Having a secured contract enables him to focus on the current year of racing not negotiations for the future. Any rider worth their weight isn’t going to let next year get in the way of this year. Again, that’s why they want to sign early, to get it out of the way.

Ask Hayden what he thinks. He rode the Ducati which Stoner won races with, and he rode the Ducati which Rossi wasn’t able to win with.

Yes, congratulations on being affluent and apathetic!

Stupid sexy Flanders.

I had my bike sitting in my garage for a couple of weeks, while I tried to resolve a clutch problem.

I’m curious to know what kind of race this was. Endurance? Perhaps a practice or qualifying? The white bike to the far right (back of the grid) is an 08-12 Ninja 250R. Next to an R1M, it really seems out of place!

Confirmed.

In hindsight I had no clue how that particular gimmick would draw people out of the woodwork.

This thinking is already making its way into the lower classes. One team in Moto3 was testing aero options to provide more front-end downforce, in corners. Not active aero, specifically, but it addresses straight-line versus cornering differences.

They may not be as wide (as there are regs on width, as well), but their placement gives them far more exposure.

The larger safety concern is not the turbulence created in the draft, it’s the potential for these extruding items to cause a wreck in close-quarters racing.

From what I saw on Sunday’s race, their secret weapon is that absolute monster of an engine. The little engine that could, did, and will do it again.

Well, not with that attitude.

APART FROM CHRIS EVANS THEY HAVE A GREAT LINE UP. THEY WON’T BE AS GOOD AS THE PREVIOUS HOSTS, AT LEAST GIVE THEM A CHANCE.

The first vehicle I drove was a late 80's Dodge Caravan. Later I learned to drive in an early 90's Dodge Caravan (the boxy one), a ‘95 GMC Safari XL, and after that, an ‘06 Montana SV6. I learned all about understeer, spatial awareness, and that MINIVANS DRIVE LIKE FUCKING SHIT.

Your local library is awesome.

There are only 170,000 of these on the road, who gives a shit.

Security via obscurity just isn’t going to cut it anymore

Fair point - the island itself does make it difficult. However, that doesn’t preclude many other tracks and locations from having all but the funds to refurbish and expand.

I know it’s not cheap - that’s been the whole point from the beginning.