Valencia Grand Prix

[TZDeSioux]

Chuck Sorensen did not qualify for the 250GP race. Chris Peris did not qualify for the 125GP race. What does that tell us about the level of the riders in the WGP?  ???

[TreyBone]

Dude, those European guys are fast as shit. Motorcycle racing over there is like NASCAR here. Those guys are hero's in Europe.  I heard that some of the racers over there have there own street names in towns and stuff. Fact of the matter is ( in my opinion) that if you race in Europe you better have your shit together.  Those guys are the fastest in the world and always have been for the most part of history. There are a few exceptions - Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Spencer, Roberts etc.   I mean, look at Hopkins.  He won the Formula Xtreme Championship here in 2001 and has been getting his ass smoked all year in MotoGP.

[TZDeSioux]

Trey,
I agree with you.. but wouldn't you think a rider as fast as Chuck Sorensen should atleast be able to qualify? After all.. he is our current AMA 250GP Champion. ???

[sdiver68]

WTF?

Trey, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Hopkins have several top tens this year riding a 2 stroke?  Isn't he on Dunlops where all the fast guys are on Michelins?  Isn't he a teenager going to many of these tracks for the first time against the world's best?

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/index.html

Those "few exceptions" you mentioned account for how many of the World Championships in the past 20 years?

Didn't Colin Edwards win World SBK 2 of the past 3 years?

[sportbikepete]

Not an excuse rather an observation. How much do the guys riding there get on that track compared to a 1 off by Chuck? I know the first time I went to VIR I got my ass smoked, but at other tracks I had been on at least once before I did fairly well. Racing is so much in the head. Ru$$ell is pretty damn good and did not fair that well over in Europe. It is a whole different game over there.

[TZDeSioux]

I think everyone is missing the point.... OUR BEST THIS YEAR DID NOT QUALIFY! Nobody asked him to win or even get on the podium! If you are given a wildcard ride.. shouldn't you atleast freaking qualify??????

[TZDeSioux]

an  Ru$$ell is pretty damn good and did not fair that well over in Europe. It is a whole different game over there.

Well Ru$$sell did win the WSBK Championship.... :)

[sdiver68]

No, I didn't miss that point, I chose to skip over it and instead challenge the "superiority" of European racers.  ;)

I'm sure Chuck Sorensen does not represents our best.  Sure, he won the AMA 250 championship, but 2 stroke racing does not attract the talent over here that it does in other parts of the World, simply because 2 stroke street bikes are illegal here.  Simply put, not enough people care about 2 stroke racing in the US to even contest it.

[SliderPhoto]

Is there an interview? Maybe he had bike or setup problems.

[Dawn]

According to RRW:

107% cut-off time: 1:42.597

DNQ. Chuck Sorensen, Aprilia, 1:43.312*

*Broke a transmission gear early in the session and pitted for repairs.

Dawn   :)

[TZDeSioux]

According to RRW:

107% cut-off time: 1:42.597

DNQ. Chuck Sorensen, Aprilia, 1:43.312*

*Broke a transmission gear early in the session and pitted for repairs.

Dawn   :)

Good thing it was mechanical... It annoyed me that our 250GP champion couldn't qualify at the world level.

[TZDeSioux]

No, I didn't miss that point, I chose to skip over it and instead challenge the "superiority" of European racers.  ;)

I'm sure Chuck Sorensen does not represents our best.  Sure, he won the AMA 250 championship, but 2 stroke racing does not attract the talent over here that it does in other parts of the World

I disagree... Colin Edwards, Kenny Roberts Jr., John Kocinski, Wayne Rainey, etc etc... all raced 250GP here in the states at one time or another. Also look at Jason Disalvo....ex 250GP kid... look what he did to the formula usa guys at daytona..