2 wheelin'

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Moto2: Germany

Let us go now, to the middleweight category. The 600cc bikes of Moto2 are ready to race, in Germany, at the Sachsenring. We've got rain for this race and the air temperatures are just one to two degrees apart. 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. The speedway itself, is wet. Buckets of rain fell before the Moto3 race, which we will also cover for you. Who will reign supreme at the Sachsenring? Takaaki Nakagami is on pole. He's run well for the last three rounds, but fell in the morning warmup. It's misty and muggy here in Germany. The riders are on their sighting laps. The rain has nearly totally stopped.

Johann Zarco also fell in the warmup. Correction. More rain is now falling. Zarco, and Sam Lowes have both done extra sighting laps. Last year's winner of this race, Xavier Simeon, has looked really good during preliminary sessions. We know Zarco is good in the rain, and has won when the skies have opened before. Riders do not like to be classified as wet weather specialists. A good number of riders will fancy their chances of winning here in Germany. Johann Zarco rolls off second. Tom Luthi will be 12th. Luthi trails Zarco by 33 points after wrecking at Assen. Johann Zarco will be in MotoGP in 2017 with Tech 3. Alex Marquez has extended his contract, to stay in Moto2 for another year, with Marc VDS. We are missing a single rider from the grid for today's action. Danny Kent will not start this race.

Kent injured his ribs in a karting incident. He went to put his leathers on, heard cracking, and his ribs are injured. Lorenzo Baldassarri was not supposed to ride after a major wreck. He has dislocated his shoulder, but will race. Simone Corsi rolls off fourth. Fifth will be Franco Morbidelli. Sandro Cortese rolls off sixth. Sam Lowes fell in the morning warmup. Alex Rins, meanwhile, is third, on the outside of row one. Zarco and Rins are tied for the championship lead right now. This is the final race before the summer break. Again, Lorenzo Baldassari is seventh, nursing that shoulder injury. 29 laps scheduled for this event, one less than MotoGP raced.

Alex Marquez is eighth. Next to him, Marcel Schrotter. This is a home race for the 23 year old racer. Five riders had their best qualifying efforts of the season, to date, here in Germany. Takaaki Nakagami, on pole, along with Sandro Cortese (equaling his best effort), Hafizh Syahrin rolls off 11th. Jesko Raffin and Remy Gardner both had great qualifying runs, too. Jonas Folger also did well, but is 13th. Four riders actually are on their worst efforts of 2016 so far. Sam Lowes, Tom Luthi, Dominique Aegerter, and Ratthapark Willairot.

Sam Lowers qualified 10th. He had a couple crashes, and we have not seen him on the podium since Mugello in Italy. Once again, Jonas Folger is in 13th. He has not raced too well here at the Sachsenring. We will return to the Sachsenring in the future. But now, it is time, to race. Front row then, is Rins, third, Zarco second, and Nakagami on pole. Again, 29 laps the distance. 27 riders will take the start of this Moto2 race. So many riders could possibly win this race. It's going to be a barn burner. Everyone is on full wet tires. Updated weather shows air temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), and track temps of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Tom Luthi made his Grand Prix motorcycle racing debut, here at the Sachsenring, in 2002, at age 15. Points in Moto2 right now see a 126 point tie between Zarco and Rins, with Sam Lowes five points back on 121 markers. Fourth, 33 markers behind (on 93), is the aforementioned, Tom Luthi. Can Johann Zarco get to the top step of the podium and have a major lead by the end of this race? We're about to find out. A wet Sachsenring awaits. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! Nakagami and Corsi get good starts. Zarco could lead into turn one, unless Nakagami comes across and slams the door in his face.

Alex Rins is also on the move, going inside Nakagami into turn one. Rins goes inside Nakagami for second. They climb up into turn four. Sam Lowes has dropped four spots, from tenth to 14th. But, Takaaki Nakagami wastes no time, shooting from third, to first! Despite his dislocated shoulder, Lorenzo Baldassari is also making a good start out of this race. Jonas Folger is also on the move, from 13th to fourth. Franco Morbidelli leads Simone Corsi, as those two battle. The rain has stopped and the track here at the Sachsenring will begin to dry out. Sandro Cortese has Hafizh Syahrin to contend with. Ratthapark Willairot has jumped the start and needs to serve a penalty for that.

Nakagami is increasing his advantage over Alex Rins right now. Marcel Schrotter is trying to get by Jonas Folger as well. Corsi gets by Baldassari. Franco Morbidelli has also gone around Corsi, as Julian Simon is stuck at the moment, not making progress. Jonas Folger dives inside Johann Zarco. Marcel Schrotter does likewise. Nakagami is the quickest rider on the speedway running a 1:38.285. Zarco moves in on Schrotter, making the pass under braking into turn one. Rins closes on Nakagami. Heavy rain has begun to fall once more. Xavier Simeon is only 15th. He, and also, Tom Luthi, are having a hard time trying to find pace in the wet. After running fourth, Sandro Cortese has fallen behind, too.

Ratthapark Willairot has been given the sign board for his penalty. He has a few laps to obey the stewards, or, he will be disqualified and stop being scored. Simeon passes Luthi for 14th. Oh dear! Miguel Oliveira has crashed. Game over. A terrible weekend for Leopard Racing here in Germany. Oliveira was thrown off the bike, after gaining 17th place ahead of Mattia Pasini. He was literally thrown off the bike, and into a nasty tumble. Takaaki Nakagami leads over Alex Rins and Jonas Folger right now. Marcel Schrotter is fourth, having passed Johann Zarco. Sam Lowes is now back up into ninth place. Alex Marquez resets fastest lap, quite unexpectedly. 1:37.902. Willairot is in the lane for his ride through penalty.

Marquez on bike #73 runs sixth. Hafizh Syahrin has dropped down to 12th. Oh no! Another fall. Marcel Schrotter has ditched his motorcycle, which tumbles through the gravel trap. Poor old Marcel Schrotter, is understandably upset. He could have been on the podium, crashing out of fourth place. Turn eight is calamity corner, as Luca Marini is also having a good showing. Marini, a Moto2 rookie, had never seen the Sachsenring track before. Johann Zarco is under pressure from Alex Marquez. Nakagami lowers fastest lap down to 1:37.677. Points as they run, sees Rins take the lead over Zarco 146-139. So, a seven point spread. Sam Lowes is 17 points back on 129. Takaaki Nakagami gains a spot, moving to fourth, 43 markers down, on 103 points.

Sandro Cortese has dropped back behind Xavier Simeon. Jesko Raffin is up to 17th. Another crash. Xavi Vierge has fallen out of 18th, sliding off the bike in turn three. Simone Corsi has also wrecked at turn eight. What did yours truly say earlier? Calamity corner. Too much speed into the turn, and down he goes. Rins, Folger, and Zarco are volleying fast laps around. Zarco cuts a 1:37.435. Oh no! Another wreck. Takaaki Nakagami, down and out, as the front end washes away and the bike swaps ends. Nakagami will stay in the race, but he's way down the order now. The track is still really wet and some of these blokes have pushed it over the edge, which is why we're seeing so many spills.

When the rain stops, overconfidence kicks in, which will make it difficult for the riders to manage this race if they are at the front. Jonas Folger and Alex Marquez are improving their spots. Check that. Marquez had a huge wobble, and the rear of the bike almost unloaded. Speaking of the bike being unloaded, Alex Rins just barely saves his motorcycle from doom! Rins has backed himself into Folger's clutches. Folger's fans here in his native Germany, are sure to go bonkers. Only one German rider has won here since the German round of the World Championship, first appeared at the Sachsenring in 1998. Sandro Cortese was the German rider to win, back in 2012. Look out, though. Johann Zarco is coming in a hurry.

Oh man. Another fall. Sam Lowes has gone down. Lowes' championship hopes take a massive hit. Folger, Rins, and Zarco are the top three as we reached 1/3rd distance. Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez, on the Estrella Galicia bikes are closing in, and we could see a five way scrap for the lead, soon. Rins passes Folger for the lead. Rins runs out on the damp and fortunately comes back, maintaining P1. Morbidelli is gaining on Zarco. Meanwhile, Luca Marini has made it to sixth place. With 20 laps to go, we look at the top ten.

1. Alex Rins
2. Jonas Folger
3. Johann Zarco
4. Franco Morbidelli
5. Alex Marquez
6. Xavier Simeon
7. Luca Marini
8. Hafizh Syahrin
9. Julian Simon
10. Mattia Pasini

Zarco is taking time out of Folger. Lorenzo Baldassari, with the dislocated shoulder, has dropped to 13th. Morbidelli is chasing down Zarco, and is into his slipstream. Xavier Simeon resets fastest lap of the race at 1:37.096. Morbidelli is out of shape, nudging the back of Johann Zarco's bike! Axel Pons has wrecked and is out. Morbidelli saw a gap, went for it, got too close to Zarco,. and had to ease off the throttle. Poor old Xavier Simeon has also crashed out. Simeon had just put in the best lap of the race, to add insult to injury. Julian Simon, Luca Marini, and Mattia Pasini, pick up the scrum for sixth.

Zarco dives past Jonas Folger. Simeon won this race in Moto2 last year. Morbidelli is still sliding his bike around. Folger runs wide in turn eight, allowing Alex Marquez to make the pass. Alex Marquez may be in contention for his first ever world championship podium. Marini wobbles and slides out of the seat momentarily. Takaaki Nakagami has rejoined the action after his wreck, but is down in 19th spot. Sam Lowes, who also crashed, remounted his bike and is 20th. Xavier Simeon also managed to get back on his bike, and runs 21st. Rins has won here at the Sachsenring before, having taken victory from pole in Moto3 in 2013.

Simeon smashed the fairing on his bike, and he has no tail section. The marshals will give him a black and orange "meatball" flag for that one. 15 laps left with Rins and Zarco (tied for the points lead), running 1-2. Oh dear! Alex Marquez has crashed! He continues, but in replay we see the front end of the bike, washed away. Morbidelli resets fast lap at 1:37 dead. 1:37.092. Marquez is back into the race, but outside the points paying positions. Folger is third, and has dropped two seconds behind Morbidelli. Morbidelli gets by Zarco, and now, chases Rins. He brings fast lap down to 1:36.959.

Morbidelli nudges Rins, forcing him to sit up! Close racing! Zarco slides off his bike, as Rins flies by him! Morbidelli is trying to check out, but wobbles as he squeezes power on too hard. Tom Luthi is down and out. Turn eight bites another one. Julian Simon runs fifth. Mattia Pasini and Sandro Cortese fight for sixth. Isaac Vinales has made it to 12th spot. Jesko Raffin is 13th, followed by Remy Gardner. Gardner runs ahead of both Edgar Pons and Robin Mulhauser. We complete lap 19. Ten laps left. Franco Morbidelli is a former champion in the FIM European Superstock 600 series. Xavier Simeon puts in the fastest lap of the race, on his mangled Speed Up. Alex Rins' helmet visor is steaming up.

These riders are right on the limit, as Takaaki Nakagami will move back into the points, just 7/10ths of a second behind Remy Gardner. Rins runs wide and allows Zarco to pass. With eight laps left, Jonas Folger is finding a rhythm again. Jesko Raffin moves past Isaac Vinales for 12th. Folger passes Rins, and the hometown fans go crazy! Folger's glory is short lived, as he runs wide. Folger is having none of it. Johann Zarco cuts 3/10ths of a second out of Franco Morbidelli's lead. Oh no! Not another one! Franco Morbidelli, is down! He crashed out of the lead in the first turn! Johann Zarco, leading the championship, inherits first.

Folger is second. Rins is third. He back it into turn one, is in too hot, tucks the front end, and slides off the motorcycle. Morbidelli continues, remounting and getting back behind his Marc VDS team mate, Alex Marquez. With seven laps left, Johann Zarco has a one second lead on Jonas Folger. Folger isn't in the championship fight, and wants to win his home Grand Prix. We look again, at points. Zarco leads Rins by nine, 151-142. Sam Lowes is 30 points adrift on 121. In fourth, is Tom Luthi, 58 points behind, on 93. Folger is going to throw caution to the wind here. Six laps left now. Alex Rins is losing time.

Franco Morbidelli has remounted, and is 11th. Xavier Simeon crashes out for the second time. His secondhand Speed Up frame, has slowed down, and stopped. Folger is closing on Zarco. Zarco is managing this race well, and Julian Simon is riding well, too. Sandro Cortese crashed and then rejoined the race. Cortese had a low side on his bike. Alex Marquez crashes, again. Swiss rider, Jesko Raffin has moved into the top ten. Franco Morbidelli is eighth now, and ahead of him is Lorenzo Baldassari, in seventh, dislocated shoulder and all. Sam Lowes just entered 15th and is down and out again! Backing into the corner, the bike snapped on him and threw him down.

Rins puts in his best lap, but it's all for naught as he's crashed, hard! Johann Zarco has the lead of this motorcycle race, and he's going to be in complete control of the championship as well. That was a nasty wreck for Rins! His legs were caught under the bike! Zarco could win his third race in four outings. Now, another wreck, for Sandro Cortese, and yet another crash, too. It is Morbidelli, again! Egad! Julian Simon is now on the podium. Does anyone want to finish this race? Mattia Pasini is on for his best Moto2 finish, having won here in Germany in 125cc racing a decade ago. We are on the final lap of Moto2, here in Germany!

Folger wipes his visor. He has to go, now! Zarco is icy cool under pressure. Jonas Folger closes in. He wants to win, at home. It's win or bin, now, for Zarco. Zarco knows Folger is there. Folger's front end is pushing. What does he have left in the locker, to try and move in on Zarco? Folger will indeed have a go at Zarco just at the finish. Folger into the lead up the inside! Can he make it stick? He tries to, but no! He runs wide! It's a drag race! Zarco wins it!

#5 Johann Zarco FRA. Kalex

Zarco wins by five hundredths of a second! Julian Simon gets his first podium since Valencia 2012. Pasini and Baldassari finish fourth and fifth. Luca Marini is sixth. Wow! Zarco is amazing. Next up for Moto2, is the race in Austria at the Red Bull Ring. Will cover that one, soon. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

MotoGP Round 8: Germany

It has been a great while, since August. But, yours truly, is finally back, to blogging about MotoGP! Hoping to get the second half of the season, fully blogged, for the 2016 campaign, before the 2017 season starts in March.

Rewind, to July 17th, 2016. We have 30 laps to contend with, on a wet track, in Germany, at the Sachsenring, in Saxony, Germany, for round eight of the MotoGP World Championship. Marc Marquez is on pole, after crashing in qualifying. Marc Marquez made an unforced error, and the track is greasy. The front tire compounds are a bear. Valentino Rossi qualified third. We will race in Germany until 2021. But it is unknown where the venue will be in the future. Valentino Rossi was the last rider to win here at the Sachsenring, who was not riding a Honda motorcycle. That was back in 2009.

Rossi is a good rider in the rain, having won in the wet at Silverstone in the British GP in August of 2015. Danilo Petrucci rolls off fourth, outside row two. Petrucci is a great wet weather rider, but he doesn't dig riding in the rain. Pol Espargaro is next. He finished fourth at Assen in Holland. Maverick Vinales on the Suzuki is sixth. But he, and team mate, Aleix Espargaro, are not going to be fond of the rain either. Aleix Espargaro rolls off eighth. Andrea Iannone is fifth. Three-time World Rally Champion, Sebastien Ogier is here to watch the bikes race. Dani Pedrosa rounds out the top ten, but, he was the fastest rider in the morning warmup.

Jorge Lorenzo rolls off 11th. He's never won at the Sachsenring before. Seventh on the grid is the other factory Ducati in the hands of Andrea Dovizioso. Dovizioso's only MotoGP win, came in Britain, in the wet, at Donington Park in 2009. Yonny Hernandez rolls off 12th. Alvaro Bautista, Andrea Ianonne, Jack Miller, and Tito Rabat, will all race a harder tire. Marc Marquez has switched back to the softer option front tire, after trying the harder tire and seeing it didn't suit the motorcycle. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta is here, celebrating his 70th birthday. He's the man, behind the success of MotoGP.

Cal Crutchlow is 13th. Ducati team boss Paolo Ciabatti discusses tire strategy. Difficult to predict. Bradley Smith is 14th. Scott Redding completes an all British row five. Five minutes to the start of the race. Round nine of MotoGP, halfway through the season. Can Jack Miller win two in a row? Can Marc Marquez win his seventh straight race at the Sachsenring? The front row of the grid have all gone for the softer option front tire from Michelin. Hector Barbera is on the front row for only the second time in 112 starts. Marc Marquez, has pole. Get set, folks. It's time to bring the action!

20 bikes on the grid. Stefan Bradl, absent from his home race, after suffering a concussion in the morning warmup. The riders are on the warmup lap. Rain is in the forecast. This race will be very unpredictable. Let's have a look at post time weather conditions 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), are temperature. 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. A slight breeze is blowing. Points coming in see Marc Marquez in the lead on 145, 24 ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi, and Dani Pedrosa, are third, and fourth, respectively.

Steel brakes are used in the wet. No carbon discs when it is raining in MotoGP. The halfway race of MotoGP 2016, starts, now! Hector Barbera and Valentino Rossi both get good launches off the line. Rossi almost had the preferred line into turn one, but got chopped by Marquez. Danilo Petrucci is third. Rossi goes inside Marquez. Action is hot and heavy into turn eight where Marquez wrecked in the morning warmup. Andrea Dovizioso goes by Marc Marquez into turn eight. The plunge downhill into a turn, aptly called The Waterfall, because of the rain today.

Jack Miller has gone from 16th to eighth. Petrucci tries Dovizioso. He can't pass, but has gotten by Marc Marquez. Rossi leads. Dovizioso wants to pass going into turn one again, but decides discretion is the better part of valor, at least for now. Miller is now sixth! He's made up ten spots in just a handful of laps! Never mind that. Just in one lap! Jorge Lorenzo continues to languish in 11th. Dani Pedrosa is ninth. Scott Redding has not had the start he wanted either, down in 17th spot. Rossi leads. He's won at the Sachsenring, five times. He won on the old, shorter circuit here, in 250cc competition, way back in 1999.

Dovizioso tries the inside! Nope. Not this time. Petrucci defends from Marquez, who is making a move. Hector Barbera and Jack Miller are moving up, fast! Miller sets fast lap of the race so far at 1:35.177. He is 4/10ths quicker than Valentino Rossi. Yonny Hernandez has crashed out in the last corner. Game over. He led, in the first part of the Assen race, three weeks before this one, the last time we were with you, covering MotoGP here on 2 Wheelin'. Jorge Lorenzo makes a move on Maverick Vinales, and goes to tenth. Suzuki is having a tough time in the wet. Vinales, 11th. Espargaro (Aleix), 12th. Dovizioso likes this turn seven and eight section. He's trying to go by Rossi. Can he do it? Yes! Dovizioso leads in Germany!

Rossi loses three spots in three corners, going from first, to third. Jack Miller passes Hector Barbera, for fifth. Rossi goes inside Petrucci, who has lowered fast lap to 1:34.929. We've got one, long 14 wheeled bike here, with the top seven riders running nose to tail. Petrucci makes a move in turn 12! This is Rossi's favorite spot to overtake. Petrucci is a demon on the brakes, and goes inside Dovizioso! It is not game over for Yonny Hernandez. He's back on track with his spare bike. Hector Barbera and Jack Miller scrap for position, as do Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Iannone. Scott Redding passes Jorge Lorenzo.

Dovizioso is fastest on track at 1:34.252, while Petrucci musters a 1:34.285. The riders are now settling into a rhythm, setting the tone for this race. Dani Pedrosa is a four-time winner here at the Sachsenring, and has come second, the last two years. Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding are fighting for position, too. Jack Miller slides inside Marc Marquez for fourth. Hector Barbera is applying the blowtorch to Marquez as well. Petrucci lowers fast lap to 1:33.865. Riders on soft tires, as the track dries, are getting too much heat in their tires. They want rain, to cool their Michelin tires down. Working lap seven of 30. The rain has stopped. Rossi closes on Dovizioso.

Marquez runs wide, and opens the door for Hector Barbera. No dice. He doesn't slam the door in his face, but he pushes it closed, gently, shall we say. Marquez is the rabbit. Barbera is the hound. Pedrosa tries Ianonne into turn eight. Not this time. Next corner, though, he gets it done. We aren't even 1/3rd of the way home, and Rossi is reeling in the two Ducati's. Barbera passes Marquez and both are in hot pursuit of Jack Miller, the Aussie. Cal Crutchlow has moved up to tenth. Crutchlow squeezes past Pol Espargaro. Aleix Espargaro, now passes Jorge Lorenzo into the first corner. Maverick Vinales is all over the Yamaha. Lorenzo is the meat in a Suzuki sandwich.

Petrucci is running the hard front Michelin while Dovizioso is on the softer front tire. Miller is two seconds behind Rossi now. We see a big time three way battle ensuing between Scott Redding, Andrea Iannone, and Cal Crutchlow as well. Redding tries the inside, and Crutchlow wants to make it three wide, but wisely won't do it. Crutchlow is coming as we are 1/3rd of the way through this race. 2/3rds still to go. Oh dear! Danilo Petrucci, is down and out here at the Sachsenring! Game over, as he's wrecked in turn three. The front end tucked in, early into the corner, and down he went.
Petrucci is back on track, but out of contention for a win. Marc Marquez plows through the gravel trap, too! He gets it wrong in turn eight. Andrea Dovizioso leads here at the Sachsenring. He leads Valentino Rossi by 1.6 seconds. As we look at the championship table, Marquez leads on 152 points, over a tie for second, 29 points in-arrears, with Lorenzo and Rossi equal on 123 markers. Dani Pedrosa is fourth, 55 points back, on 97. Hector Barbera makes the move on Jack Miller for fourth. Barbera and Miller are fighting for a podium place, with Petrucci's exit from the race. An interesting gamble, reported from pit lane. Loris Baz now has intermediate tires, fitted to his motorcycle.

Petrucci is in the lane with a mechanical issue. His bike is on fire. So, he'll have to bail off that bad boy ASAP. The bike is indeed on fire, so the pit crew slams it with the extinguishers. Petrucci is back on his way, on the spare bike, thinking, "good thing I had a spare!" Barbera and Miller are closing on Rossi, and Andrea Dovizioso, leading, wants his second career MotoGP win. In turn seven, there is a dry line. But, as they get to the bottom of the hill, there's a stream of water. Conditions are starting to get iffy. Mechanics are prepping the spare bikes for intermediate, wet/dry conditions.

Oh no. Trouble for Andrea Iannone. Scratch that. He's coming in to change to the spare motorcycle. He is the first bloke out on intermediate tires. There's 16 or so laps to run. These intermediate tires won't last too long. It's more about how much heat can be built up into the tires as you ride the bike. With intermediate rubber, you should be more concerned about a patch of tarmac that is too wet, as opposed to being on a full wet tire and thinking, "oh no! I'm on a spot of track that is too dry!" Hector Barbera, could be headed for second place, if he can get the drive down the straightaway, and shoot past Rossi.

Barbera has the preferred line, on the inside. He's brave enough on the brakes, to make it stick. Rossi's pit crew has the spare bike with the intermediate tires ready to go. Loris Baz is only the second rider to switch to intermediates. The track begins to dry. In motorcycle racing, only the rider makes the decision. It's not like he has pits to bike radio. The pit crew can communicate among themselves on the radio. But, the rider, it's all in his mind, and his eyes, for what he sees on his motorcycle out on the track. Look for damp patches so the rain tires don't overheat and begin to chunk.

Dovizioso leads Barbera, who is also speeding away from Rossi. Cal Crutchlow is the fastest chap on the road, having taken fifth spot, from Dani Pedrosa. Crutchlow cut a 1:34.7 and is the only rider in the 1:34 bracket right now. Dovizioso has experience. He has won in MotoGP. He was a world champion in the old 125cc class, and a runner-up finisher in the old 250cc class. Lap 15. We are exactly halfway through this motorcycle race. Iannone has intermediate tires on both ends of his bike. Iannone is running about five seconds slower than Dovizioso. Dovizioso's latest lap time = 1:35.620. Iannone's latst lap time = 1:40.597.

Hector Barbera could get his first MotoGP podium. Loris Baz has a problem. Game over for him. Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller are 8/10ths of a second apart. Baz had a front intermediate and a rear slick! No wonder he trashed one of his tires! Tire choice and gambling on it, are going to determine the outcome of this race. Your top fifteen riders right now are:

1. Andrea Dovizioso
2. Hector Barbera
3. Valentino Rossi
4. Jack Miller
5. Cal Crutchlow
6. Dani Pedrosa
7. Scott Redding
8. Marc Marquez
9. Alvaro Bautista
10. Pol Espargaro
11. Maverick Vinales
12. Eugene Laverty
13. Aleix Espargaro
14. Jorge Lorenzo
15. Tito Rabat
'
Towards the rear are Bradley Smith, Andrea Iannone, Loris Baz, and Yonny Hernandez. Dovizioso is off the racing line, looking for water to cool his tires. Riders have swarmed the lane now, to switch over, and Marc Marquez is one, to switch to his spare bike with the dry setup on it. Medium compound tires for Marquez, using an intermediate front, and (gasp), a slick rear tire! Talk about rolling the dice! Andrea Iannone is out on intermediates. Bradley Smith now comes in to change bikes. He has intermediate front and rear tires. Rossi is also on two intermediates. Cal Crutchlow is steaming along right now, making a move on Jack Miller. Crutchlow, up to fourth!

Twelve laps left and Pol Espargaro bites the dust. He's crashed out. The difference now between intermediate and full wet tires is a full second or so. Check that. Espargaro is back in the race. Espargaro had the front end wash away, and slid on his bum, all the way down the pavement. Rossi is being told to pit. Box, box, box, this time. Whoa! Marquez has thrown caution to the wind, with two slick tires on both ends of the Repsol Honda! Scott Redding has two intermediate tires. Eugene Laverty has also pitted. Andrea Iannone resets fastest lap, on the intermediate Michelin's! 1:33.816! Will Rossi pit? Will Dovizioso dive for the lane?

Oh dear. Neither of them pit. Both carry on in the race. Wow! Rossi will make the decision. The team is only saying, by putting "box" on the pit board, "we're ready when you are." Marquez, on slicks, resets fastest lap, bringing it down, to 1:31 dead. 1:31.055. Marquez is running five seconds a lap quicker than the leaders. Prepare for a grandstand finish! Marquez sweeps by Jorge Lorenzo. He's on slicks. So, he's the bravest chap out there at the moment. Rossi is still on intermediate skins here. There's a local yellow flag, too, somewhere. Tito Rabat has ditched his bike, and crashed out. These leaders are still steaming along, having not come into the lane yet.

Rossi's spare bike is in the lane. But, "The Doctor" wants to stay out. We look at Dovizioso's front tire, and on the left side, the thing is shredding to pieces. Marquez is cooking. He's six seconds a lap faster, than the blokes who keep their wet tires. Maverick Vinales, serviced and sent. Ditto for Alvaro Bautista and Tito Rabat. Yonny Hernandez, now in the lane. A couple riders have gone to slicks. Dani Pedrosa is one. Barbera, Crutchlow, and Miller are running together, as we get down to crunch time here in Deutschland. Crutchlow passes Barbera. Is this whole pack, going to stick it out, and throw caution to the wind? Pit stops? No mas. Rossi goes around again. Dovizioso's crew says "box" on his pit board. Last lap for Dovizioso was a 1:35.3.

Marquez is flying. New fast lap of 1:28.525. Cal Crutchlow has made it to third spot. He tries Rossi, but holds his spot. If any of the front runners come in, Marc Marquez will inherit the lead of this race. Rossi, dives for the lane. Crutchlow, and everyone else, is in. Miller rolls the dice and goes for the lead. Is Miller in the catbird seat for another win? Dovizioso and Rossi are serviced and sent. Crutchlow did likewise. Marquez lowers fast lap to 1:28 flat! 1:28.002. Crutchlow runs wide. Marquez is up to second, behind Miller. Miller's caveat, is that he's on full wet tires, and Marquez was seven seconds faster than rider #43. Miller is going to gamble on this one.

Dovizioso now has an intermediate front Michelin, and rear slick. Rossi has two intermediates. Crutchlow should be on full slicks. Marquez is faster still! 1:26.750! Lorenzo is headed for the pits. The pace gap between the slicks and the intermediates is beginning to show, as Andrea Iannone was a full three seconds slower, than Marquez. Scott Redding is shown third now. Slicks is the way to fly here. Rossi has two intermediates on his Yamaha. Miller has pitted for slicks. Five laps left. Andrea Iannone and Hector Barbera are battling hammer and tongs here. Dani Pedrosa is also right there. Intermediate tires are useless because once the track begins to dry, you go to slicks. No questions.

Four laps remain. Crutchlow is a second behind Dovizioso. With Marquez whistling off into the distance, Rossi is going to take a hit in points. Marquez leads Lorenzo by 48, 170-122. He leads Rossi, by 58, 170-112. Pedrosa is fourth, not a factor, on 96 points as things stand before we finish here in Germany. Scott Redding will be second, scoring his best ever MotoGP finish. Crutchlow and Dovizioso are scrapping. These two were team mates, in years past, both for Tech 3 Yamaha, and for the factory Ducati squad. Cal Crutchlow has not had a podium since Argentina 2015. Crutchlow, fastest lap. 1:26.539.

Marquez will win this race by a country mile. Crutchlow wants to move at turn 12. Nope. Crutchlow down the inside at turn 13. Give the spot to Cal Crutchlow. Did Dovizioso miss a shift? Crutchlow runs a 1:27.686. Scott Redding best be ready for a fight in these closing laps. Crutchlow finished second to Marquez here in Germany, in 2013. Dovizioso had to back off, because he was wide and on a damp patch. Dovizioso has fallen to fourth since the track dried out. It wasn't long ago that Marc Marquez was half a minute behind. But now, he's way ahead of his rivals. It's the final lap. Crutchlow is all over Redding like a rash. Redding slams the door in Crutchlow's face. One lap left here at the Sachsenring.

Two Brits, side by side down the straight! Crutchlow gets past Redding. Pedrosa, Rossi, and Barbera, scrap for sixth. Crutchlow is whistling off into the distance, and leaving Scott Redding in his tire tracks. But, that being said, Redding is being hounded by Andrea Dovizioso. Dovizioso wants third away from Redding. Up the inside, and through goes Dovizioso, just before turn 12. Marc Marquez wins for the seventh successive time, in Germany.

#93 Marc Marquez ESP. Honda

Crutchlow equals his best ever result in second. Redding is third and furious after running out of grip. Iannone comes fifth. Dani Pedrosa beats Jack Miller. Valentino Rossi, Hector Barbera, and Alvaro Bautista, have completed the top ten followed by Eugene Laverty and Maverick Vinales. The gamble paid off! Jorge Lorenzo, had no chance, and was not in contention all day. One point, in 15th. Marquez leads by 48 points. Next race, Austria at the Red Bull Ring. Stay tuned for that.

Monday, December 12, 2016

MotoGP news after Assen and before Germany

Sunday, December 11, 2016

No Change In Superbike Gridding Procedure For MotoAmerica in 2017

MotoAmerica will stick with existing procedure for gridding Motul Superbike class in both races.

http://www.motoamerica.com/no-change-in-superbike-gridding-procedure-for-motoamerica-in-2017

Saturday, December 10, 2016

2000 Daytona 200

The 2000 running of the Daytona 200, the races 59th edition. Marty Reid and Thomas Stevens call the action in the booth, with Dave Rieff and Rick Debruhl reporting from the pit lane.

Friday, December 9, 2016

1999 Daytona 200

Check out the 1999 running of the Daytona 200 (the 58th edition of the race), won by Miguel Duhamel. The race coverage starts, oh, lap two or three, with Bob Varsha and Nick Inasch in the booth, plus special guest, 1993 Daytona 200 winner, Eddie Lawson, and reporting from pit lane, Rick Debruhl.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Riding Doug Chandler's 1997 Muzzys Kawasaki ZX-7RR

In 1997, Sport Rider called DC10's Ninja the "most powerful force in AMA Superbike racing."