MotoGP: PI 2008

The 2008 MotoGP Championship Trophy had already been returned to Valentino, it didn't matter, I was going to Phillip Island to witness Casey win his home Grand Prix again and I wanted 'that picture' of Casey on the Rostrum in the No.1 position.

PHILLIP ISLAND MotoGP - October 2008: Casey had a difficult year for sure, winning the first round I thought he was going to 'do the double', strangely this years Duke didn't seem to handle as well, a few offs and the Rossi factor all added to Casey's woes. But I remembered the winning package from last years PI GP, total domination and well, I wanted a repeat performance!!!

THE DUCATI-STONER TEAM: Great looking machinery with a committed Pit Crew:


No.1 PLATE FOR NOW...	ATTENTION TO DETAIL	WHITE GLOVES!

THE YAMAHA-ROSSI & LORENZO TEAM: Beautiful Machinery and a tyre war in their own pits:


MICHELIN SLICK	LORENZO'S M1	THAT NUMBER!

OTHER TEAMS: Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki:


COLIN'S 100th GP	SUZUKI PLUMBING	HOPPIE'S INTAKES	ANT WEST'S KAWASAKI

ON THE GRID: Casey on pole, Vale well back following a practice crash.


CASEY AND LORENZO CONTEMPLATING	VALE GETS A LEG UP


DANI DIDN'T GET TO FAR	SHINYA NAKANO

ROSTRUM: Casey did it again, leading from the start and never headed, Nicky Hayden pressed hard for most of the race and Vale came through the field to ultimately pass Hayden to take a solid second place.


AN AUSSIE WIN, THAT'LL DO IT!!	ROSTRUM CROWD


GO CASEY!	CASEY, VALE AND NICKY.	YIPPEE!!

THE LEGENDS: It was tremendous to see Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Randy Mamola take an active part in the event, and I finally got to meet and shake hands with my hero WG!! OK, WG stalled the Fireblade off the line, we all do it sometimes, lol. Randy used the Ducati 'dual seater' to pillion many lucky? people around the circuit including Australian Olympic Gold Medallist Swimmer Leisel Jones!


HAVE THEY SPELT MY NAME CORRECTLY?	'OUR MICK'


WAYNE, VERY APPROACHABLE	RANDY, RIDER!	LEISEL, PILLION!

FUN STUFF: My walks around the Paddock uncovered the usual group of 'suspect' characters:


YOU EXPLAIN IT!!	THE DOCTOR'S SUPPORT CREW	AND HAIR STYLIST TO, LOL

FORGOTTEN ERA AND KENNY BLAKE: Yep, the Forgotten Era Guys were there again, superb machinery, Robbie was there somewhere and the display of a couple of the late great Ken Blake's Machinery was tremendous to see.


OK, I'M A CBX FANATIC	SO COOL, SYMMETRICAL EVEN	CB900, WG APPROVED!


THE 'IRVING VINCENT' MACHINE	R75/5 HEAVILY MODDED	ROBBIE'S GSX!


KEN'S JACK WALTERS SPONSORED, TZ	KEN, GREAT MEMORIES	KEN'S '73 TZ350

NEW MACHINERY: Woohoo, for the mortals, some new machines were displayed for the first time in Australia:


'2009' YAMAHA R1	MATT BLACK	HUGE EXHAUSTS, WHY?


'2009' YAMAHA VMAX	YEAR OF THE GIANT EXHAUSTS, OK ON THE VMAX, NOT THE R1!!	DIFFERENT, FOR SURE


'2009' GSXR 1000	GSXR 1000


HARLEY DAVIDSON XR750 'FLAT TRACKER'	'2009' SPORTSTER IN 'FLAT TRAKKER GARB'

I LOVE NEW TECHNOLOGY, TABLETS, LAPTOPS, DIGITAL CAMERAS, MOBILE PHONES/WIRELESS BROADBAND, GPS, ETC. ALL SO COOL AND 'PORTABLE'......