Thursday, April 30, 2009

Ben Spies Crash at Assen WSBK Race 2





As we check out Ben Spies leading Mat Mladin and Miguel
Duhamel at Road America in race 1 of the 2006 w/e, I found a
link from the fine folks at www.superbikeplanet.com that they posted
from YouTube.com on Ben's race 2 crash at Assen this last w/e. Pretty
nasty tumble for sure and he AND we are all lucky he wasn't hurt worse
than what it appears on the video. Check it out....and pucker up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEh92QVQTDo

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Ben Spies Rolls in Assen to Take World Superbike Superpole #4









As we view some various shots of Ben Spies at Road America in
June of '06--the early part of the year when he won his 1st AMA
Superbike Championship--word comes from across the pond that
Ben Spies not only led all sessions of practice and qualifying this w/e
at Assen, but also managed to take his 4th event Superpole of the year.
And this on a track that before Thursday he had never seen in person.
Great stuff from the Tall Texan who the world is getting to know why he
is called 'Elbows,' as these shots will indeed reinforce. To view the results of
the races in the World Superbike Championship, take a look here:
You can also click on their 'home' page tag to take you to the live timing which
is available during the events of the weekend. The races for Sunday, April 26th
are due to roll off at 0600 EDT and 0930 EDT. Unfortunately, due to licensing
restrictions, the live feed available to other parts of the world are not to us here in
the U.S. But..........they are on tape-delayed on Sunday 4/26 on SpeedTV at 3 and 4
P.M. ET. And for you night owls repeated on Tuesday 4/28 at 0300 and 0400 ET.
So stay tuned as Mr. Spies highlights and shows his talent to the rest of the world for
part 4 of the 14 part World Superbike Series of 2009. You will not be dissapointed in
watching what this very talented young man can do!
The above shots were taken as mentioned at Road America--all of them in turn 14 before or
in mid-corner which leads onto the 3700 foot front stretch in Elkhart Lake, WI. The first two
shots you see Ben leading Miguel Duhamel on the #17 Team Honda CBR1000RR. In the first
shot you will also see multi-time AMA FX Champion Jake Zemke on the #98 Team Honda
CBR1000RR trying to keep them within sight. These two were taken during race 2 on Sunday
afternoon of the weekend. In the other shots, Mr. Elbows is in various forms of practice or qualifying on Friday and Saturday of the w/e event.
So tune in as we see the Tall Texas Elbows Man take on the world again and show them
what the fine state of Texas, as well as the once-fine AMA Road Racing Series has turned out
in the way of talent. Let the pain begin......

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Race Fan TV Schedule Link Added

Check out the left side column for the link to all motorsports
content as available on TV. This site is a must for the hard core
and average TIVOers. You can actually know when your upcoming
favorite race(s) will be on. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Moto GP 2009 Starts This Weekend in Qatar









As we view various shots of Nicky Hayden, #69 and
the '02 AMA Superbike Champion and '06 World MotoGP
Champion, we look forward to the MotoGP 2009 Season
starting up this w/e in Losail, Qatar. You can follow the
events of the w/e via the MotoGP feeds on the left side of the
column, or go to http://www.motogp.com/ for the current schedule,
which is available either in local time (+3 GMT) or by clicking
on the link and having it translated to your local time in your
area. You can also follow through Nicky's website (http://www.nickyhayden.com/)
as well as through the other various road racing links and tabs on the left
side, as well, here. The race will also be tape-delayed on SpeedTV on
Sunday 4/12/09 @ 2200 EDT with the usual repeats on Tuesday 4/14
in the afternoon.
This is Nicky's first year since '97 riding anything other then a
racing motorcycle with the famous Honda wings on it. Over the
course of the end of last season we learned he was making the switch
to the Ducati team after having spent over a decade riding Hondas.
The switch has been a challenge, but like all else Nicky has ridden over the
years he will come to grips and should prove to be a contender after
some real track time.
The above shots were taken over the course of the last 11 years of Nicky
throughout several stages of his career. Starting off is Nicky leading James
Toseland on the #52 Tech 3 Yamaha during practice for the Inaugaral Indy
MotoGP Race in September 2008.
We then see Nicky leading Aaron Yates at Road America in the race one of
the June 2000 AMA Superbike weekend, and a shot of Nicky with his knee down going into a corner at Mid Ohio in late July/early August of 2000, as
well as following Eric Bostrom through the last set of turns at Mid Ohio during
the Sunday races that weekend. And finally, we see The Kentucky Kid pulling
a power wheelie at Mid Ohio in July '97 on his Hyper Cycle Suzuki 750 while
practicing for what was then the 750 SuperSport race in the AMA series. This shot was taken as they come out of the keyhole and head down the backstretch outside of the campground area at Mid Ohio, in Lexington, OH.
Enjoy the shots and get ready to follow and root for Nicky Hayden this year as
he takes on the monumental task of getting used to the Ducati and taking on the
world's best road racers throughout the course of the season. It should be exciting!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Ben Spies '08 Championship Winning Yoshimura Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSXR-1000











As you view the shots above of Mr. Ben Spies 3rd Championship
winning Suzuki in various stages of dress, the updates from across
the pond as he takes his assault to the World Superbike stage are
good and bad.
We'll start with the bad as it occurred in race one at Valencia this last
w/e, as Ben crashed chasing Nori Haga on the Xerox Ducati. Thankfully
it was only a high speed wash out, but the bike appeared to suffer fairly
severe damage from the endo it took into the kitty litter. He did, however,
get right up without appearing to have suffered any serious damage to his
body, and 3 1/2 hours later jumped on his back-up bike, and pulled off a
very valiant effort for 2nd behind Mr. Haga again. While scoring zero points
for the first leg, he grabbed a solid 20 for his second place effort to come out of
the w/e only 40 down from Nori after 3 events and 6 races. We still have 11 events
and 22 races to go and I guarantee we will see MUCH more of Mr. Spies on the box,
and most probably on the top at that. And did I fail to mention he did take Superpole
again for the w/e. Sure, it doesn't pay any points, but after 3 events, and 3 Superpoles
under his belt on tracks he has at best barely seen, well, you can do the math.
Good luck, Ben, we're all behind you and amped up you are doing such a super job.
We'll be following your exploits throughout the season and looking forward to more!
And you can follow all of his exploits through all of the links and feeds on the left-side
column. You won't be disappointed!
All of the shots above I took at Road America in June of '08 in the Yosh camp in the
paddock area. One of the most sanitary looking operations you will see anywhere in
this series, if not in the world. Between Ben and Mat Mladin, they have won 9 championships
since 1999 in the AMA Road Racing Series. That's 9 Superbike Championships, the grand
daddy of the best. Not too mention their current race winning streak of 51 races and
you start to realize you are looking at not only mastery, but history as well. Enjoy their
wares above. They are built for the gods of the series, and they are the gods of
machinery on two wheels.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Take a Ride With Mat Around Road Atlanta

Below you will find a link to an on bike camera with Mat Mladin
as he take his Yoshimura Rockstar Makita GSXR-1000 out for a
few hot laps. If this doesn't get you excited you don't have a pulse!

http://www.onthethrottle.com/content/view/59/1/

Thanks to the fine folks at http://www.onthethrottle.com/ for the link!

And if you are so inclined to keep up with Mat, here is his Twitter update page:

http://twitter.com/MatMladin

And thanks to Mat Mladin for the link and especially the updates! We will be following
them, and him, closely this year. Watch out, as it's going to be a 'Mad' Mat year!!!
Go get 'em Mat! And thanks again!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Mat Mladin Doubles at Road Atlanta AMA American Superbike W/E and wins his 77th Superbike race!





As we view some shots of Mat Mladin in various forms of racing
and smiling for our camera at Road America in 2004, we celebrate
and congratulate the 6-time Champion for his 77th win in AMA
Pro Road Racing's Superbike class. Having won yesterday by over
15 seconds, he still managed to pull today's event win off by over
5 seconds. And the 51st win in a row for the Yoshimura Suzuki
Rockstar Makita Team. That in itself is a way to celebrate greatness,
but without Sir 'Mad' Mat, almost 60% of those wins would not have
been possible. The man is not only ON a mission, he IS the mission!
Go get 'em Mat and even the championships up with the new #7 plate
you are wearing this year. I hope everyone else is listening as closely as
I am.
The shots above were all taken at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI., in
June of '04. In no particular order we have Mat running his familiar lines of
using the berms as a strengthening tool coming out of turn 14 as he gives chase
to Jake Zemke on the #98 Erion Racing Honda CBR-1000RR, who in turn is giving
chase to ultimate Sunday race winner Miguel Duhamel, himself a former series champ,
on his Team Honda #17 CBR-1000RR.
In another shot we also see Sir 'Mat' coming out of the carousel at R.A. during
Friday practice. And finally, after all of the work he put in and was about to put in
for the w/e, he was gracious enough to sign a couple of my pics and give us a nod and
smile for the camera. A very gracious, but very intense man. This wasn't the first time
he took to sign some shots for me over the years--and I hope not the last!--and has always
been as approachable as ever and always having the time to shake my hand and sign and
comment on the shot(s) at hand.
And, just in case you are interested, YOU can buy the very bike that Mat Mladin has won
the first 5 races in the first 3 events this year. And if you can still make it to Road Atlanta, in
beautiful Gainesville, you can still pick it up...for $59K no less:
Now, the bike MAY look just a BIT different after what happened to it, let alone Mat, after
this happened this morning:
But, then again, he DID win after this happened, and did I mention by over 4 seconds?!
For 59 thou, not a bad deal at that, even taking into effect it is based on a 2008 model that
was pulled off of a dealer floor 3 weeks before Daytona. And also considering that this new
American Superbike class isn't the old Superbike class of old, now more like Stock-class
bikes. But, over 5 or 6 years ago Erion Honda won the old Extreme class on a liter-based
bike that they at the time valued at $85K. So considering......a pretty killer deal by anyone's
current economy. But don't think you can or will beat or even run with Mat. He'll be on
the '09 model at the next round at Barber in good ole Sweet Alabama the first w/e in May.
So good luck with that part of that thought.
Thanks again, Mat, and thanks for all the great memories and for those about to be formed!!
And thanks to John Ulrich and his crew for the link from http://www.roadracingworld.com/ and to
Dean Adams and his bunch from http://www.superbikeplanet.com/ for their links of the crash incident.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Mat Mladin Wins R1 At Road Atlanta--76 Total Now









As we view various shots above from the 2000 AMA Superbike
Series from beautiful Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI., and the
wonderful Mid-Ohio in Lexington, OH., we get word from the far
reaches of the internet, that Mat Mladin, the 6-time AMA Superbike
Champion, and the Yoshimura Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSXR-1000 have
added another Superbike win to his now total of 76. And with another race
tomorrow afternoon, his win total is likely to be 77 before everyone tucks themselves
in after the w/e. And not to mention, as well, that the Yoshimura Suzuki team has now
won 50 Superbike races in a row. Yes. I did say in a row. And I'm not positive on the
exact number, but I'm pretty sure Mat is responsible for about 32 or 33 of those. Since
the summer of 2006. I mentioned in one of my last posts not to make this guy mad. But
I think it's too late. 'Mad' Mat is on a roll and there appears to be no one at the present who
can prevent that.
The above shots were all taken during the 2000 series season.
The various shots from Mid-O and Road Am are of Mat on the #1 Yoshimura
Suzuki GSXR-750--before they changed the series to a full liter-bike class--
as well as his team mate and former Superstock and Supersport
Champion as well as multiple Superbike race winner, #20 Aaron Yates. Nicky Hayden, the former Supersport and Formula Extreme and '02 Superbike Champion, and '06 MotoGP
World Champion, on his #69 Team Honda RC-51, as well as his team mate, '95 Superbike Champion, 5-time winner of the Daytona 200, multiple-time Supersport Champion and
race winner, Miguel Duhamel, on his #17 RC-51 Honda.
But this w/e, and without a doubt for sure after 4 races and half-way into 3 events of the
2009 AMA Pro Racing Series, Mat Mladin is making this year about him. And I see
many more of these wins this year with the roll he has going and the point he is out to
make this year. We have definitely not heard the last of 'Mad Mat' this year--or beyond for
all we know at this point--and personally I'm looking forward to him handing their as..es to
them on a platter. Or for that matter on a Yoshimura Suzuki GSXR-1000 AMA-spec
Superbike. This is gonna be fun!
Enjoy the shots and enjoy the wonderful spring weather we are having in Indy today!