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Can either of the MotoGP Riders Cal Crutchlow or
Johann Zarco who finished 1-2 in Argentina, end Marquez's winning Streak at
COTA this year? (Image source: motorsport.com)
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Didn't Y'all Stateside see them ultimate
Kneedraggerz' on Good 'Ol Americre' television last April on beIn Sport? Hmm?
May be this year? C'mon Bein' Special, Bein' Proud, Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake,
bake me Uh; Oh Never Mind!
But once again, Marc Marquez wasn't to be
denied his being crowned King of COTA, when taking his fifth straight W' in
Austin, whilst notching his eleventh straight victory on American soil.
Can Marquez Net a Perfect Dozen?
To date, reigning Four-times MotoGP Champion
Marc Marquez has won the previous ten B-I-G BOYZ' MotoGP races held on American
soil, beginning with his victory at Laguna Seca during his rookie season
Wayback in 2013. Then won the next year's event, which was Laguna Seca's final
MotoGP race.
And the 25yr old Spaniard I've taken to
calling the Pinball Wizard', subsequently won three years straight at the now
vacated Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (2013-15) And to date has won every single race held at
Circuit Of The Americas, (COTA) beginning with its 2013 event, now having won
five in-a-row!
Even more impressive is the fact that Marquez
scored an unbelievable Hat Trick in 2013, winning all of Americres' MotoGP
races that year! Whilst surely his unprecedented winning Streak has to end
sometime soon, Righto?
As it took me quite awhile to find what his
mysterious 11th race victory was, before finally learning he'd won the 2012
Moto 2 support race at Indianapolis on August 19th, preceding his current
MotoGP romp! Hence his current 11-for-11 Streak that some stories denote. Prior
to this weekend's outing at COTA...
Currently, I'd say that Italy's Dovi', nee Andrea Dovizioso, who won the season
opener Qatar race, is Marquez's stiffest competition.
As obviously Dovi's Works Ducati team-mate
Jorge Lorenzo, a two-times MotoGP champion's getting pretty irked being
overshadowed by Dovizioso!
And to Mwah, Jorge seems to have gone Off the Boil...
Whilst the Yamahopper Boyz', most notably the
Movistar Duo of Maverick "Top Gun" vinales and "The
Doctor," nee Valentino Rossi, who at the remarkable age of 39 has just
inked a further 2yr contract extension - And then finished on the Podium at
Qatar. Will obviously wish to upset Marquez's winning streak.
while last year's Rookie Standout Johann Zarco,
riding for Yamaha's Satellite Squad Monster Yamaha Tech 3, is definitely a
force to be reckoned with. Having started from Pole in Qatar, leading the race
before falling back to a
disappointing P8. then qualifying third on a
drying but slippery track in Argentina. Before spending the entire race
battling for the lead, eventually finishing runner-up to Cal Crutchlow.
And suppose we shouldn't overlook Marquez Repsol
Honda team-mate Dani
Pedrosa, along with the other Usual Suspects, a la
Cal Crutchlow, who's presumably a Dark Horse choice. With Suzuki's Andrea Iannone
and others wishing to crash Marquez's Party, Ci!
NOTE
Alas,
after having finished putting this "Story-to-Bed" prior to the Argentine
GP's outcome. Naturally Crutchlow swooped to the lead and won the race,
vaulting him to the top of the points standings after Dovizioso's sixth place
finish.
Afterwards,
I learned that Dani Pedrosa had suffered a fractured wrist in his racing
incident with Johann Zarco. As Pedrosa has subsequently undergone surgery,
while the verdict was still out upon whether or not he'd participate at
Austin...
But Once again, instead of trying to profile
every rider, I'll leave the Heavy lifting to someone else more qualified than
Mwah, by Deferring to Motorcycle.com's
Brad Miller's Team-by-Team 2018 preview.
Since according to Messer Brad, I've gotten my
Suzuki riders Arse-backwards, with Alex Rins getting the preferred nod over the
unpredictable Iannone.
For which naturally, Rins shined in Argentina, ultimately finishing third,
scoring his Debutante Podium finish!
Chatter
Stumbled across the news that MotoGP tyre
supplier Michelin has decided to Freeze
the 2018 rubber compounds for the entire
season, claiming it's what the Riders wanted...
While apparently thee "Other JZ',"
not the American "Crooner," but Kneedragger Johann Zarco will
contest this year's championship for the Monster "Tek Twah" (Tech 3)
Yamaha Satellite Squad aboard a two year old Yamaha YZR M1, as the Frenchman
feels the 2016-spec Scooter's a better platform than the 2017-spec machine.
All of which I find interesting since Monster
Tech 3 has announced its switching to KTM machinery for the 2019 season, with
Scuttlebutt suggesting that Zarco could even be in line to jump to the Factory
team in lieu of the French team's manufacturer swap.
And apparently Suzuki wishes to jump on the "Double
your Pleasure" Satellite Squad movement, while NO word on whom will
replace Tech 3 in the Yamaha fold, since obviously it's simply better to have
more than a single team upon the grid.
ROOKIES
(Bike#/Team/Rider/Country)
#10. Reale Avintia Racing: Xavier Siméon, Belgium;
#12. ED 0 0 Marc VDS Racing Team: Thomas Luthi, Switzerland
#21.
ED 0 0 Marc VDS Racing Team: Franco Morbidelli, Italy
#30. LCR Honda: Takaaki
Nakagami, Japan
#55.
Monster Yamaha
Tech 3: Hafizh
Syahrin, Malaysia
Franco
Morbidelli is the most celebrated of the Rookie Quintet, having won the 2017
Moto2 Championship, riding for the same Estrella Galicia/ Marc
VDS Racing Team he's
graduating to the top echelon of Motorcycle racing with.
Ironically,
Italy's 23yr old Morbidelli, who's not related to other racing Morbidelli's -
Defeated rival Thomas Luthi,, who was medically unfit for the season finale in Malaysia
after fracturing his ankle during practice.
Franco
had his Breakout Moto 2 season last year, scoring eight wins and six Poles en
route to the Moto 2 title, and will be joined by fellow MotoGP rookie team-mate
Thomas Luthi, from Switzerland.
As the
31yr old Swiss Kneedragger' Luthi can only be defined as a
"Journeyman" rider, after having spent the past eight seasons
(2010-17) toiling in Moto 2, preceded by contesting the GP250 class from
2007-09. Although Luthi did amass 11 Wins & 7 Poles during his 135 Moto 2
starts.
Japanese
Moto 2 rider Takaaki Nakagami, a most amiable Chap is reportedly getting the
ride on the Big Bikes courtesy of Honda's wishes. While all three rookie
Hondre' Satellite team riders will campaign year old 2017-spec Honda RC213V
Scooters'
Sadly,
Germany's promising Jonas Folger, who contested last year's championship has
unfortunately withdrawn due to a lingering illness, which scuttlebutt ponders
if he'll ever return?
Thus,
Folger's departure sees Hafizh Syahrin,
another Moto 2 Midfielder becoming the first Malaysian rider to contest
MotoGP. As reportedly the 23yr old Malaysian's "Fearless," especially
in the wet and could surprise in Dodgy conditions.
Yet I
cannot help but wonder, with Tech 3 becoming a KTM entity next
year, is Syahrin
simply a "Placeholder" for the 2018 season
until other riders can Jockey for the KTM seat?
Meanwhile,
Motorcycle.com's Hack' Brad Miller's assessment of the totally foreign Xavier
Siméon from Belgium, campaigning a Ducati Desmosedici GP16 Scooter for Reale
Avintia Racing, caused
me to cackle out in laughter!
Bemusing
his curiosity over the choice of this rider nearing age 30, who's spent eight
years toiling in Moto 2 obscurity, by proclaiming:
"His Daddy must own a large chain of liquor
stores!"
But
once again, I'll just have to rely upon my Newsline for The Blind telephone
service, to hear the Reuters Sports snippet over who won the race.
Since if my BOMBASTIC,
MONEY GRUBBIN' Cable
TV Provider comca$t cannot give me the "Mainstream" (Fox Sports) FS-2
Channel, then forget Bein' Who...
KICK ARSE MAVERICK!
