WSBK at Nurburgring: SPOILER
09-06-2009, 06:27 PM
#1
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WSBK at Nurburgring: SPOILER
Great racing at the Nurburgring. Spies and Haga duking it out in race 1. I'm really pulling for Haga to get the championship, he's worked so hard over the years, and seems like a good guy. 2 points separating them after race 1. It doesn't get any better than this.
Then in race 2 Jonathan Rae takes out Haga, Dale Ernheart style, in turn 1. What a dick. This is not the way championships are supposed to be decided.
Then in race 2 Jonathan Rae takes out Haga, Dale Ernheart style, in turn 1. What a dick. This is not the way championships are supposed to be decided.
09-06-2009, 08:53 PM
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Well I really like Haga a lot and He deserves a championship, but this year I'm pulling for Spies to win it all.
Hate to see Nori go down like that, but Ben has had more than His share of bad luck this season.
Let's hope we get to see some good battles in the remaining races.
Hate to see Nori go down like that, but Ben has had more than His share of bad luck this season.
Let's hope we get to see some good battles in the remaining races.
09-06-2009, 09:17 PM
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Yeah, its a double edged sword for me. Of course I want Ben to win, but not the way it happened today. I figure Ben has many years to go, and he's just learning the new, to him, tracks. He's just going to get better, but Haga is 35 and there aren't too many riders that go much beyond that age. Haga always rides ***** out, but for Rae to try to pass on the outside, then dive inside and push Haga out, blind siding him, was chickenshit in my opinion, especially so early in the race. I'm sure Rae didn't gain much respect from the other riders.
Ben's probably got the championship sewed up now, barring any unforeseen mishaps. And he no doubt has more championships in his future.
And I hear you jbaxx, I remember Ben getting taken out by another rider earlier in the season.
Ben's probably got the championship sewed up now, barring any unforeseen mishaps. And he no doubt has more championships in his future.
And I hear you jbaxx, I remember Ben getting taken out by another rider earlier in the season.
09-06-2009, 09:21 PM
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Nori's teamate, Fabrizio, took him out while Nori was out hurt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVXeva8fmfU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVXeva8fmfU
Last edited by LineArrayNut; 09-06-2009 at 10:39 PM.
09-06-2009, 09:57 PM
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Everybody has a right to go for it, but there's good racing, like Ben and Haga in race 1, and there's dirty racing.
jbaxx, I don't know if you ever go to Speedway in Costa Mesa, but in the early to late '80s I hardly missed a night, it was Fridays then. Christian was a crowd favorite, but my friends and I never liked him because instead of using just his talent (which he had plenty of) to win, he sometimes rode dirty. Other riders like Mike Bast, Bobby Schwartz, Mike Faria, Eddie Castro, Shawn McConnell and more were good riders who didn't have to push other riders into the wall to win. That's why there was always a chorus of Boo's coming from the top of the bleachers in turn 3 when Christian did his thing.
If I didn't want to see anyone challenge my favorite riders, I'd be a Matt Mladin or Valentino Rossi fan, which I'm not.
jbaxx, I don't know if you ever go to Speedway in Costa Mesa, but in the early to late '80s I hardly missed a night, it was Fridays then. Christian was a crowd favorite, but my friends and I never liked him because instead of using just his talent (which he had plenty of) to win, he sometimes rode dirty. Other riders like Mike Bast, Bobby Schwartz, Mike Faria, Eddie Castro, Shawn McConnell and more were good riders who didn't have to push other riders into the wall to win. That's why there was always a chorus of Boo's coming from the top of the bleachers in turn 3 when Christian did his thing.
If I didn't want to see anyone challenge my favorite riders, I'd be a Matt Mladin or Valentino Rossi fan, which I'm not.
09-07-2009, 08:17 AM
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Good TV, but Rea should have had a drive-thru penalty.
The Brit cheerleaders get tiring, but are better than listening to Ralph Sheheen.
The only thing Speed could do to improve would add more Progressive Insurance commercials.
gonna block this one too?
The Brit cheerleaders get tiring, but are better than listening to Ralph Sheheen.
The only thing Speed could do to improve would add more Progressive Insurance commercials.
gonna block this one too?
Last edited by pigwings; 09-07-2009 at 08:21 AM.
09-07-2009, 09:06 AM
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09-07-2009, 01:11 PM
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Well, I actually hadn't heard anything about Haslam being peeved... I'm not... I just pointed out that as usual you see the dirty moves made on americans but just happens to blink when they play rough themselves...
Go back and look it over, Spies actually bumps into Haslam under braking which results in him going straight on... Like the Rhea/Haga incident it was a race incident and I'm pretty sure Spies had no intention on taking Haslam out or knocking him off track... But it was a rather forcefull determined and somewhat dirty pass if you ask me... He knew very well there was a risk of bumping together when he made that move...
Go back and look it over, Spies actually bumps into Haslam under braking which results in him going straight on... Like the Rhea/Haga incident it was a race incident and I'm pretty sure Spies had no intention on taking Haslam out or knocking him off track... But it was a rather forcefull determined and somewhat dirty pass if you ask me... He knew very well there was a risk of bumping together when he made that move...
09-07-2009, 04:14 PM
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Well, I happen to agree... He could very well have won... He was closing on Rhea when Spies forced him of track in the chikane on the 8'th lap and he rejoined in 4'th behind Checa...
It was a classic block pass, altough Spies was late into it and would have known he could either roll of and loose ground himself or try to make it stick and risk punting Haslam off... He took the chance... To me that's not a "hard pass"... That's playing rough... Look at the coverage from BBC2 or Eurosport and it's more than easily seen...
It was a classic block pass, altough Spies was late into it and would have known he could either roll of and loose ground himself or try to make it stick and risk punting Haslam off... He took the chance... To me that's not a "hard pass"... That's playing rough... Look at the coverage from BBC2 or Eurosport and it's more than easily seen...
Last edited by Tweety; 09-07-2009 at 04:18 PM.
09-07-2009, 04:45 PM
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You can't see what happened to Haslam on the Speed Channel coverage, but it did look line Spies blocked Haslam's turn in, forcing Him wide. Didn't look like there was any contact though. Did Haslam run out of racetrack there?
09-07-2009, 05:05 PM
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Well on the replay you can definetly see contact between Spies and Haslams arms and legs and Haslam getting distinctly unsettled in the middle of braking... After that Haslam disappears of track and the camera shows him rejoining behind Checa..
A "hard pass" is when you push someone wide to take a place... When you quite literaly push, it becomes a bit dirty...
A "hard pass" is when you push someone wide to take a place... When you quite literaly push, it becomes a bit dirty...
Last edited by Tweety; 09-07-2009 at 05:08 PM.
09-08-2009, 06:57 AM
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Guess that's why I didn't remember it... but at least a handful of online sources do report it as "hard". The Honda seems to be really making strides to be more competitive, so I guess anything was "possible"...
09-08-2009, 07:15 AM
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Like I said, I think it was borderline... If Spies was neck and neck with Haga in the points I'd say fine, race incident... But with Haga out, 8 laps to go, Spies cruising to the line to take a good lead and another rider on good points but in no way threatening to Spies... I think he could have waited for a better opportunity and skipped punting Haslam... But again like in all these things... The way we rationalize and the way you react on instinct in a race situation is different...
09-08-2009, 08:32 AM
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I don't understand why people get so torqued about contact in a race situation. You've got a bunch of guys, riding as hard as they can ride, looking for an opening to make a pass, trying to anticipate what the other rider is going to do, proceessing information at the limit.
It just amazes me that it doesn't happen more often. There is dirty racing, but contact in a passing situation can not justifiably be called dirty racing, even when it does cause a crash, unless it was blatant. It's a judgement call by outside observers. But in most cases it is a small lapse in judgement by the rider and a decision made in a fraction of a second.
Nicky Hayden's reaction, when Alex DeAngeles took him and Colin out was disgusting, pissy and juvenile. I haven't been able to watch the SBK races yet.
It just amazes me that it doesn't happen more often. There is dirty racing, but contact in a passing situation can not justifiably be called dirty racing, even when it does cause a crash, unless it was blatant. It's a judgement call by outside observers. But in most cases it is a small lapse in judgement by the rider and a decision made in a fraction of a second.
Nicky Hayden's reaction, when Alex DeAngeles took him and Colin out was disgusting, pissy and juvenile. I haven't been able to watch the SBK races yet.
Last edited by RCVTR; 09-08-2009 at 08:42 AM.
09-08-2009, 09:29 AM
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It was because it was the second turn on the first lap by an Italian worried about his job in the Italian GP. If it was on the last - or waning lap(s), I feel certain the reaction would have been quite different. Watch SBK both races in 30 minutes on speed.
09-08-2009, 10:30 AM
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The way I saw it Haga tried a risky inside pass in a place you normally take a wider line. He ended up running a bit wide, which gave Rae room to take it up the inside. Haga was trying to get back to the right to set up for the next lefthander and they ran into each other. Unfortunate racing incident, but I think Rae was running the "normal" line, while Haga took a somewhat unorthodox line.
09-08-2009, 10:32 AM
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Colin Edwards didn't get in his face about it. I can understand the disappointment, but the reaction was uncalled for.
SPEED doesn't show motorcycle racing in Colombia. Lots of NASCAR though. There's a really good FIA GT race on now. I can't figure out what the announcers are talking about. I cought the MotoGP race on ESPN2 with almost no commercials. I'm surprised they could fit it in between soccer highlights
SPEED doesn't show motorcycle racing in Colombia. Lots of NASCAR though. There's a really good FIA GT race on now. I can't figure out what the announcers are talking about. I cought the MotoGP race on ESPN2 with almost no commercials. I'm surprised they could fit it in between soccer highlights
09-08-2009, 10:34 AM
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The way I saw it Haga tried a risky inside pass in a place you normally take a wider line. He ended up running a bit wide, which gave Rae room to take it up the inside. Haga was trying to get back to the right to set up for the next lefthander and they ran into each other. Unfortunate racing incident, but I think Rae was running the "normal" line, while Haga took a somewhat unorthodox line.
09-08-2009, 11:03 AM
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LOL! Well, FWIW, the speed coverage today was fairly good on Spies' pass on Haslam (i musta been pissing or something sun.) they showed the pass from beginning to end at full speed twice and if they touched it was just barely from what I saw... and it was after Rea had ripped off a fastest lap and Haslam was (beginning) to lose touch a bit...in the waning laps... if anything, Haslam could have backed off, conceded the position, and kept 3rd place (from an admittedly non-racer's USA-centric POV)...
Last edited by LineArrayNut; 09-08-2009 at 11:27 AM. Reason: disambiguation
