The Blog Returns!

I’m back!

Welcome back to the blog that is Straw Bales! As most of you know just after New Year I lost my dad so unfortunately the blog had to take a back seat, but I’m back now and hopefully on a more and more regular basis.

So what’s happened in the world of motorcycle racing since my last blog? Well for a start the winter testing ban has been lifted and the MotoGP boys are back out on track over in Sepang. I’ll cover that in this blog as its most current.

This event in itself has caused more interest than normal as it’s the first time this year that we see a CRT bike with a time-served, and much-loved, racer on board in the shape of Colin Edwards testing against the full factory might, and satellite squads, of Japan and Italy. After day one...oh dear...not a particularly spirited opening salvo from the much-maligned new kids on the block but day two was to prove a little better with Colin ending up 4.708s back from a returning Casey Stoner. Most of the more learned observers of MotoGP expected a 5ish second gap before CRT turned a wheel so it’s not that much of a surprise to me that the gap is where it is.

I’m not about to start slating the CRT side this season, there are many good reasons both for (increased grid numbers, available rides, financial outlay) and against it (lack of pace, lack of ability of some of the riders, lack of the ‘prototype’ ethos) but on the whole if they can be within a realistic time limit of the more ‘established’ bikes then I’m all for it. I don’t profess to understand nor care too much about the politics side of the introduction of these bikes to MotoGP and as we all know, you can’t please everyone but it seems a step in the right direction to bring more opportunities for more talent to race in MotoGP – I mean, really, is a potential average of 2 or 3 satellite-only seats a season acceptable these days?!

The top guys, bar Valentino Rossi, are all still young and not likely to go anywhere soon, thus making the top echelon of seats are even more limited over the next 2 years which increases the queue to join the ranks of motorcycling’s elite. Over the next 2 seasons we would expect to be welcoming Marc Marquez, Bradley Smith, Scott Redding and Andrea Iannone from Moto2 alone in to the MotoGP family, without any cross over from World Superbike, there taking 4 seats before we even start 2013. There is some considerable talent spread throughout all world class racing, most have a MotoGP dream and some are good enough...but where do we put them with the lack of available seats. You’re not telling me James Ellison would be in MotoGP this season without CRT...he was guesting at BSB last season in the hope of securing a top ride there for 2012 and now he’s off around the world again. It’s an extra step on the ladder, another vehicle to get your name known and as has always been the case, if you’re fast enough –you’re good enough.

I will make my overall judgement on CRT come the end of the season, it needs time to shake down the machines and find its own role within the series – they haven’t been brought in to challenge for podiums, they have been brought in to bolster a threadbare grid and eventually I feel they will become an integral part of the series, but they have to be given fair chance because if we look at some of the races last season we could be relying on CRT for the entertainment! Moto2 was mocked before it left us in awe with its close racing, I'm not saying CRT will be at that level but some people are afraid of change but its a change that is undoubtedly required.

Speaking of entertainment there was much mirth, merriment and abuse on social media networks about Casey Stoner’s sitting out of Day 1 of testing in Sepang due to niggling an old back problem putting his leathers on. Now I could be really cutting but at the risk of offending people who I genuinely like I won’t put down what I’m currently thinking about it all, as ever everyone is entitled to their opinion – hell that’s why I write this blog – but I can’t ever remember a rider being so roundly criticised and scrutinised for his every move and everything he says and it disappoints me to be honest. This will no doubt be the case throughout the season ahead, but a look at the time sheets on Day 2 in Sepang confirms what I said previously...it's going to be a matter of who’s going to come second again this season.

I have to say I’m really happy to see Valentino Rossi firing the big Ducati a little closer to the front 2 rows, he looks happy and relaxed with the GP12 which is a far cry to how he felt exactly 12 months ago. I hope he continues with his 58/46 hybrid colour scheme on his helmet for ‘12 that itself would make me smile.

Kudos must go to the Dog himself, Cal Crutchlow – an excellent showing over the first two days of testing, I know it’s only testing but you still have to get on and ride the thing and ride it he is. I think Cal will be a constant threat to the Top 6 throughout this season – no tracks to learn, just concentrating on getting the best out his new steed.

I will be looking in to WSB when the races in Australia are under way and BSB will reappear when pre-season testing gets under way out in Spain, off the top of my head, I think first week of March. Both these series will be a great follow this season with the level of competition between the teams and riders at its highest, and most open, for some time. I will delve a lot more in to both series over my next couple of blogs.

Also before the unfortunate event of recent weeks I had planned to have an inaugural Straw Bales Awards blog covering the 2011 season, a light-hearted bit of banter to get people smiling (hopefully!) and a little mickey-take out of some of the finest riders on the planet. I will include it in the next blog if you wish as I enjoyed putting it together.

Thanks for reading.