Itsy Bisty Teenie Weenie Marquez Buggered Off, The Meanie

"Choose bikes. Choose MotoGP. Choose World Superbikes. Choose British Superbikes. Choose fucking speedway, choose Moto3, Moto2, World Supersport. Choose Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, or Brands Hatch. Choose camping in shit British weather. Choose a hotel down the road. Choose your paddock friends. Choose warm multi-layered clothing and a fancy cool box. Choose a massive caravan on hire purchase in a range of fucking colours. Choose no DIY and not wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning, waiting for Warm Up. Choose sitting on that banking watching watching endless Free Practice sessions just to get your bike fix, stuffing fucking picnic food into your mouth. Choose coming away on Sunday at the end of it all, all excited and happy as you head home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves as race fans. Choose your future. Choose bikes... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose to choose bikes. I didn't choose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got bikes?"
by Dave Neal, aged 45 and a bit.

All the hype, all the social media arguments that STILL bubble on preceded what turned out to be the most boring MotoGP race of the season so far - yes, I know we're only three rounds in but still... Even the undoubted three place grid demotion for Marc Marquez couldn't really add the necessary excitement to proceedings such was his advantage around the red, white and blue-bedecked dust bowl just outside Austin. "Not-a-maniac-just-a caravan" Iannone had one big attempt to upset the rhythm of the pesky Spaniard in the opening lap but, yeah, unsurprisingly it didn't quite work. Credit to Iannone though, he's really stepped it up since the Lorenzo-to-Suzuki rumours began. Can't think why...

The 'Horsepower Rodeo' was little more than a glorified procession for the majestic Marc Marquez and his Repsol Honda around CotA, and really, was it ever in doubt?! Not really. 11 races unbeaten on American soil before Sunday, turning left really suits the mercurial Spaniard. Texas was a glimpse at how the start to the season could possibly have panned out but for the Ducati-favouring Qatar circuit and the shenanigans in Argentina. 

MotoGP in 2018 so far appears to have flattered to deceive; other rider's misfortunes have opened up the championship battle for early flyaway honours before the 'regular' part of the season kicks off at Jerez next time out. But really, who is going to stop Marquez other than Marc himself because, to be fair to the fella, he's doing his best to give the rest a bit of a chance with time and grid penalties in successive races! The reigning World Champion has the bit between his teeth, determined to dominate the title race and looking at his form over the last two races, it has been a shot across the bows for anyone with even half an eye on a championship challenge.

I know it's a long 19-race season and we're only three rounds in but let's be honest (this isn't a #93 love-in, by the way), while there have been glimpses shown by the chasing pack that they're not THAT far away - well, apart from Jorge Lorenzo obviously, he's frikkin' MILES away - is it enough? The Yamahas of both Rossi and Viñales seem to have finally exorcised the demons of 2017 with a welcome return to the podium over the weekend for the precocious talent of the #25. Mav was as exuberant as I've seen him in a long time after the race and it's he who I think will take the fight to #93 as the season unfolds, not discounting Rossi completely or title challenger of last year, Dovi, I just think that a happy Maverick Viñales is a very fast Maverick Viñales and who's due more MotoGP glory after the that epic start to 2017 turned in to utter tripe. I feel he will have the measure of his illustrious team mate at most rounds. I'm probably wrong but we'll see. 

The Great MotoGP Seat Swap is proving a real conundrum this season. After the relatively average silly season of last year the line up for 2019 is anyone's guess... well, apart from Movistar Yamaha, anyway! The second seat at Repsol Honda is the main focus for most learned observers (so, not me - at least the 'learned' bit anyway!) and with it being reported that Johann Zarco signed for for the Factory KTM squad for 2019/2020 at CotA, that's one less rider to fill any gap that may arise with the HRC squad. There is too much to go in to in this episode of my ramblings, the permutations are long and protracted but nevertheless really, really interesting but they're for another day.

Speaking of really, really interesting - World Superbikes was exactly that this weekend. From a scintillating Qualifying session to a hard-fought race one and a runaway winner (but not the one you'd expect!) in race two with a mighty battle raging behind him, it was another good weekend for the seemingly rejuvenated series. A glorious first Pole Position for Alex Lowes to then becoming the unluckiest man in Holland (after poor Werner from Weisbaden who got his weiner wedged in his zip while window shopping in the 'Dam). It was a bitter pill to swallow for my fellow Yellowbelly (a what?! This...) but he'll bounce back. Just as in MotoGP, the Yamahas are really coming strong in WorldSBK - gotta call it that, they get a bit sniffy if you call it WSB) partly in thanks to the rule changes but I suspect mainly to the revised electronics package on the R1. One conundrum though, Tom Sykes can lead a race from the front in imperious style but appears to struggle when it's time to battle? Good to see a different Kawasaki on the top step, however briefly it'll be!

The Bennett's British Superbike Championship - it still feels strange calling it that - continued it's rich vein of form at Brands Hatch a week or so ago. Shakey Byrne was really, really happy and Leon Haslam equally so as they took the spoils around the Indy circuit as tyre issues once again became a real bugbear for some, despite measures being introduced to retain a level playing field in terms of black round rubber. Hopefully the issues will be solved before Oulton Park in a couple of weeks time (there's an official test there on Thursday) and that the weather can be either one thing or the other in that leafy, affluent corner of Cheshire. Bright and sunny preferably! Even as a proud Lincolnshireman, Oulton Park is an equal favourite circuit of mine next to our own Cadwell Park and all I ask for is a dry, warmish (I burn easily; Snetterton seems to prove that every chuffing year!) weekend for some mega racing in every class as the series heads towards the Roads break.

Thanks for reading.

The Rambings of a Bike Racing Fan

I've no idea why I only seem to sit and do this once or maybe twice a year, it's not like I don't have the time these days. I'm regularly encouraged to put finger to keyboard but the motivation to do so has been lacking after an at times turbulent last 12 months on a personal level. Those turbulent times affected many things, including my love of racing, however for 2018 things are looking better and brighter on all fronts! So it's back to basics, tapping on a keyboard to make words that a few will read. I hope you enjoy it.

The 'Big 3' of British Superbikes, World Superbikes and MotoGP all reconvene over the next six weeks or so and at least one of those series has the potential to be the very best season in a number of years, which after the excitement of  recent years, is going to be some achievement. The other two series, or more to the point certain teams within them, have their own hurdles to jump before we see the absolute cut and thrust of racing return along with all the regulation celebratory pomp and back-slapping. Or is that stabbing? Who knows, it's motorcycle racing so there's always liberal doses of both in almost equal measure.

While WorldSBK undergoes changes in its rules with regards to rev limits, the teams are doing all they can to try and close the gap to the pretty much all conquering KRT squad. The first real look at the riders and teams at the recent test was the first time we've seen all WorldSBK protagonists on track together and there are no surprises on seeing who was fastest. Triple and reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea topped the timesheets at the end of the final pre-season test at Phillip Island ahead of this weekend's season opener at the Gateway to Hypothermia, once again asserting his dominance on the field.

As I'll touch on later (I may be here for a while...) testing is testing, it's hard to gauge the true pace of man and machine and no matter how many race simulations they do, you can't replicate racing without, well, racing! Every year the unique nature of Phillip Island provides close testing times and sometimes even closer racing so it's tough to get a true perspective on the strengths of the teams battling Kawasaki for honours this year. There are the obvious ones, namely Ducati and Yamaha, that will constantly push for podiums and race wins however it's the ones who have not shown their full potential in recent seasons that may make the biggest progress. Milwaukee Aprilia finished the Test in positive form as did Barni Ducati while wholesale changes at Red Bull Honda saw visible progress in to the top ten. With the uniqueness of PI and the challenges of Buriram and the damage limitation required at both, I suspect it won't be until the circus reaches Europe that the true story of WorldSBK 2018 will unfold.

MotoGP testing has been in full swing these last four weeks with a sack-load of stories winding their way out of both Sepang and the Chang circuit at Buriram, Thailand. For almost every Factory  team Sepang, as is the law these days, was the first chance to get to grips with the 2018 machinery with their full-time riders after the final tests of last year and it was the contrast of Factory fortunes that really made the bulk of the headlines. Tip of the hat to the new boys of Morbidelli, Luthi, Syahrin and Nakagaami, who all made solid progress throughout testing.

Honda, Yamaha and Ducati were the main focus of attention as you'd expect and the fortunes could not have been more different. The HRC Holy Trinity of Marquez, Pedrosa and Crutchlow looked to have the consistency over the six days of Far East testing as they looked to refine the latest incarnation of HRC engine along with revised aero packages, that subject explored by pretty much everyone and with varying degrees of aesthetic pleasure.

Marquez wasn't always the fastest of the trio, that honour was shared between the triumvirate, however his race runs were somewhat ominous. This developing, maturing-thinking Marc Marquez will be a concern for the rest of the field, no longer a pure Pole hound, no longer a man chasing the fastest time, he's a man working in the same way we saw last season. Points per round is the target.  And points make prizes.

Yamaha are in trouble. There are no two ways about it. As I said before, testing is testing however there are glaringly obvious issues when a Factory team of Yamaha's standing are so far off the pace on Day 1 and Day 3 at Sepang but 1 and 2 on Day 2. Confused? So are Vinales and Rossi! According to Rossi in Buriram the problem is obvious but difficult to fix whereas after Buriram Vinales was almost at a loss as to what to say to the waiting Journos. It may well be a difficult start to 2018 for Movistar Yamaha, the only positive in the early rounds being a contract extension for the grid's fluorescent yellow-clad elder statesman. Which will keep a few bums on seats in the stands for another season, at least.

At Ducati things are also not as they may have appeared to be after the Buriram test. A stunning lap of Sepang on the final day saw Jorge Lorenzo take the fastest ever lap of the Malaysian circuit. It was a  suitable end to the test after both he and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso had, apart from an 8th position on Day 2 for the Italian, consistently run well inside the top 5 over the three sweltering days. If Sepang was a triumph then Chang was a tragedy for the Mallorcan, even out-paced on the final day by Tech3 new boy Hafizh Syahrin. Dovi fared somewhat better, the story of last season all over again, by posting top ten times on all three days of the test. With just the Qatar test to go before it all gets serious, there are some searching questions that need answering amongst the MotoGP elite.

The Bennett's British Superbike Championship is building up to the start of the season with various teams cutting laps around the circuits of Spain where many are gearing up for the Pro-test at Cartagena at the beginning of March ahead of the annual Test Day at Donington Park on 20th March. So far as comparisons in times go, there aren't any apart from Honda and JG Speedfit Kawasaki who attended a WSB Test at Jerez.

So what do we know ahead of the 2018 Season? The usual suspects will all be a force, that's a given. Reigning champ Shane Byrne along with Josh Brookes and Leon Haslam will be strong from the first lights-out, there's not a doubt about that. The Honda duo of O'Halloran and Linfoot finished the season on the front foot and they'll be looking to continue that trend from Round 1 after the difficult start to 2017. The Tyco BMW duo of Christian Iddon and a returning Michael Laverty will have a firm eye on podium positions as will Luke Mossey and Glenn Irwin. James Ellison, in what will be his final year in BSB, will be as keen as ever to put a strong, consistent season together aboard the Anvil TAG Yamaha vacated by Josh Brookes as he in turn takes the McAMS seat from Ellison.

Youth will play a big part in the series this year. Expect to see BSB race winner Jake Dixon to carry on his form of last year on the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki and Brad Ray to make his mark fully on the top ten on the Buildbase Suzuki alongside Richard Cooper after his impressive showings last season. Alongside Brookes will be former British Supersport Champion Tarran Mackenzie, returning from a torrid time in Moto2, who I suspect will challenge for top ten honours before mid-season, lining up on the grid alongside his Moto Rapido Ducati-mounted brother Taylor. Team WD-40 have put their faith in their STK1000 rider of last year, Mason Law and the youth emphasis continues with Kyle Ryde joining the ranks from WSS along with Northern Irishman Carl Phillips who steps up from STK1000.

After plying his trade on the European and World stage, Gino Rea will make his BSB debut this year aboard the OMG Racing Suzuki as will Sylvain Barrier, the twice European STK1000 Champion joins the multifaceted Peter Hickman at Smith's BMW. FS-3 Kawasaki have signed STK1000 Champion Danny Buchan for 2018, after two previous attempts it could be third time lucky for Buchan to get to grips with a Superbike and finally transfer that obvious talent to the big class and Tommy Bridewell returns to the bosom of Martin Halsall and the team which brought the Wiltshire rider much of his BSB success.

I suspect the top six places of the Showdown will be the most hotly contested (good English? Not sure) positions since the format's inception back in 2010. Byrne & Irwin, Brookes, Haslam & Mossey, O'Halloran & Linfoot, Hickman, Iddon & Laverty, Ellison, Dixon and Brad Ray all stood on the podium in 2017 and quite possibly will all do so again across the forthcoming season. If a Rookie can score a Top Ten this year he'll certainly have earned it as the competition for points is stronger than I can ever remember. As for who will win it, I'm not brave enough to predict, however, on last season's form alone it's difficult to see past a Haslam/Brookes/Byrne title fight once again come October. There are a lot of laps and a lot of stories to unfold before then and as Larry Carter regularly reminds us, we should expect the unexpected once again.

In true Motopod style, this could be "the best season ever", well in BSB, at least.

Thanks for reading.

Exciting Times Coming!

Hello and welcome to the latest installment of StrawBales.

As I sit here contemplating the run in to the end of the season I must remain positive in my thoughts, it would be so easy to be drawn in to the negative aspects and disappointments of the season drawing to a close with WSB done and BSB almost done. There is still so much left undecided, even if some Championships are seemingly somewhat of a foregone conclusion, ie Moto's 2 & 3, but with MotoGP retaining some semblance of a fight to the finish there is still all to play for for Messrs Lorenzo and Pedrosa and the British Superbikes boys are again taking it to the wire.

This weekend in Japan we see the return of the current World Champion Casey Stoner to the fray and in his own words is feeling 'good and fresh' from his injury recuperation but freely admits that FP1 will be crucial in finding out how his ankle truly fairs and just how much weight transfer he can apply. It's good to have the Aussie back as I know the championship fight has missed him, and fans have certainly missed his style, he would certainly have had a big bearing on the current points standings.

As expected, and in the light of the Eugene Laverty/Max Biaggi farce in World Superbikes at Magny Cours, the spectre of 'team orders' was raised with the straight-talking Aussie and his reply said it all... 'HRC haven't asked me to help Dani and I don't think they will, I've said in the past I think championships should be won outright...' says it all really, and who in their right mind would argue..?

Dani goes well at Motegi and is the only rider to win there in all 3 classes, which is a feat in itself, and with it being Hondas home circuit you can be sure they'll be pulling out the stops to ensure there's a repeat of Dani's runaway win last season, with Casey second in an ideal world, no offence intended to Lorenzo fans anywhere but purely to keep the season alive!

There's also a big anniversary on race day, it will be 11 years exactly that Valentino Rossi clinched his first premier class crown on his Nastro Azzzuro Honda NSR500 down at Phillip Island in what was the closest race finish in years with the top nine covered by three seconds...oh to have that kind of racing today! 

Incidentally three of those in that top nine finish were Japanese riders, a contingent that is largely absent from the three Grand Prix classes today and the series is somewhat the poorer for it. Mad samurai warriors like the Aoki's, Harada, Ui, Tsujimura, 'cheese n' Tamada, Haga, Aoyama et al were a sight to behold in full flight and hopefully it won't be too long before we see a new batch of fast Japanese riders like Takaaki Nakagami in Moto2 and female rider Yui Watanbe in the Red Bull Rookies Cup series becoming regular championship contenders..

I have to say it's great to see Danny Kent get his opportunity in Moto2 with Tech3 for 2013, he was beginning to suffer from the same handicap as fellow county-man Scott Redding with his height becoming a bit of hindrance against the continental pocket rockets, so this opportunity will be a breath of fresh air for the Gloucestershire youngster (what do they put in the water down there?!). Also if you look at how Bradley Smith has performed on a bike with almost no development (regardless of your thoughts on how talented he is/isnt) and what is essentially a nail of a bike compared to the Kalex and Suter chassis of the Moto2 world, then the future looks bright for the Danny. Could we see him make the MotoGP step in two years? I wouldn't bet against it...

World Superbikes rounded off the season at Magny Cours last weekend in typically dramatic fashion. Aprilia's Max Biaggi held a healthy 30+ point advantage over Tom Sykes going in to the weekend but inclement weather and an uncharacteristic slip in race one from the Roman and a strong third place for Sykes meant it was all to play for in race two. Sykes did all he could do by winning the race and hoped Biaggi finished lower than 5th for the Yorkshireman to take the crown but it wasn't to be and the Italian maestro took his second World Superbike crown by 0.5 points, the closest points margin possible (as a dead-heat requires race win countback). 

There was an out-pouring of emotion on social media networks in favour of Tom winning the championship but, to be honest, it was actually Max's to lose with the points gap he had. If Tom won both races and Max followed him home both times the gap would still have been over 20 points so to say Tom lost the title is harsh on Biaggi, regardless of thoughts on his (lack of) personality. Sykes had a fantastic season, make no mistake - the teams goal back in February at Phillip Island was to finish in the Top 5, mission accomplished you would say. Bring on 2013!

This weekend, however, in a sleepy corner of the 'Garden of England' at Brands Hatch, the six Showdown contenders for the 2012 British Superbike title will fight it out over three races to see who will be finally crowned king. Shane Byrne leads the way by 9 points from uber-consistent Aussie Josh Brookes with Silverstone double-winner Alex Lowes 15 points adrift of Brookes in third and reigning champ Tommy Hill realistically, but not mathematically, out of the battle 18 points in arrears of the Lincolnshire twin. The remaining contenders of Laverty and Bridewell unfortunately, I believe, are too far back to make an impression on the top three in the championship although they can both have a big say on the race results as they're both capable of podium finishes - Bridewell was particularly quick at Brands last year on a Honda Firebalde that was actually five years old and was immediately retired after the race so, regardless of points standings, we have a minimum of six riders who all have podium potential, what a prospect!

For me its all in Shakey's hands, a double race win there at the summer round back in July and a host of dominant race wins prior to that must be ominous for the chasing pack although I have to say he was pushed well by Brookes and Hill that weekend and they weren't runaway wins by any means. Brookes was only .5s behind in race one and 1.5s in race two. Tommy Hill also has a strong record at Brands add Lowes to the mix and you have the makings of a race weekend to rival anything that happened last year...well...almost anyway, but this is motorcycle racing and anything can happen.

Byrne is in the ascendancy after his performances at Assen and Silverstone, where two of his main rivals each had rounds to forget - Hill with his starting grid crash in race one at Assen and Brookes at Silverstone who's Suzuki looked slightly down on power at the fast flowing venue, despite all his obvious efforts, compared to the Kawasaki and Honda he was chasing. Could Shakey have his off day this weekend, or was his off day at Cadwell Park in August? Has Brookes got what it takes to beat the Kent man in his own back yard or will Alex Lowes spring a further surprise, a 24 point deficit to claw back over three races is certainly achievable. It only takes a small mistake to put you on the back foot this weekend, as Brookes and Laverty will attest to from last year and if Hopper's bike hadn't reset itself on the opening lap of race two on the Sunday then race three would have had a whole different look to it...

The British Supersport title is far from over too, leathery Triumph-mounted Aussie Glen Richards holds a 12.5 point advantage over young Irish contender Jack Kennedy going in to the final two races this weekend. The Mar-Train Yamaha rider has had two rounds to forget at Assen and Silverstone after crashing out of at least one race each weekend so he has it all to do to turn his season back around and prove that the title-winning form he's shown wasn't just a flash in the pan and that he can over-come the smoothness and consistency of the old man of the series. Kennedy is definitely one for the future - whether that future goes through World Supersports or British Superbikes first is yet to be determined but he's definitely a star in the making. 

There are masses of 'if's', 'but's', 'maybe's', 'why's', 'wherefore's' and 'd'you mind if I don'ts' this weekend, possibly more than ever before as three riders can win the crown and the pressure will be at it's maximum for them all, so mistakes WILL be inevitable - how costly they are will remain to be seen. So, for those in the Eurosport coverage umbrella (sorry to you guys in South Africa who'd love to see BSB, yes that means you Ella!) for Saturday and Sunday afternoon make sure you've been to the toilet, take the phone off the hook, put a Do Not Disturb sign on the front door, if you're other half isn't in to racing sit them down and watch them change their mind (failing that throw them some cash and send them shopping, whether male or female!) and enjoy what will be possibly the most intense series of races you've ever witnessed.

I'll be there and, like a 5 year old child at Christmas, I absolutely can't wait!

Thanks for reading.

BSB Showdown Time, MotoGP & Even WSB!

A change around from the usual format to Straw Bales, in the lull of MotoGP action between Brno and Misano, and finally the calming of 'Silly Season', we can concentrate on the weekends action at Donington Park and British Superbikes for a change, looking in to the Showdown stage of the Championship.

British Superbikes

For those of you unfamiliar with the format of the British Superbikes Showdown, this weekends meeting at Donington Park was the last round that made up the 'regular' season. The top six riders in the championship now move forward to a level playing field of 500 points,  and on top of those 500 points are added the podium credits earned during the season - 3 credits for a win, 2 for second and 1 credit for third - all designed to reward the more consistent riders with a deserved advantage in the second part of the Championship.

The system has its flaws though, for example Team WFR Honda's Alex Lowes finished sixth in the championship's regular season on 146 points, a full 206 points behind leader Tommy Hill who'd scored 352. Once the Showdown rules and podium credits are applied, Alex is now only 33 points behind Tommy in the race for the title, where one race DNF by the current leader can throw the championship chase wide open - which, obviously, is the very aim of the format.

As well as Alex Lowes' deserved slot in the Showdown, a special mention to Supersonic BMW's Tommy Bridewell - for a team in its first season in BSB with almost the forgotten rider of the series, after being without a ride in the Championship at the start of the season, a fantastic effort by all concerned see's the Italian team in with a shout of the title with quite possibly the most improved rider of recent years in Bridewell, a great story with a potentially very happy ending.

Just as an example though, should the traditional championship chase still be in effect, Swan Yamaha's Tommy Hill would still lead the championship on 352 points from the Tyco Suzuki-mounted Josh  Brookes on 326 with the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki of Shane Byrne effectively almost out of the running 97 points behind Hill, leaving it a straight fight between the top two over the last three rounds. That's still the case but now with a much narrower gap... It is harsh on the leader going in to the second phase really, after all their hard work and consistency seeing a massive advantage over some of the chasing pack wiped out just adds extra pressure to the situation. However, this is what MSVR wanted, to provide the paying fans with unrivaled entertainment in what is undoubtedly the premier domestic championship in the world and after last season you can't argue that it doesn't provide just that.

As for who will win the title come Brands Hatch in October, it's a very difficult call, not just for the reasons explained above either. If none of the 'Title Fighters' suffer a DNF, for me personally, I think Josh Brookes has his tail up after his double pole position, double fastest lap and double win at Donington yesterday, an impressive showing by anyone's standard, and will carry that forward to Assen and beyond. Tommy Hill looked a little jaded, giving 100%this weekend as he always does he couldn't lay a kangaroo skin glove on the increasingly likeable Aussie, a massive turnaround from Hill's similarly dominant display at Cadwell Park two weeks prior. Hill was chasing set-up all weekend, suffering chronic lack of grip (as opposed to team-mate Nori Haga who was suffering lack of glip, apparently) so confidence was not at it's highest throughout the meeting, a total contrast to Brookes who showed a rare moment of emotion in Parc Ferme after race two, a mark of just how much he's matured this year, both as a person and a rider. 

As a side note to that, I was fortunate enough to speak with Josh in the Paddock after qualifying, I was honest with him and said I'd been one of his harshest critics in the past but was really impressed with how he'd gone about his racing this year and how he was showing more character and maturity and that my opinion of him had changed for the better. He seemed genuinely appreciative of what I was saying - not that my opinion counts too much being just a race fan - but I'm sure I'm not the only one that has done an about-turn in their opinions of him. I also said something else to Josh, but I'll keep that back from you lot until after Brands Hatch...

Tommy has the experiences of last seasons epic Showdown with John Hopkins to draw on to combat the threat of Brookes and I think that will be invaluable as the story of the season unfolds. You know my thoughts on Tommy from my blog covering the Brands Hatch finale of 2011, he will always be a favourite of mine - well as close as I can get to having a favourite whilst accepting all other riders too, well they're all bloody good aren't they?! However, it's a split between head and heart for this one whereas last year it was Tommy all the way as I didn't want the 'dentists dream' to come over here and deny any of our boys the glory, just like the Trans-Atlantic Trophy races in days of yore, it was anyone but the Yank! Head says Brookes but heart says Hill...and your heart shouldn't rule your head! 

I'm not totally discounting Shane Byrne either who is well in the mix just 12 points back from fellow-southerner Hill, but just how well he will cope with his shoulder injury remains to be seen. Shoulder injuries are notoriously difficult to fix quickly and these next three tracks are high-speed maximum effort tracks so we wait and see just how much 'Shakey' can affect the top two before his home round at Brands Hatch. He says he'll be fit for Assen but his fit and our fit are light years apart, add to that the notorious bluff and bluster of just how serious the injury was we won't know the true extent of his fitness until FP1 in Holland.

Samsung Honda's Michael Laverty is 21 points back in fourth place, by no means out of the chase and also showed good form at Donington Park with a third and a second place so he is another carrying high confidence for the series debut at Assen on 21-23 September. Last year at this point on the sister Swan Yamaha he was 19 points back of Hill with three rounds remaining but a gravel trap excursion, after a coming together with Byrne, at Donington and a DNF in the second of three races at Brands Hatch put paid to his championship charge and he is desperate to make amends for that in 2012.

Looking at the comparison of the same point both last year and this, Brookes is the one who's greatly improved his position over 2011, finding himself just 10 points behind the leader over the 20 point deficit of last year. Tommy is 3 points to the good, Shakey is 5 points worse off and MLav 2 points further back than this time last year. Looking at the results over the final three races (remember Donington Park was the first round of the Showdown last year) of the first ever Showdown it was Tommy Hill who top scored with 118 points and no DNFs in the six races, Shane Byrne with 103 courtesy of a double victory on the final day with Laverty on 91 and Brookes the lowest scorer with 89, a DNF and distant sixth on the final day spoiling his previously consistent season. But that was last year...this is now, and its going to be an emotional roller-coaster for all concerned - riders, fans and team members alike, make sure you watch as it's a sight to behold and likely to go to the very last race, will we have the same drama as last season? Probably...

MotoGP

Over in MotoGP land we had a fantastic race in the Czech Republic at Brno. You may remember, if you've paid attention in previous blogs, that I pointed to Dani Pedrosa as a dark horse for the Championship. 

After the unfortunate injury to Casey Stoner's ankle that's ruled him out for the foreseeable future, many fans were throwing their arms up and saying 'well we might as well give Jorge the title now'...how wrong they were! 

Since Silverstone Dani Pedrosa has consistently appeared on the podium in the seven races from the British round to the latest round at Brno, the DNF at Assen was undoubtedly costly to Lorenzo's title aspirations as it's seen Dani close the gap on his rival taking 147 points to Lorenzo's 130, but its the sequences of the race results that make the most interesting reading. 

If you take the championship from Sachsenring, the Mallorcan and the Catalan have been inseparable on the podium finishing either 1/2 or 2/3 in the last five rounds, again with Pedrosa coming out on top scoring 111 to Jorge's 105 points. Without question the impetus lies with the diminutive Repsol Honda rider, this is the first season in his MotoGP career that Dani has started, and remained, fully fit and doesn't it show - winning three of the last five races including a memorable back to back at Indy and Brno.

If anyone thought the title was over and done, re-read that paragraph again. It is between these two riders and on this form, barring any injury/DNF, it will go down to the final race at Valencia in November in front of a partisan crowd, that itself would be fantastic for the sport as a whole and for the fans, who've been starved of a true down-to-the-wire championship battle since Nicky Hayden took the crown at Valencia in 2006!

I've no doubt Casey will return for Phillip Island, if not sooner and it's a mouth-watering prospect to see him wringing the neck of that RCV213V there for the very last(?) time. Valentino won there by 15 seconds in 2003, who'd bet against Casey doing the same this year just to prove a point? Honourable mention to Suzuka 8-Hour winner Jonathan Rea who deputises for the crocked Aussie at Misano and Aragon, a fantastic opportunity for the Northern Irishman to stake a claim on a seat for next season and if testing is anything to go by, he's doing that just fine.

After Dovi's not unexpected signing for Ducati, Ben Spies has unexpectedly signed for the Ducati Junior squad to campaign a factory GP13 next year alongside Moto2's own 'Crazy Joe' Andrea Iannone. Ben shares the same Superbike-derived style as Nicky Hayden who, all things considered, has gone well on the much-maligned GP12.1.2.1.3.2.1.6 (just kidding) and I think he'll do ok as he too has a point to prove after being bumped by Yamaha management to make way for the return of Valentino Rossi.

Cal Crutchlow will partner Bradley Smith in Team Rosbif, the irony of two Brits spearheading a French team not lost on the paddock comedians. This is good news for Cal and he rode the M1  accordingly at Brno securing his first MotoGP at a track he's traditionally excelled at.

Team Gresini is the final piece in the jigsaw of silly season, what of Alvaro Bautista? With Scott Redding a reported favourite to take a seat at Honda's second table and Johnny Rea doing his best to gatecrash the party it may be a while yet before that particular piece is put in place.

World Superbike

A quick nod in the direction of World Superbikes, the Nurburgring proved a happy hunting ground for the Brit Pack yesterday with admirable performances from Tom Sykes, Eugene Laverty, Leon Camier and Chaz Davies...yes Chaz Davies came of age in WSB this weekend with a third place in race one and a fine maiden win in race two, fully deserving his place for next season with the BMW Italia squad, true title contenders.

I mentioned Leon Camier too, another rider who, like Josh Brookes, I've been critical of in the past - however after watching yesterday my opinion is changing, two very mature rides and a bagful of deserved points for his efforts. Keep it up Leon, another rider I'm happy to be wrong about.

The championship fell wide open too at the Nurburgring with Biaggi falling in race two, Checa falling but remounting in race one and Melandri incredibly recording two DNF's leave the standings with Biaggi still on top from Melandri but Sykes has closed the gap in third to 26.5 points with 4 races left, all to play for!

As always thanks for reading.

Bye Bye Casey, Well Done Chris Walker and More...

Apologies dear readers (yes, both of you!) for the delay in producing the latest Straw Bales blog, I’d love to have a fantastically elaborate reason for the lack of activity...but I don’t, it’s just real life getting in the way!

Anyway, I’m back so let’s continue...

I’ve got a page full of notes to get through but at the risk of boring you silly I’ll stick to the juicy stuff! And no doubt juiciest of the lot is the announcement from Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner that he will be retiring from MotoGP at the end of the season. He admits he has lost the love for the sport, is also unsure where MotoGP is heading, as well as having a very young family addition, and has taken the massive decision to hang up his leathers.  

To all but the most casual of observers it is well known that Casey was never going to stick around and smash records season on season, picking up fat cheque after fat cheque as he goes. Neither was he ever going to get on a bike that could potentially damage his illustrious career and reputation, never mind the potential melting pot of getting on a bike that clearly doesn’t suit him or his style and ending up mid-to-late top ten race after race...that was never going to happen.

Joking aside I will be sad to see the back of Casey Stoner the racer, his incredible style and grace in man-handling his 230+BHP Honda around some of the best tracks in the world has been genuinely a joy to watch. I’m not going to stir up the hornet’s nest of other riders fans but for those of you firmly stand in that bracket, please, I ask you  as motorcycle racing fans  just take a minute to watch him at Barcelona in a few weeks time. I truly believe that if you fail to be even remotely moved by his dancing, sliding Honda at full chat then you clearly have no motorcycle racing soul. Put your prejudices and personality attacks to one side, even pretend it’s your favourite rider if you like, but they way he throws that bike around that circuit in particular is just mesmerising, believe me.

As for Casey the person it’s difficult to comment, I don’t know him so it would be wrong to make assumptions, all I can say is he has a job to do and when it’s not going right he moans about it. You do the same in your job, I know I do! Casey is and always has been a motorcycle racer - not interested in dealer days, PR stunts, making the right impression etc he has always let his racing do the talking, and how!

One thing that the series organisers could do with sitting up and taking note of is Casey’s thoughts about the future of MotoGP, its lack of direction and the potential leaning towards an all-CRT grid. This is something that needs to be addressed and soon as there seems to be no firm direction for the series to take at this point in time and the racing, save for the first three laps at Jerez and the last three laps at Qatar, has been predictable and dour. It needs fixing, and fast!

So thanks for the memories and images Casey, enjoy retirement.

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Earlier last week a British newspaper printed a story that alleged Valentino Rossi was to retire at the end of the year when his contract expires with Ducati Corse. Twitter exploded with wailing and much gnashing of teeth at the news of the ‘greatest rider in MotoGP history’ hanging up his leathers. There were a multitude of suggestions as to what he’d go on to do, many people also asked if the social networks would be filled with race fans again once the the great yellow one and his fans had departed...only kidding, this is a light-hearted blog before you all start writing in and complaining to...well...me, I suppose! It’s banter and it makes the world go round...plus it’s my blog so nerrrr!

It took the GOAT himself to appear on twitter in a puff of yellow smoke to basically say rumours of his departure had been greatly over exaggerated. So we have, after the Press Conference at Le Mans yesterday – after the above story was released –VR confirmed he wanted to continue for at least two more seasons after this one, so many more opportunities to see his ‘verrry verrrry ‘appy’ smiling face and I for one would love to see him back up at the sharp end of MotoGP on any make of machine (although I almost guarantee it wont be a Honda!) and proving he can still cut it with the current New World Order. Forza Vale.

Staying on a MotoGP theme for a moment, one thing that the departure of CS 27 does provide is a spare seat at the top table of MotoGP racing. Nobody expected that until the end of next season realistically – and with all factory and satellite rides, bar one pasty ginger kid firmly planted in Tech 3 for 2013, up for grabs next season it’s going to be the best ‘Silly Season’ ever...and it starts now! And for those asking, no it wont be Marc Marquez...not unless Dorna revoke the Rookie Rule that says all class newcomers will spend their first season in a Satellite team, I mean, they’d only do that if it was a talented Repsol-backed Spaniard, ah....

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Over in the real world of British Superbikes it’s been an entertaining couple of weeks. The highlight of which, for me, saw Housewives across the country fanning themselves with their Woman’s Weekly’s as Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker aboard his Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R take a well-deserved race win at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday. It was a great display from the old fella and well worthy of a blog mention. Congrats to Pete Extance, Stalker, Ray Stringer and the crew on a job well done.

During the broadcast everyone’s favourite chicken farmer Paul Bird went live on TV and said he was replacing James Ellison at the Le Mans MotoGP with his Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider Shane Byrne... I was pretty incensed by his comments and the tone in which they were delivered, not least of all for the embarrassment to James and Shakey. Fortunately someone higher up than Paul Bird has seen sense in the issue and a hastily prepared statement confirmed James will continue on the Aprilia and just this week Aprilia Racing Team released some of Randy de Puniet’s data to the PBM squad so hopefully James will have a more settled time in France and beyond.

I have lots of respect for Paul Bird and what he’s done, and spent, on British Superbikes and Supersport over the years but he’s a liability on live broadcasts – he needs to employ a Team Manager to run the team while he can just bark orders from the back of the garage.

‘Six from six’ proclaimed the BSB Twitter feed, and I for one couldn’t be happier. It’s great to see what is heralded as the best domestic championship in the world living up to its billing. Six different winners from the first six races is a great statistic and testament to the riders, teams and level of competition again this season. I think this season will shape up to be a straight fight between Tommy Hill and the loveable Aussie...see what I did there... Josh Brookes. Both have been a model of consistency so far this season and we all know that consistency is the key to winning any championship and this one will certainly go all the way to Brands Hatch in October again, subject to both boys staying injury-free! I can’t wait to see this one unfold over the coming rounds...

One rider we wont see over those coming rounds, at least not on his hard-to-please Kawasaki, is Lincolnshireman Peter Hickman. Big Pete announced last Thursday night, somewhat surprisingly, that he would be riding at the Donington Park round of World Superbikes as stand-in for the injured John Hopkins in the Fixi Crescent Suzuki team. Unfortunately on the Friday his Kawasaki team issued a strongly-worded statement saying they hadn’t given permission for Pete to ride for another manufacturer and wouldn’t comment further, until they announced his sacking on the Monday after the races. Hickman had a race one to forget in World Superbikes but in race two he finished a very creditable ninth – proving that his struggles in BSB were more bike related than anything else.

It’s a shame that it ended up that way for Hicky, but in that situation I maybe would have done the same. I hope something comes up soon for him as he’ll be missed until then – hopefully returning on a more competitive bike and running back towards the front as he was last year.

Thanks for reading.

Weekend Thoughts

So here we are, one week on from the World Superbike round at Phillip Island in Australia and despite all the pre-season hype surrounding the series - how it was going to be the best year ever and the best chance for a number of years for another British World Superbike Champion what do we have?...its as you were from last season! The large number of crashes and injuries to some of the front runners didn't help in anyway and detracted somewhat from the potential spectacle.


Even with a 6kg weight penalty Carlos Checa proved yet again at the age of 97 that he still has the desire to compete at the highest level, but for his impressive ejection out of race one, he would certainly have left PI a lot closer to Max Biaggi at the top of the standings.


Ah...Max Biaggi...and more importantly Aprilia...there is no way on God's earth that a WSB machine should be 10mph quicker than its rivals in any way, shape or form. it wouldn't surprise me if, yet again, Aprilia have found a loop-hole in the regs that allow them to run a full factory CRT bike this year - after all it is an Italian run championship! 


This leads me on to a conversation I had in the week about World Superbikes and how it rests at the bottom of the list, for me, that includes BSB, MotoGP and Speedway. Only twice in the last 10 years has the WSB title not been won by an Italian team, Troy Corser and Alstare Suzuki in 2005 and James Toseland with Ten Kate Honda in 2007, the coverage is a little too Italian-biased at times too and with the rules always tending to favour the Italian marques it al becomes a little too biased, not that I have any problem with Italians in anyway, I just think it's too plainly obvious. It actually dawned on me last year that I don't really enjoy WSB as much as the other series I watch, although it's motorcycle racing - so naturally I still watch it!


Although all that said, congratulations to Tom Sykes on a fantastic opening round and finally showing the talent he quite clearly posesses and a big 'heal quick' to John Hopkins, Leon Haslam, Chas Davies and Eugene Laverty.


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Testing continues apace in MotoGP, and in British Superbikes the Spring weather is bringing the bikes out for their first tests in anger with the Evo-spec machines.


In MotoGP the riders were out in Sepang again to follow on from the intial test at the beginning of February. It is becoming abundantly clear that Casey Stoner will be the man to beat again this season. Honda had to sit out day 2 of the test after a failure in one of Dani Pedrosa's engines caused all the units to be recalled to Japan for tests, leaving Ben Spies to top the time sheets that day. 


With normal service resumed, the reigning World Champion picked up where he left off posting the fastest time of the weekend, hotly pursued by team mate Dani Pedrosa with a surprise appearance from Tech 3 Yamaha pilot Andrea Dovizioso finishing third. The best thing to come from the test is that the top 11 times were all with in 1.1 seconds which, hopefully, bodes well for the coming season! The most disappointing aspect of the test was the lack of progression from the Ducati Corse team, failing to build on the great debut of their GP12 in the first test.


I'm still happy to go on record and say that Valentino Rossi's tally of wins will not be added to this year - the competition has stepped up a level yet again and Ducati are struggling to match the might of the Japanese corporations. Casey will be champion again in 2012, but by a smaller margin.


I hope the next test in Jerez, from 23rd to 25th March brings positive news for the Bologna outfit to prove they have what it takes to run with the front teams because as it stands now they face being beaten by at least 2 satellite teams...


On the BSB front, testing has been carried out both at home and abroad over the last couple of weeks with all teams declaring themselves happy with the performances of both their bikes and their riders - even though there has been a spate of crashes from some of the Championship contenders, for whatever reason, thankfully all of them got up and walked away with little more than dented pride ahead of the official test at Snetterton later this month.


On a side note, it's going to be great to see the Sidecar outfits back where they rightfully belong as a support series to the British Superbike Championship. I've always loved Sidecars and really can't wait to see them out on track again.


Its a lull in racing after the early start of World Superbikes for the next couple of weeks but the excitement is mounting - I'm looking forwards to all the official testing that we have over the next two weeks and its only four weeks until both MotoGP and BSB begin in earnest...well...in Qatar and the over-sized Brands Hatch roundabout!


Thanks for reading.

Weekend Ramblings

You know…you can sense it...it’s coming...slowly but surely…even the weather seems to be picking up. Spring is around the corner – we have lambs in the fields near me - and that means there are motorcycles of all varieties, capacities and manufacturers being started up and sent out for testing at racetracks in Europe, Asia and ‘the gateway to hyperthermia’ (quote courtesy of Barry Sheene Esq.) Phillip Island.

In Spain the most entertaining class of 2011, Moto2 has embarked on its second test of 2012 down at Jerez de la Frontera after a successful 3 day shakedown Valencia last week. Scott Redding came out of that test on top with not only an unofficial fastest lap, but a stunning race simulation too. The Gloucester boy was understandably happy with his first outing of the year on his new Marc VDS Racing Kalex machine and is looking to take that forward to this test and reaffirm his potential as a title contender for 2012.

Bradley Smith wasn’t so fortunate with his first test but, it’s early days yet for the Tech 3 rider. The bike is all new so will take a little time in finding that base setting, but when he does, I expect him to be further up the timesheets. It’s a big season for Bradley; he already has a MotoGP contract in place for 2013 with his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha parent team so he really has to start delivering the results and gain some race-winning credibility before the move up to the big bikes.

I know that testing is exactly what it says it is and the fact is that there are all sorts of smoke screens, double-bluffs and PR artistic licence (not to mention the lack of actual race engines) to fudge the figures so we have to wait until Qatar to see the real picture as always.

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It’s been a busy time in BSB – current team previews to be found Part 1 here and Part 2 here and part 3 still to come - after the flurry of announcements in late January. The unfortunate injury to Ian ‘Hutchy’ Hutchinson and his subsequent replacement has been the subject of much debate. Rumours on social media networks linked the ride with such luminaries as Moto2 outcast Ant West and Japanese WSB rider and, hero of many, Noriyuki Haga mentioned as two such possible replacements.

 It came as no surprise, to those who read a certain post and the subsequent conversations on twitter last Friday, that Swan Yamaha announced on Monday 13^th Feb that fan-favourite Haga was the man chosen to replace TT legend Hutchy for the forthcoming season. All rumour and talk before that Friday announcement pointed to the fact that it was all in favour of West for the vacant seat in Shaun Muir’s team, I would have even put a full £1 coin on it being so...which clearly shows how much I actually know!

However it wasn’t to be the case for West and the likeable Aussie, who after initially and emphatically tweeting that he ‘would NOT be riding for Supersonic BMW’, has now performed a full about-turn and actually signed to ride in BSB for the former World Superbike squad. I personally am really happy to see Westy finally get a ride in BSB to help resurrect his career and can only hope my well-supported twitter campaign of #GetWestyInBSB might have helped...but I doubt it!

On the subject of money and sponsorship - can you imagine a footballer, for instance, being offered a place at major club but be unable to accept it as either he couldn’t bring sponsorship with him to cover his wages or was rejected as he wanted to be actually paid for playing? No, me neither. This is the state of play in our sport and I do worry for the future of it sometimes. I don’t know the in’s and out’s of either Haga’s or West’s deals but somehow somewhere money has, legally obviously, changed hands via a ‘welcome’ or sponsorship deals to enable these appointments to take place.

The one thing that really did leave me scratching my head this week was that even though we have the arrival of new teams and a handful of exciting foreign riders trying their hand at the most competitive domestic series on the planet, our 125cc British Champion Kyle Ryde was scrabbling around trying to raise funds to race for 2012 and almost ended up having to sit out the year due to lack of sponsorship. He was not trying to raise the £1000’s to race in the Spanish series to give him the best shot of a future Moto3 ride, not to race in the World Championship itself or the Red Bull rookies support series, it was just to go out and defend his national title. Seriously, if the sport can afford to warmly welcome non-British entrants in to the big class and secure sponsorship for teams, surely it can facilitate some kind of sponsorship for our own young Champions to help secure the future of racing?!

Another development in BSB was the release of Simon Andrews from the PR Racing Kawasaki squad this week. Now I’ve heard differing reports on this story as to the whys and wherefores of how it came about – one source suggesting PR’s hand was forced and another stating it was Andrews’ contract with Honda for the Roads and Endurance Racing series that saw him leave the Liverpool-based squad, but as Andrews’ rightly went public asking why is it was deemed wrong to try and earn a living from racing. Andrews is currently still injured, with his leg currently behind schedule for healing, but his condition and his Honda contract are all things the team knew before announcing the squad, so it’s all got a little too political behind the scenes. I hope Simon heals fully and does well on the Endurance circuit and the roads this year; he has my full support.

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The first series to kick of the race season is, as usual, World Superbikes down at the stunning Phillip Island circuit in Australia. The main protagonists for the 2012 have just completed a 3 day test at the Island with last year’s runaway champion Carlos Checa ominously topping the overall time-sheets on his ‘non-factory’ private Althea Ducati 1098R...with a 6 kilogram penalty weight on the bike too!

It was great to see Tom Sykes at the sharp end of the times on the Kawasaki Race Team ZX-10R, the Grinner could be a good outside bet for a top three place come the end of the season as he hopes to build on his first ever Superbike class win last season.

Saddest news of the test were the injuries to British Superbike runner-up and former MotoGP star John Hopkins and Northern Irish Aprilia new boy Eugene Laverty.

‘Hopper’ has damaged the remainder of the finger that he badly broke in qualifying for the Brno MotoGP round back in August, and had subsequently partially amputated recently, and is expected to be out for up to 6 weeks therefore missing the start of the season and not to mention valuable points in the championship chase. TAS Suzuki’s Aussie BSB rider Josh Brookes has been drafted in as replacement for Hopper for the first round in just 7 days time.

Eugene was a victim of the super-fast Turn 1 at PI, joining a distinguished list of riders to fall foul of the infamous right-hander. Laverty smacked both his left hand and head hard when he fell, breaking a bone in his hand and suffering slight concussion. He has since returned to Northern Ireland to seek further medical advice, although it is expected he’ll be on the grid for the first race.

It’s going to be a great season for WSB if Checa can be reigned in – Laverty, a fit Hopkins, Biaggi, Rea, new boy to the series and former Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama, rookie Chaz Davies, Sykes, Haslam, Melandri and Camier are all potential race winners making it yet another race series that is almost impossible to call!

Like you, I really cannot wait for the season to get under way on all fronts - with WSB kicking it all off just one week from now. There is far too much talk and not enough action to report on, but that is all about to change and, I for one, welcome it with open arms, an open mind and a fully-charged laptop.

As always, thanks for reading.