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Post by chrisb on May 7, 2019 4:56:31 GMT
rant over as I prepare to do battle wth the Tuesday traffic -
but the BSB was really great -
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Post by charleselan on May 7, 2019 12:21:34 GMT
Indeed it was Chris, a fabulous race meeting that even put the excellent MotoGP event to shame. I viewed via an excellent online stream of the British Eurosport 2 transmission and could see that the crowd was huge, also Oulton Park looked absolutely magnificent.
In the two feature races for Superbikes there were some outstanding performances on this beautiful but challenging circuit. Firstly two superb wins by the really excellent Josh Brookes who looks completely at home on the PB Motorsport Ducati V4 Panigalé, very closely followed home in both races by Tommy Bridewell on his MotoRapido Panigalé V4. Tommy has always had the ability but has jumped far too often from team to team, either by choice or not, but has finally found a stable home and will be a force all season.
Another outstanding ride came from young Ryan Vickers who has replaced Moto2 bound Jake Dixon at RAF Reserves Kawasaki. Young Ryan has come directly from Stock Supersport 600 to Superbike which is a huge step for anyone, but he has been unbelievably good. Also a big upvote for road racer Dean Harrison who is finally beginning to put that talent into track racing. James Whitam mentioned that Dean could really become a good circuit racer if he concentrated on the discipline, and I can find little to disagree with that thought.
Now we come to Scott Redding. No doubt the many keyboard jocks on other sites will have a dig at him "only finishing fourth and sixth" but that would simply illustrate their absolute ignorance of motorcycle racing. James Whitam said that he was hugely impressed with Scott's performance all weekend, as did a spectating John Hopkins. The reason for this is quite simple as Scott has never ridden on the traditional UK circuits which are uniquely different from the European/Spanish tracks he was brought up on. The challenges of circuits like Oulton Park; Cadwell Park; Brands hatch and Knockhill are very different with undulating natural terrain and narrow track width and the close proximity of guard rails.
John Hopkins mentioned it was much the same for him when he left MotoGP and came to BSB, although he said that it wasn't so difficult for him as he had raced on similar circuits to Oulton Park in the USA in his early career, Mid Ohio for instance. Scott actually said that at times it was terrifying but he loved the challenge, and that the Quarry Hill section was completely different to anything he had previously experienced in his racing career. Therefore his fourth place in race two was a truly outstanding effort.
James Whitham mentioned during Sunday's qualifying that the UK enthusiast is very privileged to have circuits like Oulton Park available, which is something I fully endorse. Watching the racing here yesterday made the hairs on the back of the neck stand up, absolutely fabulous racing and exceptional live coverage again by the ever brilliant Eurosport team.
JC
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Post by chrisb on May 7, 2019 19:49:45 GMT
Excellent points JC, I think Scott drove a clever race one but you could really see the difference in Race 2, I really felt he rode really well and I reckon he will be winning by the next race at Donington, somewhere he knows and he is getting used to the bike, I am intending to be at that race, but the weather has been so poor recently and not motorbike weather inducing riding or similar, in other words its too damm cold and wet to ride my bike and one simply cannot use the car for a motorbike race meeting
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Post by charleselan on May 10, 2019 14:43:36 GMT
Excellent points JC, I think Scott drove a clever race one but you could really see the difference in Race 2, I really felt he rode really well and I reckon he will be winning by the next race at Donington, somewhere he knows and he is getting used to the bike, I am intending to be at that race, but the weather has been so poor recently and not motorbike weather inducing riding or similar, in other words its too damm cold and wet to ride my bike and one simply cannot use the car for a motorbike race meeting I hope the weather is good for you Chris, so that you can get to Donington, should be a fantastic meeting. I have a feeling that Scott is going to fly there as he knows the track, and as you say he really was getting into things at Oulton Park in race 2. Mind you Josh Brookes looks ominously good on the other PBM Ducati Panigalé V4R, very like he did in his championship year on the Milwaukee Yamaha R1. |
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Post by chrisb on May 11, 2019 5:55:55 GMT
i watched Josh in his winning year, seeing the finale at Brands, he just blew them off, i don't know why but for some reason i just was never convinced by him, don't know, sure its nothing to do with the ashes but...
it's WSB this weekend and so far has their star faded I don't even know without checking where they are, that series really does need a huge boost
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Post by chrisb on May 25, 2019 6:24:36 GMT
Donington he we come! good luck lads - weather forecast is iffy, but now perhaps we will see a bit more of a contest between Scott and Josh, looking forward to some really competitive racing and overtaking,
this is one of my favourite circuits, yes I personally prefer fast curves to slower corners but anyone who conquers the Cramer curves is a real racer in my mind
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Post by chrisb on May 26, 2019 12:16:46 GMT
Go Scott go, one down a few more to go,
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Post by charleselan on May 26, 2019 17:28:06 GMT
That was a great weekend for the Redding family  . Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now. Great coverage again by the Eurosport team but shown on Free to View UK Quest Channel; shame the idiot broadcaster had top throw flaming advertisement breaks in the middle of the races which are only 30 minutes for goodness sake, absolute crassness personified! |
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Post by Carl on May 27, 2019 5:43:19 GMT
That was a great weekend for the Redding family . Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now. Great coverage again by the Eurosport team but shown on Free to View UK Quest Channel; shame the idiot broadcaster had top throw flaming advertisement breaks in the middle of the races which are only 30 minutes for goodness sake, absolute crassness personified! John Charles, Very happy to hear all came right for Scott at Donington! Congratulations!
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Post by chrisb on May 27, 2019 6:31:26 GMT
what great racing, tight so competitive and fair, seeing now 3 ex-MotoGP racers there now, is this saying something? but Scott was magnificent, its not just getting his mojo back that is brilliant but his thought process, apparently he was already asking Shakey about the next meet at Brands,
i was scheduled to go to Donington yesterday but high winds and torrential rain put paid to that idea, maybe next time...
the supporting races were great too and Steve Day turned up as the commentator for the young talent race, but quite a subdued Mr Day and he seems to be calming down and I don't recollect one mention of Marquez, but Jack and James are just the best commentators going, really witty and knowledgeable with tempered enthusiasm, I do like Niall McKenzie as a co-commentator and would like to hear more of him- sad to hear Gino Rea commentating and not racing,
what I am puzzled by is how people like Tarran and Scott Dixon are winners in every category they have been in but struggle on Moto2 bikes, why is that?
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Post by charleselan on May 27, 2019 12:30:01 GMT
what I am puzzled by is how people like Tarran and Scott Dixon are winners in every category they have been in but struggle on Moto2 bikes, why is that? Chris, I think it is very much down to which team those boys are riding for. To me it is not always an answer to have what is almost a spec' series, as it isn't the level playing that some make it out to be. There are teams that have huge funding and those that have the top technical brains in them. Just look at when Marquez was in Moto2, his team was virtually a works Honda team, a spec' motor yes but everything else wasn't! When Jake Dixon had to rest for a round recently his place was taken by the excellent and vastly experienced Mattia Pasini, and he could do no better than Jake on the bike. Also most of the circuits are strange to those brought up on British circuits, the opposite to what faces Scott; Zavi and Hector etc in BSB. So it all works against them. James Whitam made some great observations over the weekend, as he always does. In one he said that BSB this year is so competitive that if anyone is slightly off they look average, which they are not. It is an absolutely amazing series now, and for me with out a doubt the best race series in the world; I can't wait for Brands Hatch in two weeks time. JC |
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Post by René on May 27, 2019 15:39:43 GMT
That was a great weekend for the Redding family . Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now. Great coverage again by the Eurosport team but shown on Free to View UK Quest Channel; shame the idiot broadcaster had top throw flaming advertisement breaks in the middle of the races which are only 30 minutes for goodness sake, absolute crassness personified! Congratulations! That is great news.
You always said Scott knows how to ride a bike!  |
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Post by charleselan on May 27, 2019 19:18:22 GMT
That was a great weekend for the Redding family . Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now. Great coverage again by the Eurosport team but shown on Free to View UK Quest Channel; shame the idiot broadcaster had top throw flaming advertisement breaks in the middle of the races which are only 30 minutes for goodness sake, absolute crassness personified! Congratulations! That is great news.
You always said Scott knows how to ride a bike! Cheers René, it was a great weekend indeed, I bet his grand father shed a tear as he gets quite emotional about Scott's racing which is very unlike him normally and us as a family. The trials and tribulations of Scott's MotoGP career will now hopefully be a dim and distant past. One thing that all people need is a feeling of being appreciated and respected, he has that in the BSB PBM Ducati Team, and he has technicians who have bonded with him as well. It was fantastic seeing those guys greet him when he rode into the winners enclosure after each race. If only Scott had that when in MotoGP he would be right up at the sharp end now, just as he was in Moto2 where he gave Marquez more than just a hard time. Talent like that just doesn't evaporate. |
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Post by mikael on May 29, 2019 8:57:37 GMT
That was a great weekend for the Redding family . Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now. Impressive to take all three heats/races! Congratulations! A question to all RRT members: Do you think Formula 1 and MotoGP would become better (more watchable / exiting) if the format was changed, from one long race to, say, two shorter heats/races, similarly to the BSB ? The one-race format of Grand Prix's - implying an "endurance-aspect" - is an old tradition, but I don't think the one-race format is what defines a Grand Prix. In motocross, for example, the rounds counting to the World Championship are also called Grand Prix's, but they are (and have always been) split up into two heats/races/motos. |
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Post by charleselan on May 29, 2019 15:33:15 GMT
That was a great weekend for the Redding family . Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now. Impressive to take all three heats/races! Congratulations! A question to all RRT members: Do you think Formula 1 and MotoGP would become better (more watchable / exiting) if the format was changed, from one long race to, say, two shorter heats/races, similarly to the BSB ? The one-race format of Grand Prix's - implying an "endurance-aspect" - is an old tradition, but I don't think the one-race format is what defines a Grand Prix. In motocross, for example, the rounds counting to the World Championship are also called Grand Prix's, but they are (and have always been) split up into two heats/races/motos. Thank you Mikael. Some interesting observations and comments you have made. Back in the 1960/70's when I went to a great many motocross meetings with my father & mother the big international events like the Grand Prix were run as you say as two legs (races) with eh winner and placings being decided by aggregate results of the two races. To be honest its as a bit unfair as if a rider say won or finished high up in one race and then retired in the other they didn't get a placement. I believe that is now a different situation with results being given for each leg (race) which seems much more fair. Superbike racing be it WSBK or BSB has always been run as two races, and now on occasion in BSB we have three races over a weekend. This is a really good format as it works for both the rider and the spectator; in the case of the former if a competitor has a bad race in one it at least allows a better showing in the other. For the spectator it gives an opportunity to see two races, more action and better value for money. As you mention Grand Prix Formula One was originally a race of endurance as well as speed, but as cars got quicker the races got shorter with regard to overall time so theoretically the endurance factor has now gone. Maybe they should have been run as a timed event, so we would have races lasting two and a half to three hours in length, as they originally set out to be. I have heard some talk of there being thoughts about a sprint race on the Saturday and the main race on a Sunday, not sure how the traditionalists would take to that. To me all this sexing up of F1 today to make it more appealing is not the way they should be going. There is a lot to be said for getting back to basics and starting from a clean sheet of paper. |
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. Three brilliant wins by Scott at Donington, and boy did that lad enjoy himself. He mentioned after race win number two that he is now beginning to feel like he did when back on the Moto2 bikes and using a similar riding technique; wide sweeping turns with his leg dangle to pull the bike in (that is his quote). I haven't seen him so happy in years, this is the best move he could have made, and seems like a no brainer now.
