*Spoiler* MotoGP Round 1 Qatar

[akira700]

Man that was a pretty good race wasn't?

Glad I checked my TIVO with the time change.
Stoner is really incredible. I mean look at Melandri
same machinery and he was done in 12th or something.
Just hope its not going to me just a Stoner show this year.

Also Pederosa's start was insane...Looked like he had NOS and
everyone else was on pedal power.

think Nicky's got a chance this year?

-Akira

[JohnnyV]

It was a very good race... I was disappointed to see Rossi drop back to 5th. I'm really pullin' for him to take it back this year. And man, if he can get his game together him and Lorenzo are going to make for a spectacular team

[RyanNicholson]

so there i was at my new gf's place talking about the race coming up at 10:00 but nobody has the speed channel around...i went to the store to pick up some stuff and while i was gone she ordered it haha.

awesome seeing lorenzo doing so well. pedrosa's start was ridiculous but i thought it was interesting that he couldn't stick it for that long.

the first 5 laps or so were insane...a lot of fun to watch.

[hammadown]

I am always rooting for irony, so I think it would be funny to see rossi, after all his bitching, suffer on his stones this year and Lorenzo on michelins do well. That said, looks like stoner on his stones clad ducati is here to stay for a bit. I hope we see some good racing for the #1 spot and not just 2-5. The rooks were looking pretty impressive too! Im so happy the season is back!

[CMG241]

I bet Rossi set his bike on fire after that one.

Big fan of the night racing by the way!

[JohnnyV]

The night racing was cool, but it made coverage somewhat difficult... the glare from the flood lights made it difficult to see in certain areas

[The Crashing Tomato]

That fricken DUC with Stoner is a world apart. Gotta figure they set the two DUC's up pretty much the same It must just be that Stoner is that good??????

The names at the back of the field maybe they should have used eye black like NFL recievers

I knew it was too good to be true when Pedrosa bolted to the front but still he pulled 3rd

Rossi needs better skins

Hayden where'd ya go ???

Gotta ask: is it the tyres or the brakes that give a racer the confidence to drive deep into the corner to make those insane end of straight passes

or is it just a psych game that racers play to let the guy in front know "here's Johnny!" (like in the movie "the shinning")

[OreoGaborio]

Gotta ask: is it the tyres or the brakes that give a racer the confidence to drive deep into the corner to make those insane end of straight passes

or is it just a psych game that racers play to let the guy in front know "here's Johnny!" (like in the movie "the shinning")

yes

I thought it was an interesting race... interesting how some guys have the ability to run up front during one point of the race but not another.... but stoner can run up at the front for the whole damn thing... and that's what makes him a winner. Pretty amazing what that kid can do & has been doing.

I think Nicky has to get off the 07 machine & learn how to ride "new" style. He's had a tough time learning the ways of the euro rider... time to stop fighting it & embrace it.

[Paul_E_D]

Great race! I was impressed with Pedrosa. When the honda comes up to snuff, he'll be one to challenge Stoner. I think Lorenzo will beat stoner at some point this year as well.

Nicky...may not be smart enough to run with these guys. I think the difference between racing in the states, and racing in europe is intelligence. Here, you get corn fed guys who want to win by toughing it out with guts and nuts. THere, you get smart kids learning to communicate in several languages and adapt to ever changing technology.

[wfd38383]

yea that was a wicked good race. lorenzo held tough. great battle for 3rd adn 4th place. Glad I stayed up till 10 to watch it.

[Nix]

[QUOTE=CMG41;468848]I bet Rossi set his bike on fire after that one.
QUOTE]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[Hoss]

How about that pass at the end on Rossi.

Good to see Edwards and Toseland up there. I hope they become a littlre more part of the picture with the new bikes

[Doc]

so there i was at my new gf's place talking about the race coming up at 10:00 but nobody has the speed channel around...i went to the store to pick up some stuff and while i was gone she ordered it haha.

Dude I take back everything I said. She is a KEEPER!!

[RyanNicholson]

Dude I take back everything I said. She is a KEEPER!!

i know right?! I'm already giving her lessons on how to be the perfect pit chic


As for pedrosa doing well this year, I hate to do it but I have to agree. Though personally I think that at any level a sponsored rider should learn to keep his mouth/attitude in check a little better.

I'm excited to see what lorenzo can do this year, same with toseland once they get the same engine that the fiat yammy guys are running.

[s a x m a n]

I'm very excited about toseland ... he is going to bring the WSBK aggression into motogp

Lap 2 he was already bumping people out of the way. The man can ride without a doubt. I hope that he gets some more goodies to run up front.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Andrea Dovizioso can just ride... yet again lorenzo (he rode amazing though) is on better equip and Dov is still running up front and even passing Rossi... 250 gp's all over again

should be an exciting race for 2nd place this season keep an eye out for #4

agreed on toseland - loved watching him bang fairings

and wtf nicky, i threw my remote across the room when they said he was on a 2007 bike! when paul said he isn't smart enough to adapt it reminded me of when i watched the MTV special on hayden and he refused to learn any other language...

[akira700]

Just looking at Race 1 I wouldn't count Nicky totally out yet.
Long way to go and he's had some good looking moments in
pre-season testing. He's tough to so he wont go into bad
mind games as soon as others in his sort of situation might.

Have to say though it looks like the changing of the guard
now with Caprirossi, Nakano, Rossi, Hopper, Hayden all
running mid pack now. And the young guys stepping up so
quickly.

Poll: What Rookie is gonna take the most points?
Toseland can't, Yamaha won't let him take more points than
Lorenzo... I just cant see them letting it happen.

[Pittenger5]

Hopper was hurt and said himself they didnt have time to work on the chassis at all, so I think he's gonna move up. Plus Im a total Hopper/Kawi homer, so he better. But damn those rookies look good. Ill be rooting for Toseland (as long as he doesnt beat Hopper 1-2 sounds good to me) after this race. I didnt watch him in WSBK, but damn he made this exciting.

[Nix]

Poll: What Rookie is gonna take the most points?
Toseland can't, Yamaha won't let him take more points than
Lorenzo... I just cant see them letting it happen.

+1. Me neither.

[akira700]

Hopper was hurt and said himself they didnt have time to work on the chassis at all, so I think he's gonna move up. Plus Im a total Hopper/Kawi homer, so he better. But damn those rookies look good. Ill be rooting for Toseland (as long as he doesnt beat Hopper 1-2 sounds good to me) after this race. I didnt watch him in WSBK, but damn he made this exciting.

Frankly, I can't see that Hopper made a positive career change
by going to Kawi. He went from a mid pack bike to another mid pack bike.
Too bad cuz I think he's got the talent to have been a contendah.

So for the rookies, I think Lorenzo will take it hands down.
He's on the factory bike (not satellite), Michelin is on the upswing.
I'll wager that he'll be consistent top five the rest of the season.

[DucDave]

Andrea Dovizioso can just ride...

Yep....remember what I said back in November in this thread....

http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...gp-2008-a.html

not sure what the hell 'biggest impact' means but I think Andrea Dovizioso will surprise a lot of people and be on the podium at least 4 times with at least 1 win...

Didnt make it this time but he was in the hunt for sure.....

[Paul_E_D]

Frankly, I can't see that Hopper made a positive career change
by going to Kawi. He went from a mid pack bike to another mid pack bike.
Too bad cuz I think he's got the talent to have been a contendah.

So for the rookies, I think Lorenzo will take it hands down.
He's on the factory bike (not satellite), Michelin is on the upswing.
I'll wager that he'll be consistent top five the rest of the season.

He was nuts to sign with Kawi, but I think they paid him a LOT of money. Staying with Suzuki would have probably yielded better results, but passing up an offer from Ducati may have been stupid (if he wants to win races)

I'm not really sure why melandri is struggling so much on the duc. The kid has won races and diced with the big boys. You'd think he could adapt fairly quickly. Stoner says interesting things about the Duc. He doesn't speak that highly of it. He says it's just a bike, with problems like all bikes, but he just makes the best of it.

[Pittenger5]

I think it was also more than the money to hopper. As some of the announcers said last weekend he wanted to be the number 1 guy with a team. So that would knock ducati off the list, and then factor in the money kawi paid him, thats where he ends up. But I think he will have a good back in a couple races, he'll be back in there

[Paul_E_D]

Back in where? finishing 4-10th? That's nowhere...

[Pittenger5]

Good BIKE I meant. But after watching Quatar and the performance of the rooks I dont think he'll be podiuming too much. Course, given the same circumstance I dont think he woulda been podiuming this year on his old bike anyway, so might as well get paid while you're at it.