| Author | Message | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 2167 Registered: 9-2003 |
Just returned from my odyssey at the US round of the MotoGP world championship. Perfect weather (60's, sunny, breezy, no humidity) and three days of awesome track action. Stoner gave the Americans (and Valentino) a riding lesson. Nicky's weekend was a disaster...the rest of the Americans didn't fare much better...RLH was first American in 10th!!! Get your tix now for next years MGP @ Laguna AND the SECOND US round in Sept. @ Indy! My only regrets: Not staying longer (my wallet is the only one that's happy) and not having the time to travel one hour north to Alembic despite bookending my trip in San Francisco (my wallet's probably happy about that one too, LOL!). | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 1218 Registered: 9-2002 |
I never got to see a rerun of the race . . . did Nicky and John Hopkins really bust each other off the grid? I can NOT believe JH is going to the Kawasaki team. J o e y | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 2168 Registered: 9-2003 |
Yessir! On the first lap! I saw the crash repeated on the Dorna feed at the track in my pit row suite. I have the race broadcast on tape as well. Apparently, Hopper went inside @ turn 2 and when Nicky apexed, he came down on John and they touched. John went down and then immediately came into the pits holding his head (apparently in shame, not because he was hurt) as he passed us. He went out a couple of laps later and rode like a madman to score ONE World Championship point. Nicky didn't crash, but claims his brakes were damaged (his damage was on the left, so it didn't affect the lever or master cylinder). He was just riding around at the back of the pack and then when he got lapped by Stoner, he pulled in and DNF'd. I've got lots of pix and close-up too: I was on top of the team garages at the beginning of the pit row straight...all the bikes had to come past me to get to their garages. I've got video with sound as well. These 800cc bikes SCREAM...the sound is deafening and similar to F-1 with revs around 19kRPM for the Duc. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 2169 Registered: 9-2003 |
This was a very expensive trip! Besides the Monterey odyssey (we stayed first-class at the Portola Plaza where all the teams, officials, and VIP's stayed, excepting Ducati), we went up to Reno and rented H-D's for a week of riding Tahoe (plus a rental Four Winns powerboat on Lake Tahoe for a day). Once there, the Reno H-D dealer was in an industrial park with dealerships of nearly all the manufacturers one after another. Needless to say, after ogling everything at the track (all the manufacturers exc. H-D had all their new bikes there plus the 50k or so bikes riddden there) and dealer row in Reno, it was exceedingly difficult to resist the lure of a new bike purchase, especially when they throw you the keys and say enjoy! Unfortunately, I couldn't resist the pressure and I succumbed...my Road King Classic will have a new sister by the end of the month, or so the local dealer says. |
