MotoGP Off-Season Thread

[sidewazzz]

With dramatic "9 seconds per lap slower than Marquez" music.

 

[MotoJP46]

Kevin Schwantz was supposed to be at the last test as a mentor to Blake as he's done for quite sometime now and CotA once again showed outrageous disrespect to a World Champion and someone who spearheaded TX in getting a circuit build. So sad to hear the real details.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151418731912961&id=61715682960

Statement by Kevin Schwantz

I have read several reports regarding my attendance at the MotoGP test last week in Austin. I would like to make this statement:

"I had been in Switzerland over the weekend where I was the guest speaker at the St. Gallen University. I returned to Texas on Tuesday evening and on Thursday I was at CotA for the MotoGP test, with a proper credential supplied by the Attack team, to coach Blake Young. Additionally I was an invited guest of the LCR Honda team.

While there, CotA security informed me that CotA management requested I leave the track immediately and was not welcomed at the circuit. CotA's security force also accused me of criminal trespass and warned I would be arrested the next time I entered the track.

This comes as a tremendous disappointment to Honda, Blake Young, and myself. Especially because I am single-handedly responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas and for the initial design of the facility to accommodate MotoGP racing."

 

[SuperMike]

^^
Gawd, that's depressing.

 

[firstbuell]

Kevin Schwantz was supposed to be at the last test as a mentor to Blake as he's done for quite sometime now and CotA once again showed outrageous disrespect to a World Champion and someone who spearheaded TX in getting a circuit build. So sad to hear the real details.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151418731912961&id=61715682960

Statement by Kevin Schwantz

I have read several reports regarding my attendance at the MotoGP test last week in Austin. I would like to make this statement:

"I had been in Switzerland over the weekend where I was the guest speaker at the St. Gallen University. I returned to Texas on Tuesday evening and on Thursday I was at CotA for the MotoGP test, with a proper credential supplied by the Attack team, to coach Blake Young. Additionally I was an invited guest of the LCR Honda team.

While there, CotA security informed me that CotA management requested I leave the track immediately and was not welcomed at the circuit. CotA's security force also accused me of criminal trespass and warned I would be arrested the next time I entered the track.

This comes as a tremendous disappointment to Honda, Blake Young, and myself. Especially because I am single-handedly responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas and for the initial design of the facility to accommodate MotoGP racing."

man if there was ever an excuse for a grassroots campaign, boycott, etc. -

well, this is it!!

34's a Texan & a MotoGP WORLD CHAMPION

 

[fast4ward]

man if there was ever an excuse for a grassroots campaign, boycott, etc. -

well, this is it!!

34's a Texan & a MotoGP WORLD CHAMPION

Totally agree. You don't treat racing royalty like that.

I've been toying with the idea of riding over to COTA for the GP in April, but not so sure the circuit will provide a good competitive race, rather than a tedious procession. Now this ?

What's the backstory on this? There's obviously some bad blood between #34 and the COTA management for some reason - anyone know why ?

 

[Zerox]

The money-making business side of racing can get ugly, like any business. Nothing personal, it's business.

 

[Variable]

Kevin Schwantz was supposed to be at the last test as a mentor to Blake as he's done for quite sometime now and CotA once again showed outrageous disrespect to a World Champion and someone who spearheaded TX in getting a circuit build. So sad to hear the real details.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151418731912961&id=61715682960

Statement by Kevin Schwantz

I have read several reports regarding my attendance at the MotoGP test last week in Austin. I would like to make this statement:

"I had been in Switzerland over the weekend where I was the guest speaker at the St. Gallen University. I returned to Texas on Tuesday evening and on Thursday I was at CotA for the MotoGP test, with a proper credential supplied by the Attack team, to coach Blake Young. Additionally I was an invited guest of the LCR Honda team.

While there, CotA security informed me that CotA management requested I leave the track immediately and was not welcomed at the circuit. CotA's security force also accused me of criminal trespass and warned I would be arrested the next time I entered the track.

This comes as a tremendous disappointment to Honda, Blake Young, and myself. Especially because I am single-handedly responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas and for the initial design of the facility to accommodate MotoGP racing."

That is soooooo WEAK!!!

If KS34 didn't spearhead this thing in the first place, we wouldn't even have a 3rd GP race in the states.

 

[firstbuell]

Totally agree. You don't treat racing royalty like that.

I've been toying with the idea of riding over to COTA for the GP in April, but not so sure the circuit will provide a good competitive race, rather than a tedious procession. Now this ?

What's the backstory on this? There's obviously some bad blood between #34 and the COTA management for some reason - anyone know why ?

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/183709/1/kevin_schwantz_files_lawsuit_against_cota.html

http://motomatters.com/news/2012/09/14/kevin_schwantz_issues_further_statement_.html

 

[MotoJP46]

Here's a little bit of what's transpired but just like Zerox said, it's all about making money. Kevin was forced to file a suit against Sexton (pres) and COTA as they “through tortious interference and fraud…encouraged Dorna to breach and purportedly terminate” the contract that Schwantz had to promote the MotoGP race"

It all started when Dorna moved against Kevin Schwantz and claimed he was never able to prove he had a contract to promote a planned MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas from 2013-2022.
http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_1301_kevin_schwantz_vs_cota/viewall.html#ixzz2LWMaFKpj

 

[burman]

Squids

 

[Raider]

Here's a little bit of what's transpired but just like Zerox said, it's all about making money. Kevin was forced to file a suit against Sexton (pres) and COTA as they “through tortious interference and fraud…encouraged Dorna to breach and purportedly terminate” the contract that Schwantz had to promote the MotoGP race"

It all started when Dorna moved against Kevin Schwantz and claimed he was never able to prove he had a contract to promote a planned MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas from 2013-2022.
http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_1301_kevin_schwantz_vs_cota/viewall.html#ixzz2LWMaFKpj

something that probably is being forgotten is all the issues COTA had while it was being built... somewhere way back when funding and ownership changed... I think something fell through the cracks during the paper work and a few contracts were canceled/nulled during negotiations... I have a feeling that was the beginning of all the issues...

 

[fast4ward]

Yes - I recall F1 threatened them with pulling out several times during the circuits construction due to problems with the management .....

Doesn't appear like there's been much improvement .....

 

[LongGoneJohn]

I would like to hear both sides of the story. There's more to it. CotA isn't just being a dick for the sake of being a dick. Kevin did something that pissed someone off, and now they're making it clear to him that they don't need him.

It may suck, it may seem a little crazy, but I guarantee you Kevin isn't completely clean in this whole deal. He is the little guy, sure, and he's getting totally fucked with now -- perhaps more so than he deserves for whatever it is that he did -- but I guarantee you he didn't just show up with that crooked smile on his face and CotA decided to tell him to fuck off.

 

[Raider]

Yes - I recall F1 threatened them with pulling out several times during the circuits construction due to problems with the management .....

not only that but construction flat out stopped for a month or so due to all the issues and uncertainties with management/funding/ownership/etc.

 

[sidewazzz]

I would like to hear both sides of the story. There's more to it. CotA isn't just being a dick for the sake of being a dick. Kevin did something that pissed someone off, and now they're making it clear to him that they don't need him.

It may suck, it may seem a little crazy, but I guarantee you Kevin isn't completely clean in this whole deal. He is the little guy, sure, and he's getting totally fucked with now -- perhaps more so than he deserves for whatever it is that he did -- but I guarantee you he didn't just show up with that crooked smile on his face and CotA decided to tell him to fuck off.

Isn't he sueing them?

 

[kelsodeez]

ATTENTION!!

if anyone needs a R4M account, pm me quickly. i generated an add code to give to someone else, but they havent used it. it expires in 12 hours and is no good after that. HURRY HURRY!

 

[Busy Little Shop]

Maybe Suzuki secretly hired BLS as a consultant on how to build them the perfect V4 motogp bike...

There are no "perfect V4" only the "ideal 90º and everything else...

Quote Jeremy Burgess 2012

"Every engineer I've spoken to about engine design for a motorcycle, and
that means Yamaha and Honda, they've all said a 90º V is ideal. So I don't
think we can blame the V angle of the engine in any shape or form."

 

[DaveT319]

I doubt we will hear "menace" b.s. about M.M. as much has we did about M.S., especially from J.L., who will be more worried about that other menace, V.R.. Besides, except for the rear end stupid M.M. move, I didn't really see him as menace. Let us not forget that M.M. passed an entire field to win a race without bumping anyone off track.

I've never though MM was a "dirty" rider or a "menace", but he IS an aggressive rider, in that he will go for that small opening and doesn't think twice about having to stand-up a competitor. And I don't see anyone having a problem with that. They are ALL like that, from Rossi to Lorenzo to Pedrosa even on down to Espargaro. Every single one of them, if they see an opening, they'll take it. This is in contrast to Simoncelli, who often times forced an opening that wasn't really there, which caused the other rider to sometimes crash (Pedrosa at Le Mans for example). That was why Simoncelli got his reputation, because he sometimes caused other riders to crash, or even crashed himself and took them out with him. That's something I rarely saw with MM.

 

[stangmx13]

I've never though MM was a "dirty" rider or a "menace", but he IS an aggressive rider, in that he will go for that small opening and doesn't think twice about having to stand-up a competitor. And I don't see anyone having a problem with that. They are ALL like that, from Rossi to Lorenzo to Pedrosa even on down to Espargaro. Every single one of them, if they see an opening, they'll take it. This is in contrast to Simoncelli, who often times forced an opening that wasn't really there, which caused the other rider to sometimes crash (Pedrosa at Le Mans for example). That was why Simoncelli got his reputation, because he sometimes caused other riders to crash, or even crashed himself and took them out with him. That's something I rarely saw with MM.

u should watch practice more. MM has asspacked a few riders during practice sessions and even caused crashes after the session ending. incidents w/ Kallio, Corsi, Wilairot, and i swear theres one im missing from 125 where he was disqualified/suspended. hes the whole reason why the FIM and/or Dorna instituted the rider penalty point system... that way they can, within the rules, punish a rider for repeat offenses.

that being said, i dont think hes dirty at all... just lacking good judgement. its not like MM makes riding errors when causing these crashes, and to do it in practice...

 

[Spec-ECU]

I have a theory that when the track goes green - doesn't matter if it's FP, QP, WUP, or the race - everything literally goes out the window with Marquez.

Dude's bipolar in and out of the track.