Re: Thoughts on Yamaha GP connections

"Julian Bond" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Mark N <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >But if Rossi finishes behind Gibernau, Edwards, Biaggi, Capirossi
> >AND Checa next year, that would have to be a big blow, wouldn't it?

> Hayden? (Bayliss, Hodgeson, Xaus, Tamada, ...) Some of these people will
> never win another race. Most of them will get at least one podium next
> year.

I doubt it. I'll bet the farm that Xaus doesn't get on the box next year,
and in fact will have some considerable difficulty getting into the top ten.
I'd say Hodgson won't make it to the podium either. Remember that Bayliss
made the box only three times this year, Hodgson will be on essentially the
same bike, and I'm not convinced Neil is the rider Troy is. The guys I'd bet
on for being on the box are Hondamen Biaggi, Edwards, Gibernau and Hayden
for sure, probably Barros if he's on a Honda, Capirossi and Bayliss most
likely, Rossi almost for sure, Tamada a maybe (tires the key), and anyone
else is less than likely. I think Honda will step it up some, they are
certainly deeper in riders, and with the exception of Barros' wet French
podium the only bikes on the box this year were Hondas and Ducatis.
Current-year Ducatis, that is.

> Which is why *next year* is going to be the *best year ever* for racing.
> As it always is.

Ever the optimist, a real "glass is half full" guy (except in America, of
course!). But not "as it always is". Next year will be great for GP,
prospectively the best season in 10-15 years (although 2000 ended up pretty
damned good in terms of competition). WSB just plain sucks, though, and I
can't even imagine anyone being terribly excited about the prospects there.
I'm concerned about AMA, given that there will be only 6 factory bikes and
that the competitive balance may not be right - a current-generation Corse
999 on world-level Michelins, with Bostrom on board, against even more
restricted 1000-4s, the Honda new and the Suzuki without the benefit of a
WSB development effort? Bostrom could walk. But the new SuperStock and FX
classes will offset that to a great degree.

> Exactly how many people are there who will be able to get within 20s of
> the winner, at the end of the race, at most races? 15?

Uh, no. I see no particular reason to anticipate that Suzuki, Kawasaki,
Aprilia and Proton will ever get there. Most of the time, maybe all of the
time, the D'Antin Ducatis won't either. So it comes down to the six Hondas,
the two Corse Ducatis, Rossi and maybe the other three Yamahas. That's 12
bikes, and they never will all run within less than a second a lap of the
leader. I think most of the time it will come down to 5 or 6 guys, and they
will mostly be on Hondas. But who they are week to week, that's the
question...