8.17.2009

Back again?

Wow: 4 months. That's how long it's been since I've posted. I'd love to say my excuse is that I've been extremely busy, but that's just not the case. I'm just kind of lazy.

Lots of good MotoGP action has taken place since my last post about Pedrosa. Jorge Lorenzo has proven himself to be a viable threat to Rossi's title challenge, Stoner has a mystery illness which will keep him off the track for a few races, and Hayden still sucks.

I'd like to focus a bit more on the Ducati debacle. Since before Laguna Seca Stoner's been struggling with an illness that was diagnosed as anaemia (with some stomach inflammation added in for good measure). Stoner (according to Wikipedia) disputes this diagnosis, though I'm not sure why, and has chosen to miss Brno, Indy and Misano in an attempt to recover. Not sure what HE thinks he has, but apparently a break will help him recover. Mika Kallio will move up from the satellite Pramac team for the 3 races, and Michel Fabrizio will come over from the WSBK Xerox Ducati team to fill Kallio's spot. Confused yet?

Other exciting news is the addition of Canadian Adam Roberts to the 250cc grid at the Indianapolis GP. He'll be a wild card entry on a RAT Racing Yamaha TZ250. Roberts currently leads the USGPRU 250cc class with two 1st place finishes and three 2nds. He is also the definding USGPRU series champion. It's perhaps not realistic to expect Roberts to do exceptionally well against such riders as Simoncelli or Bautista, but it's pretty rare for a Canadian to be racing in MotoGP. In fact, I've been trying to find other riders that have done the same, and the best I can come up with are Mike Duff, "D. Lloyd", and Andrea Georgeades in the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix; Miguel Duhamel in 1992 (and kinda-sorta the USGP in 2007), and Yvon Duhamel, Miguel's father. There may be more, and if anybody can fill me in, I'd be more than happy to learn!

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