3 Yamaha team.
Valentino Rossi is committed to Yamaha through 2010, and is one of many racers who deserve credit for making this an exciting MotoGP season.
Related reading:
Top Photo © Bryn Lennon/Staff/Getty Images Sport (from Assen GP) - Click to enlarge
Bottom Photo © Yamaha - Click to enlarge
Comments
Nice paint on Colin’s bike. Too bad he didn’t run a little better. Stoner was a crash waiting to happen the whole race. He lucked out when he slipped down and was able to keep second place. Rossi’s Yamaha was so smooth but the Duc was slipping and sliding all over the place. Awesome power though. How about that high-side early in the race (Lorenzo, I think)? That hurt just watching it.
Stoner went to school at Laguna, Sunday…be interesting to see if he learned anything. The master was teaching, kicking ass and taking names.
Very disappointing to hear him whining and sniveling about Rossi’s passes. He wouldn’t even shake hands on the podium! Whhhaaaaaaaaaa ….Mommy!!
Curious when Stoner got pushed as hard as Rossi pushed him, the bike didn’t handle especially well. No small wonder no one else can ride it!
Had to feel sorry for Chris V despite his 3rd. 3 laps in and he’s down 7 seconds!
Absolutely the best MGP race in 3 years!
That idiot Cruise was there with his $75k toy….The Church of Goons pays well…with other people’s money!
Bayliss was in classic form too. Sat in 2nd / 3rd till 4 or 5 laps from the end, then simply – took his 1098 and went home. Both races.
AMA SBK – Yaaaawwwwnnn ….
Actually, nicky haydn didn’t clinch the 2006 championship at laguna seca. That season was not decided until the last race in Valencia where Nicky finished 3rd and Rossi crashed and ended up finishing 13th.
The other thing about that race was the pathetic attempt at announcing. Fer Chrissakes give it back to SPEED! CBS can barely recognize a motorcycle on sight, much less commentate a GP.
Did you know “they wear leather suits and helmets”?? … one of them actually said that!
Then there was that other guy on the Honda “DEEAngelis”
Then there was the “ALICE” guys…pronounced of course as though it were a girls name.
Of course it didn’t occur to them to broadcast the podium interviews.
Pitiful….
It can be said that they don’t do it very often…I say – Thank God for small mercies!
Alvin,
Thanks for catching that… text has been corrected.
Basem
Rossi didn’t “steal” the race. He seriously outclassed Stoner. To me, the telling information was looking at the % braking and throttle bars they showed a few times. Stoner was all the way to the end of the bar scale, 100% hard on the brakes coming in and 100% hard on the throttle exiting,(which showed up in some serious ass-wiggling on the Duc), and Rossi never got past 75% of the bars. Smooth as silk and steady as she goes. That’s good riding in my opinion.
To be fair, Stoner was never headed in practice or qualifying, that Rossi was able to pull one out of the bag is impressive but arguably his passing was not quite on the same level of smoothness as the not wholly accurate throttle/brake telemetry they provide the television audience would indicate.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/2008/MGP/laguna/tim07/p02.htm
Besides, that’s how the Ducati GP bike needs to be ridden. Balls to the wall. The bike is known as a beast that needs a certain kind of rider (and electronics) to tame it.
Tevo….Stoner whined and bitched because Rossi rode circles around him.
The Ducati was all over the track trying to throw him off. Rossi didn’t put a wheel wrong – except the part about “the gravel she has a good grip”.
Does this include brake checking your rival in order to keep them behind you?
In my book, if you resort to brake checking someone in order to keep them behind you, it’s not considered “riding circles around” someone.
As for whining, Rossi does it with the the best of them. Witness last year’s Turkish GP when Elias put some “aggresive moves” on Rossi.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Jul/080724a.htm
Yes, the passing was aggressive … but by both riders, not just Rossi. Immediately prior to Rossi’s gravel-pass at the corkscrew, heading up the short uphill straight that leads to the corkscrew Stoner passed Rossi. Stoner was on Rossi’s right side. Stoner pulled even with Rossi and then leaned his bike left, into Rossi. What is more, Stoner had his left elbow extended into Rossi (couldn’t see if he actually touched Rossi or not). Stoner actually succeeded in moving Rossi to the far left side of the track, and pulled ahead. Pretty aggressive pass by Stoner. Rossi, however, did not whine about that pass. Who knows, if Stoner won, maybe Rossi would have whined — but I doubt it.
Im not sure about the legitimacy of Stoners whinge. Both riders are obviously 1 on 1 with skills and only they could rival each other…. I would be laughing it off and shaking Rossi by the hand for a damn good energetic race!
Must see more of them!