Last year we saw something in Moto GP that is very rare, 9 different race winners. If you had to put your money on that being the case this year, how many of you would throw your money down? The fact is, weather, tire choice and team experience played into the hands of a few last year that on a normal day, wouldn’t really be a factor. I would say if you were betting the over/under on different winners going into 2017 the number would be 5.5.

This year with the reverse starting grids that World Superbike will adopt for Race 2, we could see some people up front that we wouldn’t normally see. How they handle themselves at the start of the races could be intriguing. Dealing with the mental side of it will be difficult, because some of them haven’t ever led a World Superbike race or any race for quite a while. That said, it could also be a big boost of confidence, especially if they can hold their position and run up front for half the race or more and see the pace. 

So it got me thinking about how so many track day riders approach their days. One of the things that i see every weekend I am at the track are huge over exaggerations. Now, don’t think for a minute that I haven’t ever embellished a story or two in my life. But there comes a point that if you keep on talking about something that isn’t really happening, it could hurt your riding. How many times have you heard someone say, “I had the rear tire a foot off the ground when I was braking?” Its safe for me to say, I never see anyone’s tire off the ground. Many times I will follow a student, video camera on, and they will speak of a huge slide only to realize that the bike never really moved. 

So how are people going to advance if they feel they are over braking already or sliding out of every corner? Most are far off the pace already and what they feel versus what is actually happening aren’t the same at all. Where does it come from? Sure, we can make mistakes and make both of the above examples happen but they certainly aren’t things that are happening lap after lap. As you improve as a rider you will feel different things happening underneath you. You will feel different forces going through the chassis of the bike. With more force through the chassis you can expect to start going through different and deeper strokes of the suspension. These are a few examples of things that will change as you get better. This is why when I teach, I get people back to fundamentals, to get more feel of what the bike is giving you. Teaching people and giving stories of things that are happening at 10-20 seconds per lap faster isn’t doing that person any favors in my opinion. Its just clouding up their mind and giving them more self doubt of something they are waiting to feel for, or worse yet, may never feel – which then doesn’t give them the correct perspective on what’s actually happening.

I recently did a 1-on-1 with a very dear friend of mind and my morning talk was all about perspective and truly being able to define what we are feeling at the speed we are going. It was a difficult discussion for me if I am being honest, because I never set out to take the fun away from people’s riding. That said, my aim was to release some mental tension and really show what was actually happening instead of him thinking that something different or more dramatic was going on underneath him. The result was exactly what I had hoped for. In only our second session of the day he improved his lap 5 seconds from his previous best, that is a huge step and it opened up another level of his riding, I loved it!!! We focused on a few specific things on corner entry, some exit points and 5 seconds was easy. The great part, he did it with confidence and wasn’t putting a wheel wrong. I feel he is more mentally strong for it and now he can diagnose things that are actually happening. You will find the only time “big” things are happening is when slight mistakes are made. If we can cut those down your track days and race days will be much better.

Our first STAR school of the year is coming up March 13-14 at Chuckwalla and filling up fast. It’s awesome to see so many wanting to put an emphasis on educating themselves. I already know we have quite a few repeat students lined up and I am look forward to meeting the all the new ones. Our JP43 Training 1-on-1 programs have been sold out since last September and future dates continue to fill up – be sure to check our schedule at www.starmotorcycle.com. 2017 is shaping up to be a great year.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon at the track. 

Cheers,

JP

The post Perspective appeared first on JP43 Training.

Watching the races and being able to call them has given me a great perspective on everything I have taught over the years. In fact, it has given me a lot of confidence in the core fundamentals that I believe. Even more, I have been able to meet so many new riders, crew chiefs and mechanics. Its all been very positive. Thank you to all of you that have reached out to me with all the positive feedback and comments. 

I haven’t stopped riding though!!! Its been a busy year of riding and teaching since the clock hit midnight to start 2016. So many JP43 Training days packed the beginning of my year. I really have fun going out to Chuckwalla and being a part of CVMA. I am looking forward to the new season come September. Also, we did a great STAR school in May and we have another one coming up the weekend of September 24-25 that we should have a great turnout for. 

Along with what I have done in California I have been lucky enough to continue working with MotoVid at Blackhawk Farms in Illinois. I will be going up there 2 more times this year, once later this month and again in September. You can go to motovid.com to see what is happening there. Mike Casey and his crew run the best, safest track days I have ever attended. 

Meeting Carol Carpenter and being part of two great days up at The Ridge in Washington was a highlight. First off, the track is one of my favorites. Carol had invited me up to teach there as part of her Motovixens track day. We had a great group of all-female riders the first day with day two open to men and women, both days being fault free fault free. I was lucky enough to take Benny Solis and Caroline Olsen with me. We are all eager to get back up to the Pac Northwest again. Carol and I are already working on dates for 2017. Big thanks to David Kolb, Troy Cook and Jon Neeter for all they did to make that trip so great. You can read a fantastic article written by our good friend Anna Rigby (@redspade) from Redspade Racing about this event at https://www.bikeminds.com/thethrottlestop/women-only-trackday-ride-report

I know so many of you have taken the summer off as its been so hot but as it slowly comes to an end, its time to start setting some winter goals. Being able to ride all winter is something I feel so lucky to be able to do. As mentioned, our next STAR school is the weekend of September 24-25. This year, we’ve added new drills, and for our September school I have added a little something extra after working with and coaching so many new racers this year.

I’m excited for fall and winter to come as this year has flown past. I hope that you plan to include a STAR school or JP43 Training into your schedule. 

Ride safe, 

JP

The post The Year So Far appeared first on JP43 Training.

I was hired to go to COTA to commentate on Moto GP with Greg White. At 5pm on Friday we found out that we would be also handling the talking duties for MotoAmerica. There was some stress there because we hadn’t really done the rounds in the MA paddock so we stayed at the track till 9pm Friday talking to as many riders and teams as possible. We were back at the track early the next morning doing more of the same. When I did this job before I hadn’t really transitioned from racer to announcer yet so it was strange for me to talk with guys that I used to have to line up against. I saw them as competitors so I wasn’t comfortable walking into their pit space to ask questions – it was awkward honestly. It was even harder if I had some “history” with them. That said though, they were all great with me, every one of them. I never walked away from a podium interview feeling like there was any uneasiness, which was very cool.

Now I want to do the best job I can and I believe the only way to do it is to get to know all the riders, we HAVE to sell personalities. It is fun to walk around and meet all the new faces, I remember being in their shoes. Seeing the “tv” guys coming over to my pit was a big deal. Learning how to handle any situation be it good or bad was important and hopefully I can pass some of that along to some of these young kids. We don’t need robots, we need riders who can tell the stories of what we are watching and what they are going through. Some (ok most) of the Supercross interviews are just brutal to watch. You do have to plug your sponsors but your audience really wants to know what its like to battle with the guys you were just racing against. 

I am lucky to work with Greg. There is nobody that does his homework more than him. He is at the track at 7am getting info and pulling stories in case we have a red flag or some other delay. Usually he is the last one leaving also, finding out what happened during the day so it can be added to the broadcast the next day. It was strange for me at Road Atlanta, as we had 2.5hrs on air with only 2 races to cover that went about 40 minutes each. That is a lot of talking and we worried about what would talk about. But we both ran through it like we do at most of our dinners. Just two friends talking about the series and hopefully letting the audience know what is going on throughout the paddock. 

Our racing this year has been really good. Obviously with Toni Elias coming in as a replacement rider for Jake Lewis and winning 3 of the first 4 races that was big news. Both the Yamaha guys have had their struggles early on but got back on track at Race 2 in Atlanta. Roger Hayden hasn’t won a race, yet he leads the point standing and its really only a matter of time till he get his first win of 2016. Garrett Gerloff has dominated 600 Supersport so far with 3 dominant wins. Great to see a another new face in Valentin Debese from France running close. JD Beach has had some early struggles but has been piling up early season points and will win his share. 

The racing in 600 and 1000 Superstock has been our closes racing so far though. 3 different winners in 4 races in 1000 Superstock on 3 different brands, outstanding!!!! Bobby Fong, Josh Herrin and Claudio Corti will be battling all year as well as a host of others that have been in the battle. Hopefully we will see more of those battles on our telecasts and maybe as the series evolves both Superstock classes can have their own races again. KTM 390 Cup series doesn’t look like it will disappoint this year either. This is where our future National and World Champs are honing their skills and I am looking to see how this season plays out for them. 

Last thing I wanted to chat about was how Josh Hayes handled himself after his incident with Cameron Beuabier during Race 1 in Atlanta. Yamaha has to be so happy having two great Champions who handle themselves so well. Everyone in the paddock knows Josh didn’t do anything malicious. Its racing and things happen sometimes. When you have two guys so close in speed there will be contact sometimes. I am so over all this “incident between rider # and rider # is under review”. We can all see what is bad and good and I applaud MA for staying out of governing something that was a simple mistake in judgement. I will keep my Dovi and Iannone comments to myself but you probably can guess how I feel about it. At all my STAR schools I repeatedly talk about everyone not taking the same line. There is no ONE line. Call it what you want, the “fast line”, “race line” or “safe line”. It all alters all the time depending on bike, tires, rider or weather conditions. When Josh gave his answer about what happened between him and Cameron I was wondering how many STAR students thought about what they heard after they have been in one of my classes on lines. His quote “its what happens when you get two riders with two different riding styles on the same bike” Two Champions, two ways of doing something. Learn from that. 

Closing this down, thank you all for all the great and encouraging words after our first two telecasts. Yes, there will be mistakes but know that everyone at BEIN Sports are doing more to help our series then you know. All the staff at MotoAmerica are trying really hard to bring us a quality product that we can air and make your Sundays a little more enjoyable. As for myself and Greg, we are far from perfect but we will give you the best we can because we want this to work just as bad as every young kid that sees himself trying to make a future for him or herself in this great sport. 

Ride Safe, 

JP

The post A New Role appeared first on JP43 Training.

Watching that first race from Philip Island last week proved one thing if we didn’t know it already, Jonathan Rea is still the measuring stick in WSBK. I think everyone will have their hands absolutely full with a team that is used to winning and makes it seem so easy. Ok, the races themselves are tough work but the preparation put in prior to the event seems so effortless for Jonathan’s side of the garage. Being lucky enough to ride his bike last year and interact with his team I don’t see that #1 plate going anywhere in 2016. 

The races played out a lot like how I predicted they would with a couple surprises. Chaz Davies will be there all year long on the Ducati. The bike looked better to me then it did last year, easier to ride and not so much movement late in the races. This was also cemented by Giugliano’s 3rd place in race 2. My only concern for Chaz is that he doesn’t throw valuable points away late in races like he did at PI. It was small crashes last year that put him behind the 8 ball early and when you have a team like Rea’s you just can’t give them that advantage. Collecting podiums and running up your point total is so important in the first half of the year so you can make a solid run at the Championship towards the end of the season. 

One of the big stories coming in was Nicky Hayden and how he would transition to WSBK. I still believe in Nicky wholeheartedly, maybe I am biased because of my friendship with him but I know how hard he works. I think if you were to ask him, he would say his performance was about a B. He was there in both races but I sure would have liked to see him finish race 2 with a podium. Tire issues in Race 1 held him back in the second half of the race, so to see that his team was able to make adjustments for race 2 and keep the tires under him a bit better was encouraging. For as uncompetitive as everyone thought the Honda would be, it showed strong at PI. This could be because of how much PI flows. Once they reach some tracks with Stop and Go types of corners we will see if the Honda is capable. 

I’ve said for two years that Michael Van de Mark is the real deal and this could be his breakout season. HIs motivation has to be high with Nicky is the garage stall next to him and if they have updated the Honda at all this will only help his confidence. When I watch him, I can help but think that he truly isn’s scared of anything and will do what it takes to win. Winning Suzuka 2 times for Honda will keep him in there good graces for years to come so I feel he is riding stress free and not worried about his future, that goes a long way for a rider. 

Yamaha’s debut was what I thought it would be. I think they will struggle all year if I am being honest. The bike handles well but struggles in a few areas compared to a couple of the other brands. Josh Brooks took the Yamaha to the BSB title last year and made it look easy. That said, the rules in BSB really cater to the Yamaha. The power delivery and nimbleness of that bike suited the tracks in England and having no traction control was an advantage for the Yam. I believe they lose their advantage once electronics start playing into the fray. Other manufactures can control their power and make there bikes more ridable once electronics are introduced. I think former World Champion Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes will show some good results here and there but they are another year away from getting that bike near its dominance it showed in BSB. 

I enjoyed BEIN sports pre and post race coverage. I know some don’t have the network but if you can get it, do it. They do a great job of covering the events and having Moto GP, WSBK and MotoAmerica races all on the same network is a really good thing moving forward for race fans here in America. 

I have been really busy as of late and things are still coming together for 2016. Our 1on1 programs have all been selling out and it is really fun being able to create a more intimate learning environment, so easy to get to the root of any problems people are having. In the past few weeks I have been joined by Corey Alexander, James Rispoli, Benny Solis, Wyatt Farris and Michael Gilbert – quite the crew. Also, we have a very special JP43 Training event on March 21-22. We are limiting these days to 15 people so that the quality track time can be high. I have been attending the CVMA club races the past few months and our March event leads right into that. It has been very rewarding seeing the success of so many of our students on those weekend. 

Please go to starmotorcycle.com to see if there is an event coming up that fits into your schedule. Whether its a STAR school or JP43 Training Days we have something for everyone. 

Ride safe,

JP

The post WSBK kicks off appeared first on JP43 Training.

A couple weeks ago I wrote a column talking about the fastest and the smartest. How lucky have we been to witness this MotoGP season? It could only be more interesting if Marquez could have figured into the points here at the close of the year but as I have documented already there were to many mistakes made throughout his year. This past weekend in Australia the fastest (Lorenzo) won the battle and edged closer to who I think is the smartest (Rossi) in the Championship battle.  But man was it interesting.

Was that the best MotoGP ever? For me it was. From the very first lap I was glued and into every move that was being played out. Marquez is simply amazing to watch and the heart he shows is nothing short of incredible. What is going on with Lorenzo and Rossi right now is fun to watch. I still feel that Lorenzo has a bit more pace as was proven throughout the weekend from FP1 till the last lap of the race. We all knew Marquez was going to be strong but how about Andrea Iannone? That Ducati was so fast and with the big straights coming up this weekend in Malaysia, he could be a real threat for another podium. Iannone isn’t scared of anyone and has quietly had a great year based on consistency. If Rossi loses this Championship by 3 points, Iannone may have to turn in his Italian passport. I said earlier in the year that Iannone could win a race before Dovi, he almost did Sunday.

All that said, I felt Rossi had some pace that was going to push him to the front. It seemed he could go with Marquez but once Iannone went passed on the front straight just before mid race, things became hard. At Aragon I felt the same way but he couldn’t shake Pedrosa and Lorenzo was able to keep his lead around the 3 second mark. The only way Rossi will fix this will be in qualifying. He absolutely must get on the same row as Lorenzo or that will be his Championship run. Some people think I want Lorenzo to win the Championship but that isn’t true. Seeing Rossi win a 10th Championship would be so neat to see but I think the cards are stacked against him even with an 11 point lead.

Here is why. Rossi hasn’t won the season finale at Valencia since 2004!!! If he goes into that race with anything less than a 12 point lead he is in trouble. Lorenzo and Pedrosa have both won 2 times in the past 6 years and Marquez won the season finale last year. Someone beating Lorenzo at Valencia will deserve a big dinner ticket from #46.

This weekend is the one that is so crucial for Rossi. Sepang is a track that MotoGP riders test at more than anywhere else so there is no reason why everyone shouldn’t be fast right out of the box. Rossi said he was caught out in OZ in qualifying by some bad settings, shouldn’t have that problem in Malaysia. Also, it always seems to rain at some point at this race so a flag to flag race could be something we again see on Sunday.

CONTEST

So, with all that said and breaking down the two title protagonist, I was thinking we should have a quick contest. My great friends at Dainese have offered up a pair of Dainese Full Metal D1 Black/White/Anthracite gloves to the winner. They are the best gloves in the universe, they have the same structure of Valentino’s.

I want to know who will win the MotoGP Championship and what will their final point tally be? Any ties will be broken by who chooses closest to 2nd in the points and the point tally of that rider. This is where it sits currently:

STANDINGS

Rossi        296pts

Lorenzo    285pts

Here is the way the points play out at each round:

All entries need must be in by Friday October 23rd at 5pm Pacific Time. Your entry into comments will not show till after 5pm on Friday so no one can copy your guess.  Good luck to everyone that plays and hope that we get to see a great next two MotoGPs at Sepang and Valencia.

Cheers,

JP

PS We have some spots left in upcoming STAR Schools.  Check out the dates and get registered.

The post 2015 MotoGP Championship appeared first on JP43 Training.

I bring this up because as I watched Nicky Hayden announce his move to the WSBK Championship for 2016 I couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in his face that he wasn’t going to be riding the premier class in the world anymore. I am probably very biased but I believe in Nicky in whatever class he chooses to ride. I have taken him in my Moto GP pool for the past 4 years because I know the effort he puts in and the desire he has to still win. Plus, I’d feel guilty if I didn’t choose him, I think that much of him. 

I was Nicky’s first teammate in 1998. Sure, he teamed with his brothers before me but I was the first outside the family teammate. I had a decent year winning the 750 Supersport Championship the year before for Hyper Cycle Suzuki. When I found out they were interested in hiring Nicky I fully pushed for it. Nicky had a quiet confidence about him and was an absolute sponge. Ears were always open and anything he thought he could put into his arsenal he did it. He was crafty about it also, but always had that grin going. I won’t get into a ton of details but what I will say is that his talent and work ethic were amazing as a 16 year old.

Back then the grids were full of talented guys. Didn’t really seem to phase Nick, he was going to the front and learning as he goes. I remember a race at Mid Ohio on the 750s where we had broke away from everyone behind us. I was in 2nd, chasing him and believe it or not, I was laughing. Sure, you always want to beat your teammate but on this day, Nicky was better than I was. I chased him and we broke the lap record on probably half of the laps of the race but try as I might, I couldn’t catch the little punk. On the podium that day I remember seeing all his family and how stoked they were, I was ok with it. At Infineon earlier in the year it was the exact same kind of race but the other way around. Nick pushed me hard and I kept going faster but never saw more than +1 on the board. As I chased him at Mid Ohio I could see he learned something every time and was only going to get better. I loved being paired up with Nick and was sad it was only for one year but bigger and better things were available to him to further his career.

Nicky made me better those days even though to some it may have looked the other way around. I was and have been so proud to see everything he has accomplished. In 2006 I would get up early to watch all the Moto GP races. I think I woke the neighborhood when Pedrosa took him out at Portugal. My computer almost went through a window. But as usual, Nicky handled it with class, thanked Toni Elias for beating Rossi that day and moved on to the final round in Valencia. I was there the day he won the Championship, wouldn’t have missed it. As he sprayed the champagne I remember seeing all his family just as I did at Mid Ohio that day, cool stuff.

I know Nicky will be ready for the 2016 WSBK Championship. He will have a new focus and new goals. He goes on more PR tours than most and is so generous at every stop. Sure we have lost our last American in Moto GP but we have gained a new bit of hope in WSBK. The Ten Kate team is a World Championship proven team and Nicky will get the most out of that bike. Having a young and aggressive teammate in Michael Van de Mark will push him also.

With any luck I will be booking a plane ticket in the next few years to watch Nicky become the first rider to win both Moto GP and WSBK Championships. I mean how could I miss that moment of celebration with all the rest of the family?

Ride Safe everyone,

JP

The post Nicky Hayden appeared first on JP43 Training.

I mean, I realize it could always be better but this year has had some real drama. So far the biggest thing for me has been the weather. One thing I always express to young kids I get to work with is, “lets be the smartest rider out there.” What I am trying to say is, people remember Championships and ultimately that is what will pay your bills down the line. You can’t advertise 2nd place.

Well is it any doubt that the smartest rider this year has been Valentino Rossi? Maybe that is why he is 9 times World Champion. I have heard all the things said about how the weather has played out in his favor at some of the rounds and Assen is still something people talk about. To be a World Champion you have to be ready for any conditions at any time. When those lights go out at 2pm on Sunday the rider most plugged in will usually be on the podium winning or racking up the points. Valentino has done everything he can do to be where he is this year and it has been so cool to watch. Not sure how anyone could root against him. He has done more to put our sport on the global map then anyone and at 36 how can you not love how deep this guy digs? Be so cool to see him get a 10th World Championship.

Can Jorge steal the crown?

As hard as this is to write, I think Jorge Lorenzo will. His pace in the dry has proven just a bit much for anyone to match, even Marc Marquez. Jorge has the ability to go out and run lap times that are consistently quicker and he can manage a gap much like he did at the most recent race in Aragon. I wrote a column in June that basically said that Marquez can not keep riding over the edge. As a racer we always want to give 100%, but when you do that you run a very high risk of falling over. The Yamaha has improved and Marquez can’t run and hide so easy, and in fact it often looks like he is struggling to keep up. Just recently I heard a comment from Lorenzo expressing how he rides at 95% because he cannot be at the limit the whole time. If his 95% is that much better than the chasing group, it’s going to be a long 4 races for Marquez and Vale.

Now, heading into next week Marquez has injured himself again. Breaking his 5th Metacarpal in a mountain bike training accident only adding frustration to his season. I have never ridden at Motegi in Japan but it looks like a track with a lot of hard braking areas which will really stress his hands a lot. Having had surgery will help the healing but he hasn’t shown that breakaway pace anymore and riding injured won’t help that. With there being some big shake ups in the rules as well as tires for 2016 it will be interesting to see if he can get the feel he wants back in his Honda.

Rossi and Pedrosa

It would be crazy if I didn’t talk about that battle between Dani Pedrosa and Vale at Aragon, what a chess match. Seeing the passes from the aerial views showed me just how bad each rider wanted to finish 2nd. I wonder if Rossi could have closed the gap to Jorge had he been able to get through on his first attempt, we will never know. Since Portugal in 2006 I have essentially written off Pedrosa from any kind of fan aspect. He took out Nicky and I know racing is racing, blah blah blah. What he did that day to put himself in that position was inexcusable to me. However, on Sunday I was more than impressed and even found myself rooting for him a bit. Why? He was showing fight to the best Moto GP rider I have ever seen. Vale nearly always comes out on top of those battles and it was good to see a smile on the face of Pedrosa for once. He has had a great career but I think that ride alone in Spain could spark something for him. If he gets up and starts battling Jorge things could get very interesting. Also, there will be fireworks in that Yamaha garage before this is all over because you know Vale is not going without a huge fight.

So where do I stand on all this? My heart wants Rossi but I think Lorenzo has the best shot. Marquez will be hurting at Motegi but will win 2 of the last 3 I reckon. If Pedrosa builds on Spain’s performance he could be the real spoiler in all this.

So who is your money on? The Smartest or the Fastest?

Cheers and ride safe,

JP

Check out a STAR School and see what it takes to be the smartest rider out there!  BTW, the smartest usually turn into the fastest on any given day.

The post Will The Smartest Win Moto GP? appeared first on JP43 Training.

Last I checked this is racing right? When you take these two with 13 World Championships between them, was it to anyone’s surprise at all that they made contact in the final chicane? Even before reading both their takes on it I had my own view, and honestly, I haven’t wavered. As the final lap unfolded you could see Marquez was building up to make a last gasp effort at the famous set of turns that lead onto the front straight at the iconic Assen circuit. I have been lucky enough to race there and it gets very tight once you’ve tipped into the right.

Before we go further I have to say that when these two came together at Argentina I sided with Rossi. Why?
Because he held track position and if you watch closely, Marquez runs into the backside of Rossi’s bike. The throttle works both ways and Marquez who was getting caught at .7 a lap was desperate to fight back. If you’re going to fight back against Vale, you better make sure the cards are in your favor. Haters tried to say Rossi cut back across Marquez line but he had the track position and was setting up for the very fast next left.

Sorry but Vale didn’t do anything wrong in my opinion.

Now onto Assen last weekend, Marquez says he did all the right things and feels he won the race? Puzzles me. Had he not run square into the side of Rossi he would never had made the turn. If you go back and watch, he barely made the right as it was. Two things bum me out about Marquez comments:

• Sounds like Rossi shouldn’t have tipped into the corner

AND

• Rossi was supposed to just give up the corner

What if the shoe was on the other foot. What do you all reckon Marquez would have done? He would have closed the door, been hit, run off and sprinted to the line the winner. Had that happened his post race interview would have been of him smiling saying that racing is racing and he was happy to have won.

After all, Marquez doesn’t mind a little last lap contact, ask Lorenzo.

What Rossi did was show his experience. There was no way he was making the corner after the contact. It is a very short run to the line out of the chicane so he did what any racer would have done, he pinned it. What made it worse for him was how fast he went through the gravel.

Have you ever run off a track into 2-3 foot of gravel and slowed down? You have to go fast to stay on top of the stuff. Marquez could have ran off also on the grass and still tried to out drag Rossi to the line. If it happened all over again, I assure you he would. In this case there is zero chance Rossi is just going to let Marquez run into the side of him and go onto win. Race direction didn’t even investigate it and why should they? They have their 2 marquee riders running into each other in the last corner on the last lap of an epic GP. They could only hope every race is that close and surrounded by a bit of controversy. Had this been Stoner or Lorenzo there would have been some serious pouting in the winners compound after the race. Marquez and Rossi being the champions they are smiled, congratulated each other, did their interviews and spoke their peace. Fair play and roll onto the next round.

Do you think we would be talking about this if it would of happened on any other lap? Of course not.

Even if Rossi gained an unfair advantage and had to let Marquez by, he would have had to come to an absolute stop on the circuit before the start/finish line to let him go by. Then we would have seen the little scroll across the bottom of our screen reading “contact between 46 and 93 under investigation” just to add to the drama of the race.

I loved every part of the race. We have two guys riding at their best, how does it get any better?

Final notes:

• Lorenzo was a little off but it was just a bad race for him, he still grabbed a handful of points. He is going to be hard to beat but Rossi has closed the gap to his teammate it seems as far as set ups go.
• If Rossi continues to qualify strong he will make his job easier come race day.
• Marquez is running as spoiler for the Championship at this point, going to get interesting.

I’m just waiting till two Yamaha’s come into the final corner somewhere this year…………………

Cheers and ride safe,

JP

The post Marquez, Rossi, Assen – What’s the Fuss??? appeared first on JP43 Training.

With that said if I had to choose a “Rider of the Year” in June I would be hard pressed not to choose Jonathan Rea. The first year Kawasaki Rider has been nothing short of amazing and for those that haven’t watched, you’ve done yourselves a disservice.

Couple stats:

• 14 races run and he has won 10.
• Finished 2nd in the other 4 and is having the most successful start in WSBK history.
• One point away from having a full 5 race lead in the Championship, amazing.

Some of you will state that watching one person win every weekend has declined your interest in the series; you aren’t taking in the full picture.

Part of being a true fan is understanding when someone has stepped up their game so much that they make the rest seem substandard. Don’t get me wrong, Tom Sykes, Chaz Davies and others in WSBK are hardly substandard. These are guys with World Championships under their belts and many WSBK wins to their credit. But Jonathan has been riding a bike in the past that was 4th or 5th best out of the machines running. That caused him to override his equipment almost every weekend, the result, it made him more and more hungry. Now riding the ZX-10, with a great crew, he can push to those same limits and the bike will take him further with less risk. He can stick to a race plan and have the confidence in knowing that whatever he does he will be there at the end of the race with a shot at winning. His two races at Assen this year were unreal. If you get the chance, do yourself a favor and watch them both. To handle the situation he dealt with in both races and put up with the constant pressure he had was simply master class in my opinion.

It was great to see Leon Haslam winning at the start of the year. This again goes to show what a great rider on a great bike is capable of. That Aprilia is a proven race winner and Leon took it right to the front. He has struggled a bit lately through some injuries and such but is always a podium contender.

The two Ducatis seem to be finding their way as well. Chaz is the more consistent runner and after Thailand it appeared Ducati made a significant jump. At the start of the year the bike looked slow causing Chaz to override the bike, something you can’t keep getting away with lap after lap at that level. If a Ducati starts to win with any regularity it will be Chaz doing it. His teammate has proven he is fast over one lap in qualifying but seems to lack any real race set up.

The one rider that I love watching and have done some Twitter posts about is Michael van de Mark. Here is a young gut that I think will get on a competitive bike in the coming years and go straight to winning like what we have seen Rea do this year. Riding along with World Champion Sylvain Guintoli Michael has shown that he can run the pace and could be a factor this weekend in Misano. I love how he rides a bike and the controlled aggression he does it with.

There is so much good stuff to watch in WSBK at the moment so don’t miss out on some great racing because the Championship is essentially over. There are big rivalries, great story lines and more important, they are riding bikes like the ones parked in your garage so it’s somewhat relatable.

Predictions for the weekend:

• Rea and Sykes will have huge challenges from the Ducati’s at their home track.
• Chaz will be there till the end.
• If there is one track the Honda’s can sneak up at, it may be Misano.
• How will Biaggi do in his return will depend on how motivated he is, we know the bike is still capable.

Either way, tune in and watch because with Rea being so good right now, there is history in the making.

Be sure to enter your comments below and let me know what you think.

Enjoy the races,

JP

The post WSBK Predictions For The Weekend appeared first on JP43 Training.

I drew you all in with that opening huh?

I have to marvel sometimes at the keyboard junkies that pollute the internet. Just 6 short races ago, current and 2 time Moto GP Marc Marquez was all the talk, some even had already given him the 2015 Moto GP World Championship. Now, because of a few circumstances I read how he is done for the year and 2015 has turned into a test season for 2016. He is 50+ points behind and his early season struggles seem to just keep getting worse. But lets look at the real reasons.

I have said since watching Marquez on 125’s that he is the most fearless and naturally gifted riders in a long time. He has the ability to walk a tight rope over and over again and get away with it. Until this year, his finish percentage in Moto GP is amazing. Most of his accidents come in free practice sessions that most people don’t see. The way he rides on the edge has helped him win so many races because he can take big risks early in a race when the tires are good. From mid race on he is used to maintaining his advantage and running consistent laps. This year is different because Yamaha and Ducati have closed the gap to where the Honda doesn’t have as big of an advantage as it has in the past. His biggest disadvantage is he can’t run off and disappear like he has been able to do the past 2 years. Yamaha has improved its corner entry so much that when you watch Jorge or Vale get into corners behind the Honda it looks easier. When you watch from the camera mounted on the back of the bike looking back at Marquez he looks desperate on entry, his advantage is gone. The Ducati has also improved its front end feel and it gets off corners well also. Plus, its very very fast. The Honda used to be the fastest thing in a straight line, not anymore.

Lets keep in mind also, Marquez is 22yrs old, an absolute phenom. This is really his first hurdle since getting into Moto GP. He has a real fight on his hands and it won’t be easy. He is still maturing as a rider and will learn that you can only get away with things so much. I think his accident at Mugello will humble him a bit and make him better than he already is. He essentially threw away a possible 20 points, lesson learned. He is not done and will be back to win his share of races as the year goes on.

The next 2 Gran Prix will be interesting to watch play out. Can Honda regain the form and give Marc the feel he needs to push? We are only 1/3rd of the way thru the season with a ton of points up for grabs, it is still very possible he could go on and win his 3rd Championship and you know his rivals know that. To do so though, he needs to start making sure that every race will get him solid points. He needs to start planning to be in a position to win the Championship with 5 rounds remaining. No more mistakes.

The biggest piece to this puzzle for me is the fact that the Yamaha’s are ripping. This could come back at them though. Lorenzo is on form and riding with so much confidence, love how he rides. But, Rossi knows that he has to bring the fight to his teammate and we know there won’t be a quarter given based on past history between the two. They have a big gap over 3rd place in the Championship at the moment but that could change if the Yamaha boys start getting into some dust ups.

Lastly, looking at the Ducati’s, I am going to make a prediction. I feel that if a Ducati wins it won’t be Dovi who does it. Andrea Iannone has shown he has so much heart and he has the same fighting spirit as Marquez, Rossi and Lorenzo. If he is close at the end of a race he will stick his nose in the mess and won’t be scared to do so. His battle with Marquez at Le Mans had me screaming at the screen. All this while injured no less. His confidence is increasing every round and when he is 100% healthy I think he will cause a problem for the front guys.

Hope you all enjoy the next few rounds.

Ride Safe, Jason Pridmore

The post The Rapid Decline of Marc Marquez appeared first on JP43 Training.