Come on MCN we need more threads on here with far more diverse articles other than the predominantly lead Rossi or Stoner ones– look at the variety of topics on crash.net if you need some ideas of how to broaden the forum and create wider interest in the sport.
Sorry guys I’m writing on this unrelated thread but its quite day at the office…….
I was just thinking about actual lap times during races, not superpole, hot lap, qualifying or whatever else it gets called – just race pace.
If you take Silverstone as an example over race distance the results are pretty interesting:-
Full factory Motogp bike: 2m 03.8
WSBK bike: 2m 05.6
CRT bike: 2m 06.9
Moto2 bike: 2m 08.8
Moto3 bike: 2m 17
Which means WSB are within 1% of the Motogp, CRT are within 2.5% and Moto2 are just 4% off the top time.
Here’s a few thoughts.
Why can’t we lose Moto2? The smallish disparity between that and Motogp is surely not big enough to warrant a different class and all the budget needed to run it..
Or why don’t the Motogp CRT teams race in the Moto2 class? Their pace is closer to that class.
I’m not sure CRT (over race pace distance) have closed the gap at all on the Motogp from the first race in Qatar,they were 4% behind and they still were in Indy.
CRT is great because it has brought Aprilia, Kawasaki and others into the Motogp class – sort of! BUT it hasn’t been the solution or success they needed it to be. They obviously should be allowed to experiment with other tyre manufacturers – CRT have different rules regarding engine numbers etc so why are they stuck with the single tyre rule?
When Honda start making the production 2014 motogp bike available, that then may be the end for a while at least of ‘full factory bikes’ and then maybe the CRT’s would be viable race fodder, but while we have full factory bikes I don’t see the 2 tiered system having the desired effect.
Or looking at the lap times of WSB bikes, why not save a bloody fortune and get the best riders all in that, think its fair to say the top flight isn’t producing the best racing in recent times so clearly something is not right with the motogp class.
Racing should mean racing but with a large basis of Motogp rules relating to engine number restrictions, electronics backing bikes down to preserve fuel to reach the finish line and rev limits – none of these things are designed primarily to promote great races and we see the result of this fat too often these days.
