Talent. He has it.

[Alex]

From the test day today. Marquez is unbelievable. It makes Colin's knee save from a few years ago look like junior high. Best part is the front hovering off the ground in third pic as he's accelerating out of there only moments after sliding along on his side.

[alex.s]

marquez uses his arms as crash bars.

crazy bastard

[rojoracing53]

I posted this on FB but notice in the third pic he's still on the gas pulling a wheelie.

[Worldtraveller]

Now that's what I call lean angle!

[Skullz]

Not often you see a save like that.

Some times it is better to be lucky than skilled. O_o

[choneofakind]

I saw this on fbook. That kid must have a certain disregard for his personal well being to ride on the edge and so in control like that. Seriously, can someone out some electrodes on his head while he rides?! I'd love to see what parts and how much of his brain lights up when he's riding at a level like that.

[Rifleman]

you could stick those wheels to the ceiling and the bike would stay there...

it's amazing to have the tools... and then put them to full use.

[nickjpass]

Link to original page on YouTube.

[psych0hans]

That's crazy stupid skill man... Major Props!!!

[sharky nrk]

Yeah, alien, cyborg, alien cyborg? lol. Not sure how you can't like this kid. Has a bad race, but obviously bitterly disappointed. Didn't blame anyone, his team, make excuses. But immediately gets his team together and then the next morning ..... annihilates. Sub-optimal setup and sub-optimal tire killed his streak, but he just keeps impressing.

[csmith12]

He should say, "I crashed but the bike didn't." lol

[Ducati999]

Originally Posted by csmith12

He should say, "I crashed but the bike didn't." lol

Chris the pictures support you statement that a crash starts when the clip ons touch the ground. Marquez could not have gotten the bars much closer to the ground and recovered! Great pictures and mad skills on that boy. I guess you have to be born in another country (other than USA) to race at the top level anymore. Go Nicky Hayden----

[Somchai]

This guy also...

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Alex]

More stills from Marquez's save:

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Ducati999

I guess you have to be born in another country (other than USA) to race at the top level anymore. Go Nicky Hayden----

I question why this is, I mean there has to be a reason for it doesn't there?

oh well at least we have josh herrin on the way up in moto2
...I just checked the standings, didn't josh herrin go to moto2 this year after winning ama last season?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Sirref

oh well at least we have josh herrin on the way up out in moto2

FTFY.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Alex

FTFY.

what'd I miss?

[Alex]

Dorna's plan to grow new US talent:

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/...nt-in-america/

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Sirref

what'd I miss?

Have you been following his results? They have been terrible. There is no way he's still in the series next year unless he pays his way. (i.e. rides for free or worse)

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Alex

Have you been following his results? They have been terrible. There is no way he's still in the series next year unless he pays his way. (i.e. rides for free or worse)

I haven't had the ability to follow moto2/3

I just checked the points leaderboard for moto2 and didn't see him on there

must be doing awful :/ should probably have spent more time working with josh hayes before shipping over

[Alex]

http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Josh+Herrin

[alex.s]

he has only finished 5 of 9 races?

[Sirref]

ouch, best finish a 16th place and numerous races unfinished


that video on a focus to build up talent in the us seems interesting, sounds almost like they're putting together a plan to replace ama now that it's fallen on hard times, or help rebuild ama

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by alex.s

he has only finished 5 of 9 races?

He did not finish the first lap of the first two Moto2s

[gptoyz]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I haven't had the ability to follow moto2/3

I just checked the points leaderboard for moto2 and didn't see him on there

must be doing awful :/ should probably have spent more time working with josh hayes before shipping over

the problem is Herrin doesn't have the talent and competition to groom him like previous modern US GP competitors like:
Hayden
Spies
Colin

Hayden broke Yoshimura Suzuki and Matt Mladin's stranglehold on the championship in 2002, but also raced against the likes Miguel Duhamel, Pascal Picotte, Jamie Hacking, Aaron Yates, Kurtis Roberts and Anthony Gobert. Realistically, it should have been Honda's championship to lose, as they built the RC51 to race to the rules whereas all the other japanese bikes were i4 750cc as opposed to 1000 twins.

Colin Edwards was racing against the whose who of WSBK riders when he won his championships in 2000 and 2002, in a ducati stacked deck, too!!!

Ben Spies was probably the most polished and well prepared racer from the AMA championship. He raced during the AMA's halcyon years where all the factories were involved (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Ducati). He shared the same paddock space as Matt Mladin and went toe to toe with matt mladin and beat him straight up. Then he went over to the WSBK stage, on a brand new machine, a team that had never won a championship, in probably the championship series with the most parity and beat them soundly, first time out.

It's shame that both Edwards and Spies did not get the red carpet rolled out like Hayden did when he was handed the HRC Repsol ride, with valentino as his team mate on the most dominate bike and the most dominate team.

Josh Herrin won on a dominate bike, on a dominate team against inferior competition in a water downed championship.

[sharky nrk]

^^^ dorna blocked it with the Spies rule, then dumped it when it was going to be the Marquez rule lol

[Worldtraveller]

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

^^^ dorna blocked it with the Spies rule, then dumped it when it was going to be the Marquez rule lol

I've heard this before, but what rule does this refer to?

[Alex]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100809

It didn't really affect Spies, as he was going to the Tech3 team anyway; there wasn't a factory seat open that he would have taken otherwise, whether the rule was in place or not.

Simoncelli was probably the only rider that was directly affected by the rule, as he probably would have been offered a factory ride that he would have accepted, either at Ducati, or maybe Repsol instead of Dani for that year. He ended up on a Factory-spec honda within the Gresini team, so it wasn't a significant difference in machine from the full factory team.

[Sirref]

I don't understand why they put that rule in place, was it to help facilitate the potential upward movement of racers who were consistently stuck on non-factory machines like crutchlow in tech3 for an eternity

[Alex]

The stated intent was to help support the non-factory teams, so they could compete for top riders for at least their first year in the top class, and therefore attract more sponsorship. Whether it worked or not is up for debate.

[spooph]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I question why this is, I mean there has to be a reason for it doesn't there?

oh well at least we have josh herrin on the way up in moto2
...I just checked the standings, didn't josh herrin go to moto2 this year after winning ama last season?

For the same reason that America doesn't have a real competitive bike yet....

the culture is largely built of simple people who enjoy simple sports... Football and NASCAR, oh and don't forget drag racing. Get hit and crash... Yes, both of these sports require tremendous amounts of skills, apply strategy and all of the other things. I'm not attacking them.

What I am saying is that there is a very small following of MotoGP and of people willing to to try it, which then brings in the economy and the general pervasiveness of protecting people from themselves going back to the cultural shift which happened with 9/11 (may they RIP).

First there has to be a market for it and in tandem, people willing to put it on the line for greatness (which would require confidence), and then money to get that person there... We have 'em, it's just not the most important thing right now...

Also, dirt culture is much bigger in the US than street culture... We have a lot more trails than roads - not the case in Europe. Plus, it's "safe" because no traffic.

So, look at Eric Buell and how he was treated by Harley... People would rather look good and be sheep than ride fast and be different... A US racer, to get to that level has to fight his/her competitors, cultural stigmas and so much more. Now that Eric is independent and producing some awesome stuff, America has a chance to become a competitor again, and then perceptions will change, and, and, and....

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by spooph

So, look at Eric Buell and how he was treated by Harley... People would rather look good and be sheep than ride fast and be different... A US racer, to get to that level has to fight his/her competitors, cultural stigmas and so much more. Now that Eric is independent and producing some awesome stuff, America has a chance to become a competitor again, and then perceptions will change, and, and, and....

this sounds like a fun challenge

while I doubt I will reach a true motogp level, to race WSBK would be amazing

as a track rider though, gotta take it a step at a time. Next season my goal for the season will be to get up to a true race pace.