 |
|
||||
|
|
|
PHILLIP ISLAND WSBK - March 2009: WSBK without Troy Bayliss racing, it really did not feel the same. However there were plenty of new teams, new machinery and new qualifying methods. I must admit my main reason for attending was to witness the return to World Championship Racing of BMW and 'BM' had Troy Corser on one of their new machines!! THE BMW 'TROY CORSER-RUBEN XAUS' TEAM: Mighty impressed, the professionalism behind the pit wall said it all, BMW are here for the long haul. Everything looked very organised with typical Germanic thoroughness! The BMW S1000RR certainly looked well prepared for the season ahead.
THE YAMAHA 'BEN SPIES-TOM SYKES' TEAM: Corser and Haga moved on, no worries just hire some guy called Spies!! Wow, Ben Spies has come over from AMA Superbike Racing and amazed everyone. *WORLD CHAMP*: Sunday 25th Oct. 2009: Ben Spies competing at Portimao, Portugal, took the WSBK World Title with an eight point gap to Nori Haga, at his first attempt!!
THE DUCATI 'HAGA-FABRIZIO' TEAM: NO TROY BAYLISS, however the team just super professional as usual, Nori seemed to be fitting in very well thankyou! *DUCATI WHY*: Why, when Nori was so close to winning the WSBK Championship did the 'Ducati Team' allow Fabrizio to take points away from your Lead Rider, Nori, when obviously Fabrizio had no chance of winning the Championship. I just don't get it!!
THE APRILIA 'BIAGGI-NAKANO' TEAM: WOW, Aprilia and Max, a real surprise. Straight out of the garage, very competitive.
THE HONDA 'LEON (RON) HASLAM' TEAM: WOW, I was utterly amazed to spy a certain Ron 'ROCKET' Haslam walking along the Pit Apron during practice, so of course I had to track him down!! I had not seen Ron since the 1980 Castrol Six Hour (Amaroo Park, Sydney), that unmistakable walk, with somewhat reduced side burns of course! Had a quick chat about the Six Hour, Kenny Blake and that troublesome CB1100RC, (I know, '29 years ago', I gotta get out more), tremendous stuff. Leon, doing very nicely thankyou.........
THE TEN KATE HONDA 'SUPERBIKE' TEAM: Ten Kate have got to be the most committed, handling both the WSBK and WSS Series duties, Ronald Ten Kate appears to take it all in his stride however. Maybe they are stretched a little, four entries in WSBK and another four in WSS, eeeek......
THE TEN KATE HONDA 'SUPERSPORT' TEAM: The Supersport Team witnesses the return of Kenan Sofuoglu from the WSBK ranks, that's sure to reduce the chances of Andrew Pitt going for a third World Supersport Title.
THE SECOND HEAT OF WSBK ROSTRUM: Haga, no surprise. Spies and Haslam certainly gave an indication of their front running abilities for the rest of Season 2009.
THE FORGOTTEN ERA: They're kidding, never forgotten, the machinery (looking better each year), the riders (hanging in there!). OK the CBX was there again, love those sixes!!
THE AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE NEWS 'SUPERBIKE EXPO' : Always a great support event, this year a New Building with forced ventilation (yippee). Highlights for me were the first showing of the latest Honda Fireblade in REPSOL livery and a display of the Hailwood/Scraysbrook Ducati 750 (ex. the Castrol Six Hour events of 1977 and 1978).
THE YEAR OF EXTREME HELMET WARES, HATS & BRACKSEEE: I don't know either..........
|
|
I LOVE NEW TECHNOLOGY, TABLETS, LAPTOPS, DIGITAL CAMERAS, MOBILE PHONES/WIRELESS BROADBAND, GPS, ETC. ALL SO COOL AND 'PORTABLE'......
|
