| Author | Message | ||
     12r |
The big H are more than interested in signing the Aussie to backstop their attack next year. Rossi’s move on Gibbers at Jerez is being viewed as an opportunistic head-game that was directed at crushing Gibbers up-beat mental approach following his outstanding results in pre-season testing. And it worked. Multiple world champions are not normally known to be particularly sociable people and Rossi’s happy-go-lucky persona should not betray the fact that any benevolent attitude to his competitors will come to a halt as soon as that person ends up in front of him on the track. Honda need a rider who has an unshakeable mental approach to take it to Rossi and they don’t come any more intimidatory than Mladin. | ||
| Ebear |
12R.....where did you glean this info from???? | ||
| 12r |
Eric...it's still firmly in the 'rumours and allegations' category but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens. The Doctor is severley out-psyching everyone and at Assen he was more clinical than ever. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
in Mladin's own words he says he'd only consider MotoGP if the "right" package was presented to him, i.e. he's a hall of fame racer already, and he would want to ride for a MotoGP team with immediate hall of fame potential. nothing less would satisfy him, and nothing less would make any sense. Honda certainly has the pockets and cred to create such a team, but does Mladin have enough good years left in him to successfully conquer the very sharp learning curve in MotoGP? he's 35 years old, which, from a purely business standpoint, seems like a dodgy bet when you're talking about the money it must take to create and field a Rossi-beating MotoGP team. don't get me wrong, i like and admire Mladin, but i don't see this happening. would be cool if it did, tho, and i'd sure be rooting him (and Nicky) on. Eric, what about Zemke? think he's got what it takes to make it to the show? he's young enough, and gives good face on TV. has he got the talent to show Rossi that he's not really a doctor??? ride to lean, Ferris | ||
| BadS1 |
Zemke???I doubt it,but maybe down the line.I still don't think he is at Nicky's status yet and Nicky is struggling in my opinion.I have a feeling Nicky is coming stateside soon enough.The relationship that Matt has with Suzuki right now I think will not be hampered.They are also presently helping back Matts own team and thats doing alot.I really can't say who would beat Rossi right now.I think its going to be awhile though.Jerry Matt said in his own words that the right package has never been presented to him not that only if it was. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Matt said (and says) a lot of things; work contraints kept me from going into more detail.  Nicky needs to finish out the MotoGP season REALLY strong, so that the bike he rides next year still says Repsol on it. his 1st place finish at Laguna next weekend should make the rest of his season a lot more enjoyable, both for him AND his fans. Zemke, i believe, has the talent, and given the right package i think could be a factor on the world scene. he also has youth on his side, plus he gives good face when the cameras are on him. this shouldn't be discounted. sponsors want two things: for their boy to win often, and to have a huge, loyal fan base. i.e., be popular, charming, charismatic (like Rossi.) there are a lot of great riders out there who SUCK on camera (Colin, you need some help in this regard. one example: STOP RUBBING YOUR FRIKKIN' EYE DURING THE INTERVIEW AFTER FINISHING ON THE BOX AT ASSEN! respectfully yours, FB), and they typically don't get the gravy offers that someone with Nicky's or Jake's on-camera personna get. to be brutal, Mladin is too old to jump to MotoGP. there, THAT oughtta hack him off. c'mon Mat, prove that i'm wrong. PLEASE! | ||
| BadS1 |
Zemke is awesome camera personal.But he's not GP ready.He's still getting schooled by grand father time Duhamel.Honestly I'd wouldn't mind seeing Nicky return and see what happens to Matt.I think Nicky has matured alot since he has been in GP and could possibly show Matt a thing or two. | ||
| X1tx |
Matt at least needs to go to WSBK. Maybe GP if he can take his crew with him. If he were given a top flight team and bike, he could give Rossi fits after a learning year. Not sure Honda wants another 'learning year' though. Not sure they want to hang their hopes on Gibbers any more either............ | ||
| X1tx |
Agree about Zemke as well. No way he's ready for GP. Give Spies another year of so and...... | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Duhamel is living proof that i'm full of kaka about my "too old" statements above. good on him, and i hope he still has many years of showing the youngsters the fast way around a racetrack. Zemke is ready for MotoGP, but only if he gets the same thing that Mladin wants: the tools to win. sure, it'd take Jake some time to learn the circuits, and how to live large on a global scale, but he is, in my opinion, very much ready. i see Honda keeping Nicky next year, AND maybe making an offer that Zemke can't refuse? Mat? he's gonna keep on winning AMA Superbike championships for a long time to come. ride to lean, FB | ||
| BadS1 |
Why he can't win enough here yet.Yes hes up there right in the top 5 all the time but isn't showing dominance in any respect yet.He IMHO is not a Nicky Hayden not even close.I think Zemke will stay where he is at and take the leadership role in Honda's camp here.Duhamel will retire soon.He has said when he can no longer win its time to stop.But right now he is a force.Let him groom Zemke more. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
points well taken re: Zemke, maybe a couple more years learning from Miguel will do the trick. i really think Jake's got a bright future. sure will be fun to see all these guys at Laguna, am curious how the AMA lap times will compare with the MotoGP lap times. | ||
| BadS1 |
Jerry Haven't really thought about the comparison in times....interesting.Man I wish I could be there.Next year if they come I'll be on a plane fast. | ||
| Rex |
matt should try world superbike with his suzuki....rex zempke should go to moto gp...rex | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I do not see Mat taking any kind of offer from Honda. I do however, think it will be interesting to see if Suzuki offers Mat one of their MotoGP bikes at Laguna... I agree that Zempke is not ready for MotoGP, because he hasn't learned patience on the track yet. That is one aspect that Nicky had learned and why Nicky was chosen for MotoGP. Nicky is steadily getting consistant placements in MotoGP and stays close to the top 5 which is phenominal for someone who hasn't been riding those tracks since their 125 debuts. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
BadS1, i'm shipping a laptop to Monterey ahead of time, and with any luck i'll be posting pix each evening here on the Quick Board. sorry you can't be there, hopefully the pix will help you feel like you ARE. Rex, what should Miguel do? Wycked, can't see Suzuki being too amped about Mladin running MotoGP at Laguna, as the extra track exposure would only put his AMA championship at risk. Zemke will learn patience soon enough (to go along with everything else he already has). he's but a pup in the scheme of things, and besides, he's got the ultimate father figure to learn from. Nicky's gonna top the box at Laguna. man, the celebration down on Cannery Row Sunday night is just gonna be GRAND! pictures at 11. | ||
| Bomber |
go Nicky! bout time anuther flattracker showed em how, Im thinkin | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I could see Suzuki getting Mat to run MotoGP at Laguna to see if its something he would be interested in running, remember, it was HIS decision, not 'Zuki's that he wasn't going to run the 600Supersport class because he just didn't feel the bikes had the power for his riding style (His words when asked in trackside interview) Mat's reason for not jumping on MotoGP is that he prefers staying in the US, he isn't interested in traveling to all the tracks worldwide, which is why he has also turned down offers to run WSB "Why should I run WSB when I make just as much running AMA but have less travel time to deal with." | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
i'd LOVE to see Mat do the GP! fingers crossed, we'll see soon enough. what Bomber said. | ||
| Jima4media |
I'd love to see Mat in MotoGP too, but I don't think it will happen. I don't think he would switch from Suzuki to Honda the way Rossi switched from Aprilia to Honda to Yamaha. We'll see the lap times on Friday to see how all of these guys do against the best track in the world. Who can out accelerate while passing on a downhill corner? There aren't any straightaways at Laguna and even Mat admits it is not his favorite track. The guy I have hopes for in the future is Jason DiSalvo. He is small enough, young enough, fast enough, and isn't afraid to mix it up with the big guys. I see him on a Yamaha ride in MotoGP in the next few years, when Rossi moves on. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Jim, excellent point about Jason DiSalvo, I will have to agree with you there. He also has the same mature attitude towards his racing as Nicky Haden showed to get him where he is. | ||
| Gravedigger |
Doubt you see Mladin ride motogp in laguna. He passed when WSBK was there in conjunction with the ama a couple years ago. Either way, Can't wait to get out of here and head to cali next week!!! Keith | ||
| Jima4media |
Keith, Mat Mladin won't be riding MotoGP next week, but he will be riding the same track on the same day as Valentino Rossi, and thus you will be able to compare the relative performance of both riders. Benchracing is fun, but it all stops when they get on a track and someone pulls out a stopwatch. | ||
| 12r |
Mladin is 35 ? Whoa... At Mugello, Biaggi (33) made a remark about how unprofessional it was for some riders (i.e. Rossi) to stay out clubbing until 3.30 am on a raceday. After the race Rossi pointed out that some riders were young enough to do this AND win on Sunday and imagine what would happen in the race if they were tucked in by 10pm on Saturday (Max). The HRC prez said after Assen that Honda were 'closely watching' Hayden, Pederosa, Vermuelen and the 125GP guy. With due respect we can eliminate all of these from the equation which leaves us with...err Corser (eh ?) and Mladin. Rossi has said he will continue in MotoGP as long as possible (groan) so we *really* need another top gun in the mix sooner rather than later. And Rossi's contract with Yamaha runs out at the end of this season - will he move ? Suzuki ? Kawasaki ? WCM - wow ! | ||
| Trojan |
You guys seem to forget that Mladin has been in GP and WSB before and failed to make a good enough impression to stay. I can't see any GP team risking putting him on a top flight bike when there are so many good up and coming youngsters in the 250/125 classes. Just look at the list of good Superbike riders who have failed in GP's to even win a race, let alone a championship. Hodgson, Haga, Edwards, Xaus, Bayliss, Chandler, Hayden.....etc Also a lot depends on how much money a rider can bring to a team, regardless of talent. Therefore it is unlikely that an outspoken and not particularly 'press friendly' Aussie with no outside sponsorship will appear attractive to the major players. On the mental toughness angle, I think Rossi would eat Mladin for breakfast  | ||
| Gravedigger |
Jim, please email me, just noticed you were in San Jose. Shazam and I will be landing there around noontime wednesday the 6th. Our bike will be out there also. want some advice on the local roads since we will have 1 1/2 days to ride before motogp. kniewohner@famvid.com thanks Keith | ||
| Ebear |
TROJAN!!!Your "right ON" there,Mate!! Mat has tried and failed....However,lousy attitude aside(Jerry thinks that because he was cool "once" he's a good guy)he would give most GP guys a run for the money.He couldn't beat Valentino 'cause Rossi has little fear and a whole buncha' natural talent.As you know it took Mat a long career to get this good and he relies on Psych'ing his opponents and treating most others like dirt to put his mind in the "I hate you all and I'm gonna wup on you" attitude necessary for his winning.Don't get me wrong,I recognize his talent and respect him for doing so well.I just feel that after being held back in grade school 3-4 times,it's about time they force you to move on and race where you'll find some competition.Alot of racers want to hold on when they got a good run going but then it would look like if Rossi had stuck with Honda for more years....it would make the races EXTREMELY boring.A real racer does exactly what Valentino did!!!!!MOVE ON....FIND A NEW CHALLENGE!!!Valentino is younger ,sure,but I doubt if there was a more challenging type of 'cycle racing that Rossi wouldn't be giving it a shot!I've only seen an OK attitude out of Mat if he was on Camera or if there were girls present.Even around his pit his attitude in poor.OK,I guess you can tell I really don't like the Guy....I used to respect him but now he's just a whiny,bad attitude ,rude aussie that gives other aussie racers a bad name.He should be more like the Goberts...cool guys with time for their} fans...Buckmaster seems to be taking lessons from Mat recently too.....Not too cool at RA. | ||
| Blublak |
Duhamel as grandfather time..  Damn, he's my age.. I guess that makes a lot of us too damn old to ride a bike anymore.. But, like Miguel, I'm gonna be stubborn and keep riding till I can't do it any more.. As far as Mladin and GP goes, I have to agree. Why would he WANT to go back there? He's got the AMA tracks down almost cold. He's got a phenomenal bike and team and just can't seem to ride slow enough to let people catch up to him. Think about his wins this season, what kind of deal would it have to be to make him leave his comfortable life here?  I don't even think Suzuki could put up THAT kind of scratch. I also agree that Zemke needs a little more time here, although, if someone were to offer him a WSB or GP ride he would be able to put in a respectable showing. As for the rest of the young guns riding now, anything could happen. I don't see any sudden changes in the AMA rider list,  maybe changes in teams but not people hopping the big bird to Europe to start a new set of wars on unknown turf. This weekend will be very interesting, being able to compare the GP times to the AMA times.. The only thing is for most of the GP riders, it's their first time at the track isn't it? And how many times have Mladin, Zemke, Duhamel et al gone around that bit of real estate? Just a thought..  But I think it would be kind of neat to run an IROC kind of race. Pick a track that no one regularly runs (or one where they all run) and give each rider an identical bike and see who's on the box when the smoke clears.. Ooooohhhh.. There's an idea.. (not that the mothership will ever do it) The Buell International Race of Champions! Each rider gets an identically set up Buell Firebolt (race prepped of course) and then has two days to learn the track, qualify and on the third day.. Race.. Invite the best from all over the world and let em duke it out.. hehehehe.. Ok, enough dreaming for now.. | ||
| X1tx |
Matt couldn't run the Suzuki GP bike at Laguna as he's contracted with Dunlop and their GP team uses the 'Stones. Don't even think Dunlop makes MotoGP tires. They're big in the 125/250 classes, but not a player in MotoGP. Agree that Matt is rude. Then again, he's VERY focused. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
name a time that Mat was rude this season, or last season. you can't. he is business-like, to be sure, focused, driven, determined. his "handlers" worked on him during the '03 season, correctly reasoning that his rudeness at that time was TOO much to be marketable, and Mat, being the consummate professional, learned a kinder, gentler way to continue to dominate his sport. yep, he's STILL cool. btw, he races motorcycles for a living. i.e., it's his job. he's worked hard to be successful, and to provide for himself and his family. should he move on to another gig and start over JUST because he's dominating his workplace? would any of YOU quit your job for the same reason? |
