Estoril MotoGP

Re: Estoril MotoGP

wamanning@email,com Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:44:12
>the '08 RC211 still looks like a frickin pocket-bike when ridden by a
>non-lilliputian!
>
> http :// pix.crash,net /motorsport/view/427975.jpg

Honda are the only company making fairings smaller and harder for the
rider to hide behind. With Honda at one end of the spectrum and Ducati
at the other, everyone else is heading towards Ducati.

Then look at the event top speeds from the MotoGP site.
1st Yamaha - Vale 3rd
1st Honda - Dani 6
2nd Honda - Hayden 11
Hondas 15-18

Last year on top speed at Estoril, Yamaha were nowhere, and Honda were
spread though the field.

Almost all speeds were set in practice when fuel consumption is less
important. You never quite know if they got the speed trap right,
because some times it's in the braking area and is a measure of braking
bravery.

So is there a connection there between fairing size, rider size and top
speed, or is it masked by the increase in fuel efficient power everyone
is searching for?

--
Julian Bond E&MSN: julian_bond at voidstar,com M: +44 (0)77 5907 2173
Webmaster: http :// www .ecademy,com / T: +44 (0)192 0412 433
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Re: Estoril MotoGP

Mark N wrote:

> And on the rider weight front, this year's winners hold steady at 120
> pounds, 12 pounds below last year's record low, while podium finishers
> slip ever so slightly to 125 pounds (I really need to calculate what
> that was last year, so we can track that as well!).

So I ran the numbers on last year. The average weight of the 19-rider
field was 141 pounds (using Hofmann and West for those two spots), and
the average podium finisher was at 136 pounds. So the field has dropped
by an average of five pounds, so far the podium finishers by 11 pounds,
and the winners by 12 pounds. The higher the finish the lighter the
rider and the bigger the drop.

I checked 2006 as well, and the grid averaged 143 pounds, the podium
finishers 138 pounds, and the winners were also at 138 pounds. So the
same drop observation applies - '06 to '07 saw a drop of two pounds in
all riders, two pounds in podium finishers and six pounds in winners.
Same sort of thing in 2005 - the grid was at 148 pounds, the podium
finishers 146 pounds and the winners 146 pounds.

So from 2005 to the first three races of 2008 the grid average has
dropped 12 pounds, the podium finishers 21 pounds, and the race winners
26 pounds. [note: I have not changed any individual's weight year to
year in the calculations] And every category has dropped every year, and
the guys at the front by more than the whole grid every year - just
ignore the man behind the curtain...

Re: Estoril MotoGP

On Apr 14, 5:33 am, Mark N <menusb...@NYETSPAMearthlink,net > wrote:
> 1. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Yamaha), Michelin, 28 laps, 117 km, 45 minutes,
> 53.089 seconds
> 2. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), Michelin, -1.817 seconds
> 3. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), Bridgestone, -12.723
> 4. Colin Edwards, USA (Yamaha), Michelin, -17.223
> 5. John Hopkins, USA (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -23.752
> 6. Casey Stoner, Australia (Ducati), Bridgestone, -26.688
> 7. James Toseland, Great Britain (Yamaha), Michelin, -32.631
> 8. Chris Vermeulen, Australia (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -36.382
> 9. Lori Capirossi, Italy (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -38.268
> 10. Shinya Nakano, Japan (Honda), Bridgestone, -39.476
> 11. Alex de Angelis, San Marino (Honda), Bridgestone, -61.306
> 12. Toni Elias, Spain (Ducati), Bridgestone, -63.867
> 13. Marco Melandri, Italy (Ducati), Bridgestone, -69.525
> 14. Sylvain Guintoli, France (Ducati), Bridgestone, -69.634
> 15. Randy de Puniet, France (Honda), Michelin, -71.542
> 16. Anthony West, Australia (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -83.629
> 17. Nicky Hayden, USA (Honda), Michelin, -12 laps, DNF, crash
> 18. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Honda), Michelin, -13 laps, DNF, crash
>
> Lorenzo seems to have gotten over his tension problem and delivered on
> practice race pace. Start was timed with the arrival of very light rain,
> but that wasn't enough to have much obvious impact. Lap times were slow
> ealy one, the fast guys in the 38s after the first couple laps until
> Hayden did a 37 on lap 8; Lorenzo did his first one on lap 12 but had 15
> 37s in the last 17 laps, his 2nd-fastest on the last lap (he was not
> under real fire then). Rossi took the lead early but lost it to Lorenzo
> when he wicked it up on lap 12, then faded almost immediately after
> being passed by Pedrosa three laps later. The Rat pulled out on Dani by
> a tenth or two each lap until it reached about 2 seconds, then managed
> the lead at 1.5 to 2.
>
> Hopkins got a great start and hung just behind the four leaders
> (including Dovizioso) until he started his fade and was passed by
> Edwards and Hayden, who quickly also got by Colin. Nicky crashed pushing
> to reel in the leaders, after apparently getting caught out by the rain
> at the start and not pushing hard enough in the first couple laps. Oddly
> his crash happened the lap after seeing Dovizioso go out in front of him
> for the same reason. By the end of the race Hopkins was 24 seconds back,
> having never gotten below a 38.2 he did early in the race. But definite
> progress. Edwards finished 4.5 seconds behind Rossi but 17 back of
> Lorenzo, and Toseland was 33 seconds back in 7th, the last of the
> best-so-far Yamahas.
>
> So which is worse, finishing 6th but 27 seconds back, or 11th after
> going off the track twice? Stoner's was never any factor at all,
> although his best lap was a 37.972 late in the race, which was best
> Bridgestone by a margin of .003 over Rossi's. Suzuki's best was Chris
> V's 38.75, and Melandri's best was a dog-slow 39.4. The Spanish Flies
> both did 37.4s, then it was back to Hayden's 37.8 and Stoner; Dovi on
> Michelins also got into the 37s but by the smallest of margins, a
> 37.985, while Colin topped out at 38.083. In any case, Casey ultimately
> had the speed to hang at the front for half the race, but didn't turn
> even a 38 until lap 11 and by then was in 11th and 14 seconds down.
> Too-hard tire choice? No confidence in the front in somewhat dodgy
> conditions? Something else? He needs at least a podium in China in the
> worst way.
>
> And on the rider weight front, this year's winners hold steady at 120
> pounds, 12 pounds below last year's record low, while podium finishers
> slip ever so slightly to 125 pounds (I really need to calculate what
> that was last year, so we can track that as well!). Too bad Dovi crashed
> out, because had he beaten Rossi for 3rd we would have had a new record
> podium low, beating Qatar's and as low as it can get, given those are
> the three lightest riders on the grid. And the numbers will go up once
> we hit some Bridgestone tracks - a Stoner-Rossi-Hopkins podium like last
> year in China, very possible, would weigh in at an average of 145 pounds...

a/ can you paraphrase
b/ can you do things in metric

ta