Laguna Seca Sunday morning...

I see no one's in hurry to make picks this weekend even while Stoner has led
every session and is well under Hayden's laptime form last year. I can't
really blame them, too many variables, at least at first glance, but when
you peel it back some this is really a race between two guys, Casey and Vale
and like I've said many times before, if Rossi showed up on a bicycle I
wouldn't bet against him and in reviewing the variables that, at least to
me, becomes obvious..

The track-new surface, that pretty much says it all. Tire choice, or the
lack of it, may very well raise it's head again..

Vermeulen- Starting on the front, has won there before,(WSB) led for a while
last year before engine failure and is due..

Dani P.- What's not to like? He's 2nd, very quick and needs another too..

Nicky- I dunno about a 3peat, he's struggled all weekend, but if he can stay
with whoever it is that tries to get away he'll be tough at the end, very
tough indeed. This is his track and he has a history here like few others
and Roger Lee's performance yesterday in SSport might have been a preview,
we'll see..(0ne can only hope, from what I heard it was a great and I mean
great, finish!)

Rossi- bottom line, he needs a win bad and I have never seen anyone else
(Valencia notwithstanding) that is more dangerous than that guy when push
comes to shove, besides, 'Guna's prolly the only place he's never won, not
to mention that embarassing DNF last time around, so..

Stoner- conventional wisdom and times suggest he might disappear ala the
Kraut race, though I wouldn't think so. Times and leading all weekend are
great motivators and all that, but this is La Guna and history clearly shows
that can easily change when somebody's on your ass, but if he gets away
because those behind him get all racy, it could be gameover..

Who else, Hopper, Capi, Edwards and Marco? I wouldn't think so, though if I
wasn't afraid the #95 wildcard might toss it I'd throw down some buck$ for a
top 10, maybe even a little better too..

My take?

I just don't have a big feeling one way, or the other, though I still keep
coming back to Stoner, Rossi and Hayden. One has it, one needs it, and one
knows it, we'll see...


On the SB front, once again it looks to be a Yosh affair. Can the Empire of
Mladin strike back, or does the young and soon to be MGP Jedi pretty much
seal the deal for '07? Whatever the case, it ought to be good...

On 22 Jul, 17:01, "T3" <noth....RemoveThis@nowhere.net> wrote:
> I see no one's in hurry to make picks this weekend even while Stoner has led
> every session and is well under Hayden's laptime form last year. I can't
> really blame them, too many variables, at least at first glance, but when
> you peel it back some this is really a race between two guys, Casey and Vale
> and like I've said many times before, if Rossi showed up on a bicycle I
> wouldn't bet against him and in reviewing the variables that, at least to
> me, becomes obvious..

I don't the big R Rossi will cut the mustard this time, I just don't
have a good feeling for him, the big C, D and N, Casey, Danny and
Nicky I have a better feeling for but Vermulen and Hoppers on Stones
have to be prime contenders too. If the Stones work the entire race I
think Stoner, Vermulen and Hoppers to be the men, if the "lins" work
then Pedrosa, Hayden and maybe Rossi to be the othermen, if both the
Stones and Lins work then who knows!!!

1/ Stoner (GO dude!!!)
2/ Hayden
3/ Vermulen
3 -6 A N Other
7/ Rossi (Rossi says "damn 47 points behind now")

Paul