No on-track activities on Fridays at MotoGP races
MotoGP organisers Dorna just announced that Fridays will be limited to "Promotional activities" starting in 2010. Dorna would also like to ban spare bikes at the races, as well as impose a three race per engine rule, all in the name of cost reduction.
While extending the life of the engines can make some sense, preventing the teams from testing on the Friday, after all the required equipment is in place and the travel money spent, makes little sense. And what about the tracks promoters who will now have less of a show to attract spectators on the Friday? Banning spare bikes is also a false saving, as the bikes could be disassembled and brought as spares in any case.
Other major series, such as F1, are restricting in-season private testing, encouraging teams to test on Fridays instead. And as far as the spare bike is concerned, preventing a team from racing after they have gone to the expense of getting to the track, as well as not fulfilling sponsor obligations to participate, is just plain silly.
Given such questionable clairvoyance from Dorna, it becomes easier to understand why MotoGP is in trouble, with small grid and decreasing spectator interest, while the world Superbike Championship is hitting is thriving.
John Hopkins switches to World Superbike
Former Kawasaki MotoGP rider John Hopkins will complete the 2009 WSB season aboard a Honda CBR1000RR entered by Team Stiggy, after failing to find a reasonable ride in MotoGP.
Kawasaki are keeping their toe in MotoGP Marco Melandri riding 2008 bikes for a private team, while Hopper will join three ex-GP riders and fellow American and current AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies in WSB, where Spies has ruled the roost so far in 2009 with three wins and one fall in the four races run to date.
Hodgson Injured In Training Accident
Neil Hodgson will miss the upcoming AMA Superbike race at Fontana after a training injury aboard... well off his motocross bike.
Jake Holden will replace Hodgson aboard the official Honda CBR1000RR until Hodgson recovers from a collapsed lung.
Rizla Back With the Suzuki MotoGP Team
The Imperial Tobacco grand will be back on the Suzuki GSR-V machines for a fourth year.
The team and riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are looking for better results this year after a promising set of pre season testing days.
MotoGP organisers Dorna just announced that Fridays will be limited to "Promotional activities" starting in 2010. Dorna would also like to ban spare bikes at the races, as well as impose a three race per engine rule, all in the name of cost reduction.
While extending the life of the engines can make some sense, preventing the teams from testing on the Friday, after all the required equipment is in place and the travel money spent, makes little sense. And what about the tracks promoters who will now have less of a show to attract spectators on the Friday? Banning spare bikes is also a false saving, as the bikes could be disassembled and brought as spares in any case.
Other major series, such as F1, are restricting in-season private testing, encouraging teams to test on Fridays instead. And as far as the spare bike is concerned, preventing a team from racing after they have gone to the expense of getting to the track, as well as not fulfilling sponsor obligations to participate, is just plain silly.
Given such questionable clairvoyance from Dorna, it becomes easier to understand why MotoGP is in trouble, with small grid and decreasing spectator interest, while the world Superbike Championship is hitting is thriving.
John Hopkins switches to World Superbike
Former Kawasaki MotoGP rider John Hopkins will complete the 2009 WSB season aboard a Honda CBR1000RR entered by Team Stiggy, after failing to find a reasonable ride in MotoGP.
Kawasaki are keeping their toe in MotoGP Marco Melandri riding 2008 bikes for a private team, while Hopper will join three ex-GP riders and fellow American and current AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies in WSB, where Spies has ruled the roost so far in 2009 with three wins and one fall in the four races run to date.
Hodgson Injured In Training Accident
Neil Hodgson will miss the upcoming AMA Superbike race at Fontana after a training injury aboard... well off his motocross bike.
Jake Holden will replace Hodgson aboard the official Honda CBR1000RR until Hodgson recovers from a collapsed lung.
Rizla Back With the Suzuki MotoGP Team
The Imperial Tobacco grand will be back on the Suzuki GSR-V machines for a fourth year.
The team and riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are looking for better results this year after a promising set of pre season testing days.