Yeah baby, first post!!! Damn, what happen to Roberts this year. He has only been in the top five in testing like once this year and has been way lower every since then. He is running worse times this year than last. I wonder if his new engine isn't the revelation they hoped it would be.
Ukawa Sets the Pace at Suzuka GP Test
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
It is still early, I would not be concerned until race time.
Joined
·
27 Posts
Maybe the above is not concerned just yet, but I can put money that Telefonica is sweating bullets trying to get Kenny to run some decent laps.
But on the other hand.... CONSISTANCY wins championships and often puts racers on the podium.
But on the other, other hand... we have Mat who not only was running the fastest laps in Daytona, but also won the race (3 times if you ask me). And he say he's only running 90% (10% safety margin) hmmm....
I wonder how Mat would do in the GP world?
Anybody dare to speculate?...
But on the other hand.... CONSISTANCY wins championships and often puts racers on the podium.
But on the other, other hand... we have Mat who not only was running the fastest laps in Daytona, but also won the race (3 times if you ask me). And he say he's only running 90% (10% safety margin) hmmm....
I wonder how Mat would do in the GP world?
Anybody dare to speculate?...
australians aren't very good in GP!
I would love to speculate. My opinion - Mat would suck. Mat loves his long-term Yosh contract because it means he can keep being a big fish in a little pond. The AMA Superbike series has become more of a series for riders to launch from (Kurtis Roberts), retire from (Scott Russel), or run in until the better ride comes (everyone else). I'm sure Mat could score a GP or SBK ride if he wanted to, but why? He can win here easily and be top dog doing so. He would be lost in the crowd if he went overseas. I probably wouldn't want to leave either. Mat has even said that he has little interest. Most of the other riders always express a hope of going to GP or Worlds. Mat has a good thing and he knows it.
I'm not saying that he wouldn't win, I'm just saying there is no reason he would want to go. Besides, the AMA schedule gets whittled down to 11 (only 3 double headers) events to SBK's 14 (all double headers) and GP's 16 events. That's less work and less danger for him. Mat has always let it be known that he is not a fan of danger (occupational hazard).
Please do not flame me and get me wrong. I love the AMA series and enjoy going to the races, meeting the racers, and chatting about their day. I have tremendous respect for those guys. I'm just not a fan of Mat Mladin. I think he's gone out of his way to prove that he's a pompous ass. By staying in the AMA and winning, it allows him to continue to be that way.
By the way, now that Aaron Slight has turned down the CompAcc job, it looks like we'll see another retiree come to the series.
The above text was merely and opinion of someone who has too much free time at work. Do not take these remarks personally. I don't care if you ride a GSXR and think that Mat is God - if you are American, Mat hates you anyway.
I'm not saying that he wouldn't win, I'm just saying there is no reason he would want to go. Besides, the AMA schedule gets whittled down to 11 (only 3 double headers) events to SBK's 14 (all double headers) and GP's 16 events. That's less work and less danger for him. Mat has always let it be known that he is not a fan of danger (occupational hazard).
Please do not flame me and get me wrong. I love the AMA series and enjoy going to the races, meeting the racers, and chatting about their day. I have tremendous respect for those guys. I'm just not a fan of Mat Mladin. I think he's gone out of his way to prove that he's a pompous ass. By staying in the AMA and winning, it allows him to continue to be that way.
By the way, now that Aaron Slight has turned down the CompAcc job, it looks like we'll see another retiree come to the series.
The above text was merely and opinion of someone who has too much free time at work. Do not take these remarks personally. I don't care if you ride a GSXR and think that Mat is God - if you are American, Mat hates you anyway.
I bet he has learned enough to be more competitive. If he goes to GP, I am sure he would demand his team become intact.... If they are, damage would be inevitable to the rest of the paddock.
I agree, to an extent. I believe if he keeps his team, he may do well. He won't be dominant though... Maybe as well as 3rd in world, 5th in GP.... But, you never can tell, with the right team, the right bike, any of those riders are great. Aaron Slight is a lot better than people give him credit for. Look at his passed results, but no one ever remembers a second place finisher (except for krjr in 99).
Didn't Mat Mladin do some GP races in th mid 90's ? around the same time as the go-show (fellow aussie Gobert, who got the boot from GPs for testing positive to marijuana) ?
Can't remember if he ran a full season or not...
Can't remember if he ran a full season or not...
AS far as I remember (fading now) he raced a few years ago for cagiva in hte GPs.
WHAT!!!!! He's only been gone a couple of years and you have already forgotten the MAN!!! Mick D.
I'm sorry I have to disagree with you on that one. I am a GSXR fan and a fan of Matt M but that really doesn't have anything to do with it.
I think right now is the perfect time for Matt to go overseas and he knows it! Which is why I believe he has a bit of a bitter attitude towards the GP and WSBK series. With only a few real good riders in both series, Matt could stand a chance to win a championship with the right team. I mean who are the major players in WSBK? Bostrom, Baylis and let's not forget the defending champ Edwards. Maybe another 1 or 2 that I can't think of right now. You can bet neither Bostrom or Baylis want to see Matt in the WSBK cause he has beaten both.
In the GP's you got Roberts, Rossi, Mad Max, Haga looks to be fast as well. Like or not these are the only guys who will be there in the end. Maybe McCoy as well. Everyone else can cut fast laps here and there but they won't do it all season long and that is why they won't win a championship. With that in mind I don't see why with the right team Matt wouldn't be successful in the GP's or WSBK. Especiallly WSBK as he has raced and beaten most of the top dogs there!
The AMA series is 2nd only to the WSBK and GP's which is not to shabby when you think of all the other series out there. Britt, Canadian, Japan, Aussie. All these countries have an AMA equal but none get the coverage like the AMA.
I think right now is the perfect time for Matt to go overseas and he knows it! Which is why I believe he has a bit of a bitter attitude towards the GP and WSBK series. With only a few real good riders in both series, Matt could stand a chance to win a championship with the right team. I mean who are the major players in WSBK? Bostrom, Baylis and let's not forget the defending champ Edwards. Maybe another 1 or 2 that I can't think of right now. You can bet neither Bostrom or Baylis want to see Matt in the WSBK cause he has beaten both.
In the GP's you got Roberts, Rossi, Mad Max, Haga looks to be fast as well. Like or not these are the only guys who will be there in the end. Maybe McCoy as well. Everyone else can cut fast laps here and there but they won't do it all season long and that is why they won't win a championship. With that in mind I don't see why with the right team Matt wouldn't be successful in the GP's or WSBK. Especiallly WSBK as he has raced and beaten most of the top dogs there!
The AMA series is 2nd only to the WSBK and GP's which is not to shabby when you think of all the other series out there. Britt, Canadian, Japan, Aussie. All these countries have an AMA equal but none get the coverage like the AMA.
On another note I'm sure Matt likes his Yosh contract but I think he would rather be somewhere else. Like along side Roberts in the GP's. From some of the interview's I've read with Matt he seems quite pissed about certains things. Comments about other riders getting rides simply because of the country they are from. I think this was mainly directed at Roberts new teammate Sete G. There sponser is from Spain and I believe so is Sete. I read somewhere about the fact that they have a Spanish sponser (telefonica) and now they have a Spanish rider to go with it. Not to take anything away from Sete but I believe Matt thinks that should be his ride and he could be right. At the same time I'm sure he is content to stay here and go for a third championship.
Mat has a cushy job in AMA. He probably could compete with the top dogs but after reading some of his interviews, sounds like he is content with staying stateside and planning on retiring in a few years and rasing a family. I think he will milk AMA series for as long as he can and who can blame him. Although it would be exciting to see him and his personality to rub elbos with the likes of either GP or SBK folks like Baylis, Edwards, Corser, Rossi, Roberts.
Wow! You remember all the testing times from last year?
Mat didn't do to well in the GP world. He used to race for Cagiva on a team with John Kocinski and some other big name rider(can't remember but I'm sure I'll feel stupid when someone else does). Part of that was attributed to him going from Australian SBK to 500GP right away, part because the team was supposedly focused on Kocinski, and part because Cagiva was not that great a team. I think Mat would have to prove himself in WSBK before going to GP's. Suzuki seems in not too much of a hurry to move him up to the world level(taking Chambon instead to WSBK). Maybe they know something we don't.
Uh, how about Bayliss, Corser, Edwards, Okada, Laconi, Lavilla, Chili, and maybe Bostrom as contenders in WSBK. Bostrom has done well in 2 or 3 races... not necessarily a contender by most measures. Yanagawa does well in 2 or 3 a year and ends up between 4th and 7th most of the time. Same with Chili. When did Mladin ever beat Bayliss? When Bayliss crashed out? Who held pole in that race anyway? Oh yeah, Bayliss. Mladin would be a second rider on just about any WSBK team... bottom line.
As for GP's... you listed a couple big names but forgot people like Harada, Carlos Checa, Criville, and a few others. All those guys you listed as well as the above 2(minus Criville) was a race winner last year. 500 GP was as competitive as AMA Supersport last year. Criville is also a former world champ(albiet in the post-Doohan era). Mladin did poorly in GP's which is why he's ticked at them. That and they focused on Kocinski(a 250 GP world champ) more than him. I think the big fish in a little pond thing is right on target.
As for GP's... you listed a couple big names but forgot people like Harada, Carlos Checa, Criville, and a few others. All those guys you listed as well as the above 2(minus Criville) was a race winner last year. 500 GP was as competitive as AMA Supersport last year. Criville is also a former world champ(albiet in the post-Doohan era). Mladin did poorly in GP's which is why he's ticked at them. That and they focused on Kocinski(a 250 GP world champ) more than him. I think the big fish in a little pond thing is right on target.
I mentioned Bayliss and Edwards. Ok you got me on Corsor. Forgot him. He will be tough if his run at Valancia is an indication of the rest of the season.
Okada is a question mark. Yes the guy can ride but he is on a new bike and only time will tell what he can do in the long run. Chili is also fast but crashes to much. He could have given Haga and Edwards a real run for their money last season but he can't keep the rubber side down long enough to stay healthy. Bostrom can ride but he takes a slow approach to improvement. He is consistant and doesnt crash much which is what you need to win a championship people blow him off way to fast. He will be a contender this year. So again my point is there are only a handful of guys. Edwards, Corsor, Baylis, Bostrom and maybe Okada. The rest run good here and there but will not be in the hunt at the end of the year.
Yes Bayliss had the pole at Daytona and crashed out. Beat nonetheless. Matt had his number anyway. I don't think it would have mattered. Matt was going to win that race. I just disagree with you about Matt being 2nd rate on a WSBK team. I think that is just obsurd. It's ok if you don't like him but to say such things is crazy.
As far as GP it's the same thing. Roberts, Rossi, and Mad Max are going to be the main contenders running for the championship at the end of the year. Criville was done last year. He must have crashed at every race. It's quite evident that Mick played a big role on that team and Criville was lucky to win the championship the year Mick got hurt. He is going nowhere fast. You will see. Checa can win for sure but I just don't see him fighting for the championship at the end of the year. Harada...yeah right. He might win one but he ain't gonna beat anyone for the championship. So again you got Roberts, Rossi, Mad Max and maybe Haga. His ride in WSBK last year was quite impressive. It's to bad what happened to him. Would have liked to see him and Edwards go at it in the last round for the championship. Time will tell if he can do the same in GP's.
I don't think the pond is that small. With guys like Roberts, Nicky, Gobert (if he can keep his act together long enough) DuHamel he isn't going to just have his way. He worked hard for both championships. He won because he is consistant and applys pressure on his competitors during the entire season. I don't think he wants to be here but is content to stay until something better comes along. That of course is just my opinion.
Okada is a question mark. Yes the guy can ride but he is on a new bike and only time will tell what he can do in the long run. Chili is also fast but crashes to much. He could have given Haga and Edwards a real run for their money last season but he can't keep the rubber side down long enough to stay healthy. Bostrom can ride but he takes a slow approach to improvement. He is consistant and doesnt crash much which is what you need to win a championship people blow him off way to fast. He will be a contender this year. So again my point is there are only a handful of guys. Edwards, Corsor, Baylis, Bostrom and maybe Okada. The rest run good here and there but will not be in the hunt at the end of the year.
Yes Bayliss had the pole at Daytona and crashed out. Beat nonetheless. Matt had his number anyway. I don't think it would have mattered. Matt was going to win that race. I just disagree with you about Matt being 2nd rate on a WSBK team. I think that is just obsurd. It's ok if you don't like him but to say such things is crazy.
As far as GP it's the same thing. Roberts, Rossi, and Mad Max are going to be the main contenders running for the championship at the end of the year. Criville was done last year. He must have crashed at every race. It's quite evident that Mick played a big role on that team and Criville was lucky to win the championship the year Mick got hurt. He is going nowhere fast. You will see. Checa can win for sure but I just don't see him fighting for the championship at the end of the year. Harada...yeah right. He might win one but he ain't gonna beat anyone for the championship. So again you got Roberts, Rossi, Mad Max and maybe Haga. His ride in WSBK last year was quite impressive. It's to bad what happened to him. Would have liked to see him and Edwards go at it in the last round for the championship. Time will tell if he can do the same in GP's.
I don't think the pond is that small. With guys like Roberts, Nicky, Gobert (if he can keep his act together long enough) DuHamel he isn't going to just have his way. He worked hard for both championships. He won because he is consistant and applys pressure on his competitors during the entire season. I don't think he wants to be here but is content to stay until something better comes along. That of course is just my opinion.
I don't want to argue for the sake of arguing, but those AMA guys you mentioned; Roberts, Nicky, Gobert have all made it known that they eventually want to move on to the Worlds or GP. Mladin, on the other hand, has said publicly that he has no desire to move past the AMA. I can't remember when he said it, but I know it was a pre-race interview with Larry Maiers on Speedvision. I want to say it was last year at Colorado Springs....don't hold me to that.
Personally, if Suzuki thought Mat has SBK talent, they would have taken him a long time ago. I can never remeber who the 'b' rider is behind Chili - and I think we all agree that to be a 'b' rider on a major SBK or GP team is better than being an 'a' rider in the AMA.
Once again, the AMA series is great. I'll be rooting for Gobert to stay clean and win and for Roberts or Nicky to win the overall (it'd be cool to see Yates up there as well).
Personally, if Suzuki thought Mat has SBK talent, they would have taken him a long time ago. I can never remeber who the 'b' rider is behind Chili - and I think we all agree that to be a 'b' rider on a major SBK or GP team is better than being an 'a' rider in the AMA.
Once again, the AMA series is great. I'll be rooting for Gobert to stay clean and win and for Roberts or Nicky to win the overall (it'd be cool to see Yates up there as well).
Joined
·
337 Posts
I gotta disagree with you. None of the interviews with Mladin have given me any reason to dislike him. I think he is a consummate professional. He ALWAYS congratulates his team and bike more than himself, which is more than I can say for some other riders.
As for him in WSB, maybe Suzuki knows that they can't win there with anybody on the bike, but they can win in the AMA, so they keep Mat here and get at least one championship. No need to move him to GP with Kenny there.
As for Mat, he is getting a sweet salary, less risk and less travel. He'd be crazy to be pushing to go back to the madness of Europe.
As for him in WSB, maybe Suzuki knows that they can't win there with anybody on the bike, but they can win in the AMA, so they keep Mat here and get at least one championship. No need to move him to GP with Kenny there.
As for Mat, he is getting a sweet salary, less risk and less travel. He'd be crazy to be pushing to go back to the madness of Europe.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Join the discussion
Motorcycle Forums
A forum community dedicated to all motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, reviews, modifications, classifieds, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
Join now to ask and comment!