Oz Racers around the World
– August 2008
MotoGP, Misano
Valentino Rossi won a record-equaling 68th premier-class grand prix in front of his home fans and Casey Stoner has all but conceded that his 2008 MotoGP title hopes are over after his third fall in three races - and second in a row while leading - at Misano on Sunday.
The reigning world
champion has shown staggering pace throughout practice and qualifying ever
since the Catalan Grand Prix seven races ago, but stumbled during a stunning
battle with Valentino Rossi at Laguna Seca and has
fallen whilst trying to stay clear of the Italian at the two rounds since. The
Ducati rider's latest error came on lap eight of the San Marino Grand Prix,
just as the Australian looked to be
holding the Fiat Yamaha rider. Stoner
had kept the world championship leader three-seconds behind since lap two, an
advantage that counted for nothing when he slid from his Desmosedici in a
repeat of his
According to Casey it was a front tyre problem. "Basically we took the decision to put one lap on the race tyre in warm-up this morning to get it scrubbed in: we've done it before and not had a problem but today I could feel from the first lap that the grip wasn't right," said Stoner. "After a few laps it started to feel better and I was gaining confidence but it let go."
Stoner has now slipped 75 points behind Rossi with just five rounds and 125 points remaining, prompting the young Australian to begin thinking about 2009. "It's a real shame but, anyway, we tried hard here and once again I think we've shown we are very fast, we have a great bike and tyres that work fantastically. This gives me confidence for next year and I'm looking forward to it already," said Stoner.
The four-time 2008 race winner added that his left wrist injury - a re-opened break from 2003 - will remain untreated until the end of the year. "As for the injury, it's a huge disappointment this problem came out but I'll have to wait until the end of the season for an operation," he said.
Ducati Corse general director Filippo Preziosi was seen with his head in his hands immediately after Stoner's accident, but stressed that the Italian factory is standing firmly behind its first ever MotoGP world champion. "I'm really disappointed for Casey but it is important that we stay together as a team at a moment like this," he said. "We leave here knowing that we have a competitive bike, a good team and a truly great rider. I am proud to be able to work with Casey Stoner."
Results
1. Valentino
Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B)
2. Jorge Lorenzo
3. Toni Elias
4. Dani Pedrosa
5. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B)
6. James
Toseland
7. Loris Capirossi ITA
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B)
8. Andrea Dovizioso
ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M)
9. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro
Team (B)
10. Colin Edwards
11. Sylvain Guintoli FRA
Alice Team (B)
12. Shinya Nakano
JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B)
13. Anthony West AUS
Kawasaki Racing Team (B)
14. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki
Racing Team (B)
DNF:
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati
Marlboro Team (B)
Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo
Honda Gresini (B)
Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda
MotoGP (M)
AMA - news
AMA Pro Racing announced today that Mat Mladin has been disqualified from
the August 16-17, 2008 AMA Superbike Championship at Virginia International
Raceway following the outcome of post-race technical inspections.The
crankshaft from the #6 Rockstar Makita Suzuki was sent to AMA headquarters in
Pickerington, Ohio, and was compared to other production crankshafts from the
same model. Upon this inspection, the crankshaft was found to be in
non-compliance of the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship Rulebook.which
states:-
Only the homologated crankshaft is permitted with the following modifications:
a. Bearing surfaces may be polished or surface treated.
b. Balancing is permitted only by the same method used
by the OEM.
c. Attachment of aftermarket ignition
components or sensors is permitted.
d. Primary gears can not be changed or modified.
The team was notified on August 20, 2008
AMA – Road
Race
1
Saturday's
AMA Superbike final ended in a rather familiar fashion -- Rockstar Makita
Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin
crossed the line first with several seconds in hand over runner-up Ben Spies,
with another gap back to Tommy Hayden, who completed the factory Suzuki sweep.
However,
that late snapshot doesn't come close to telling the full story on this day.
For Mladin, it was the seventh consecutive
race that he claimed the checkered flag first, which would equal Spies'
all-time record if only his VIR race wins weren't taken away from him following
a post-race teardown. Starting from pole, the Texan waved his hand frantically
moments before the green light, indicating a problem. While doing so, he rolled
out of the starting box, and then left the line late as the field charged down
into the first corner.
He
came around the opening lap in eighth position, a position made worse when he
was shown the meatball flag for technically jumping the start. After coming in
for his ride-through penalty on lap 3, he reentered the fray down in 12th, some
16 seconds behind the leader.
Mladin cruised at the front, continually building his advantage, meanwhile
Spies ripped off fast lap after fast lap, regularly powering into the low '24s
as he tore chunks out of his deficit so by lap 14, he was slithering through
the fight for third, and on lap 17, he relegated that battle to one for third.
He
continued to eat away at Mladin's
lead, finally reducing it to 5.483 seconds at the checkered flag.
With
the outcome of Mladin's appeal yet
to be decided, today's result will have historic implications either way the
decision ultimately falls. As mentioned above, if Mladin is successful in his appeal, he'll have tied Spies' all-time
record for consecutive AMA Superbike wins. Meanwhile, if he's denied, Spies
will have locked up his third straight AMA Superbike crown, making him the
'provisional champion' at the moment.
After
claiming his 12th Road
Atlanta win (including nine of the last ten) Mladin commented, "It was fairly uneventful, obviously, when
Ben got the meatball and I had a fairly large gap, so I just put it on cruise
control, conserved some energy for tomorrow, and look forward to probably a
better race tomorrow -- a close one."
Race
2
For
the first time in eight races, defending (and provisional) AMA Superbike
champion Ben Spies crossed the finish line first thanks to a dramatic
come-from-behind victory over his Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki teammate, Mat Mladin, on Sunday at Road Atlanta.
Mladin quickly ripped past Spies and early leader Tommy Hayden to
take control of first and he went about assembling an advantage at the front.
Mladin was over three-and-a-half seconds up on Spies at half
distance (with nearly ten seconds back to Hayden, who himself enjoyed a big gap
over fourth) when the race started to turn.
The
six-time champ started coming back to the reigning champ by as much as a second
per lap and by lap 19 the Texan was poised to strike. Running down the back
straight, Mladin took a look back to
see how close his rival had drawn only to get an eyeful of the #1 plate as
Spies powered by.
Both
men pulled identical wheelies and wobbles as they crested the hill and Spies
took control of the contest. He slowly eked away at that point before Mladin conceded the race, providing
Spies with an eventual 7.107-second margin of victory.
Along
with making a statement, the win prevents Mladin
from stealing away Spies' consecutive win streak mark. Even if the Aussie ultimately wins his appeal,
he'll be left with a record of seven in a row, tying but not erasing the
standard Spies established earlier this season.
Next
up for Spies is his highly-anticipated MotoGP outing at the Indy GP in two
weeks, followed by the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship season finale on
September 27-28. Spies currently holds an unassailable
620-519 advantage over second-ranked Mladin,
which is a still-imposing 610-593 point difference even if Mladin's VIR wins are reinstated.