Simoncelli: Love to hate him
by Throttle Junkie on Jul.01, 2011, under Intl biking, MotoGP
I’m officially the laziest blogger this side of the webosphere…I can’t say why exactly, apart from the fact that between working, partying and fighting the inescapable reality I will be 30 in less days, I somehow can’t muster up the motivation to actually put fingers to keyboard…
It probably also has a lot to do with the fact that my bike is still a heap of burnt spares somewhere in Pretoria. No racing then. And the fact that my clavicle resembles a piano keyboard, more than a collar bone. No off-roading either. So I’ve been out of action too – out of touch.
Out of sync.
Out of step.
Out of it.
Love him. Hate him.
Anyway, be that as it may – I do feel the desperate need to discuss Simoncelli’s ‘rise’ (and falls) to pole position. I think people are certainly divided here – there are those who think he’s a dangerous lunatic and others who think he’s a newbie, trying very hard to find that sweet spot that finally results in a podium finish.
I have grown to love this Italian crazy – he’s charismatic and in some ways reminds me of Rossi in his younger years. Maybe it’s the mop. That aside though, I admire his hunger. His ass is itching for that podium – it’s making him crazy. Like a teenager at a strip club…desperate and in heaven at the same time.
Let’s have a look at the stats:
Qatar – finished 5th
Jerez – DNF
Estoril – did not start
Le Mans – finished 5th
Catalunya – finished 6th (and his first POLE)
Silverstone – DNF
Assen – finished 9th (second POLE)
Problem is, since Jerez people have been complaining about his ‘aggressive’ overtaking. He’s had altercations with everybody, almost. Noteworthy was the coming together with Pedrosa at Le Mans – for which he received a ride-through penalty and Pedrosa received yet another collar bone injury. Earlier, at a post-qualifying press conference in Estoril, Lorenzo and Simoncelli nearly had a cat-fight. The two were spitting mad, and Lorenzo said Simoncelli’s riding style was aggressive, but “for me it is not a problem if in the future nothing happens. We will see what happens in the future”…Words that would haunt and obviously anger the current championship leader.
The second noteworthy engagement was when Simoncelli and Lorenzo had a coming-together in Assen last weekend. Both riders finished, but Simoncelli must have been super disappointed because he started from pole position and didn’t even complete a whole lap. He finished in the points (9th), but that is certainly not where he should be finishing…
Shiny Jesus only knows how mad Lorenzo must have been!
As it is, MotoGP.com has just released that Simoncelli is fastest in FP1 at Mugello today… Pipping Stoner and Dovi and Lorenzo (in that order) again. Check it here
I don’t think Lorenzo is at all happy about any of this! And I think it could get ugly. For all this crashing and (inadvertent) taking-out of the front-runners, Simoncelli certainly has added a new element to the points-standings.
We’ll have to see.
Exciting stuff though.
World of Yamaha’s Grand Opening…
by Throttle Junkie on Jun.13, 2011, under General Pics, Intl biking, MotoGP, Uncategorized, World Superbikes
World of Yamaha
We attended the brand new Yamaha facility near Woodmead’s opening yesterday.
WOW, what a showroom!
Everything Yamaha sells is displayed under one roof.
This facility houses a music department with a large selection of awesome instruments, beautifully displayed. I was very tempted to run up to a grand and start drumming out some ragtime…good thing I didn’t because I haven’t played piano in over 15 years. Could you imagine the masses running for the doors?!
Obviously bikes are widely represented. And yet, there wasn’t a single R6 in sight. Tsk tsk. Disappointing especially for a Junkie like me who’s nearly in the market for a new scoot.
If you’re into golf carts or outboards, you’ll find your particular predilection there.
Staff members looked sharp and hopefully their sales skills are as sharp as their kit.
PLUS – Valentino Rossi’s old GP bike as well as Jorge Lorenzo’s bike are both on display. And not even in a glass case! Yummy. Me thinks I want one, any one.
The theatre is also huge – simultaneous showings of this weekend’s MotoGP at Misano and World SBK at Silverstone were well attended. I think they have a really awesome facility.
There were one or two little hiccups though, the most annoying perhaps was the fact that the card machine in the apparel store was offline and the bar area could not process transactions on the apparel shop’s behalf. They might have lost some business and we didn’t get to walk away with our kit.
And then there was the Soweto Bike School’s antics, not all of which were considered appropriate. Burn-outs and general showing-off really made them look stupid. But I suppose we can’t paint everyone with the same brush. It’s usually one or two bad apples that give the rest of a group a bad name. Luckily Dave sorted out the nonsense and things could carry on in a civilised manner.
Apart from those two little hitches (one of which had nothing to do with Yamaha itself), I am confident that they will assist you with any of your requirements. Go and check them out here
It’s lekker to be lekker when you’re lekker 
Go and be lekker!
Isle of Man TT updated schedule for 09 June 2011
by Throttle Junkie on Jun.09, 2011, under Intl biking, Uncategorized
The Isle of Man TT definitely distinguishes the crazies from the rest of humanity…
If you’ve been following the action on the internet, you’ll know that rain has been causing havoc.
Here is today’s order of events (provisionally):
12.15 Monster Energy Supersport 2 (4 laps)
14.15 Sure Sidecar TT Race 2 (3 laps)
15.50 Senior practice
16.30 Subaru demonstration lap
17.15 SES TT Zero
(found on www.iomtt.com)
On discovering Twitter…
by Throttle Junkie on Jun.08, 2011, under MotoGP, SA Racing
Well, it seems that if you don’t do the social media thing, you’re missing out on something.
But when you finally do ALL the social media things – you end up feeling like you’re missing everything when your phone is further than an arm’s length away. It’s crazy.
Anyway, as it is I decided to create a Twitter account.
Now I’m following everybody from Chuck Norris to Reuters…but more to the point, you can follow the likes of Ben Spies, Nicky Hayden, Jorge Lorenzo and a whole host of Valention Rossi’s.
Because the Twitter platform is like a summarised FaceBook news feed, the info available is short and sweet – and up to date.
On the local front you can follow our pint-sized pocket rocket, Nicole van Aswegen (although her blogging content is a little sparse), Lance Isaacs and Clinton Sellar.
Go and follow them!
Drop us a line if you find any other local racers worth following on Twitter.
Wetspank (danke) Super Series at Kyalami tomorrow
by Throttle Junkie on Mar.05, 2011, under SA Racing
Oi. Get yourself off to Kyalami tomorrow morn.
Watch Nicole van Aswegen go wild on her new Trumpet in the SuperSport Class! By far the biggest attraction for any hot-blooded boyman. She’s having a great time on her bike, judging from the grapevine.
And then there will be all the usual antics! V8′s making big crashes, or at the very least – big noises.
VW is represented in all shapes and forms – even after big spills at Sunset in practise…
Then there will be The Spectators…watch out for picnic blankets and babysitters!! Sjoeweee.
Thankfully, there will always be a cameraman handy to capture the ‘spectacular’ fun ‘n games. See ya bright and early!
