If it aint broke, don' t fix it!

Moto GP is once again set to be meddled with by Dorna boss Carmel Ezpeleta after admitting changing the engine capacity to 800cc has made the bikes even faster rather than the desired effect of slowing them down. It has come out this week that many top Moto GP riders don' t understand why the capacity was changed in the first place and Valentino Rossi' s chief engineer, Jeremy Burgess put it well in saying the engineers should be the people Ezpeleta should be asking for such advice.

A control tyre rule is the new proposal from the Dorna boss which has been positively received by many riders but Ezpeleta seems adamant that the new proposal is for safety reasons rather than to improve the spectacle of Moto GP that has run into a processional championship recently. With corner speed up by up to 8mph on the new 800cc bikes it seems obvious to me that higher corner speeds as opposed to higher top end speeds is more dangerous.

However the dorna Boss is quick to suggest that speeds of 220mph are excessive but with the exception of Shinya Nakano' s tyre failiure at Mugello in 2004 the 990cc bikes seemed more controllable and as a result safer. Rossi has suggested a raise once again in capacity but with a limited ECU giving the rider more feel and control over their machines. The option seems viable but the legitimate argument is the ability to police such a regulation would be very difficult.

Roll on the 990cc bikes once again I say because there is nothing better than watching Valentino Rossi spin his YZR Yamaha M1 off the Old Hairpin in warm up like I saw in 2005. Limited ECU? Then we will see how Stoner handles that Ducati.

British motorsport loses a shining star.

The sad and tragic death of Craig Jones came as a shock to me and I'm sure to everyone who followed the Brit. Watching the Supersport race at Brands Hatch Craig Jones was once again showing that he possesses talent that some of us can only dream of. Hanging onto the factory boys on a lower spec machine as usual and riding the balls of his Honda CBR 600RR he was one of the most inspiring riders I have had the pleasure to watch.

As one of my Idols the news came as a horrible suprise when I heard of his death the Monday after the race. Initially after seeing the crash I felt sure that Craig would simply shrug off a bad result at Brands and carry on his Championship hunt. If there is something that makes a rider great it is the ability to ride an underpowered and lower spec machine to the very limit and fight with riders on superior machinery and that is something Jonesy done week in week out.

I first seen Jones in BSB riding a Triumph 600 in spectacular fashion, backing in at every corner and ringing the neck of the inferior bike he was once again expected to compete with. A bad season in World Superbikes showed how poor the Foggy Petronas bike really was but it looked like Jones could put himself in the shop window in World Supersport.

Craig Jones was one of the best we had and looked good enough to match the James Toselands of this world but sadly he is no longer with us. I like everyone else who saw this legend in the making ride sincerely thank Craig Jones' parents for bringing such a talent into this world and pass on my condolences at the same time.

R.I.P. Craig Jones.

It will be a sad day when the doctor leaves the surgery!

After watching the American GP there are only two words I could use to describe it, awe inspiring. The world champion and Valentino Rossi rode their bikes like men possessed as Rossi once again proved why he is the most adored motorcycle racer in the world. Stoner' s Ducati was far superior in the acceleration from the final corner to turn one but Rossi used his tactical genius to keep the Australian at bay.

For once I could not predict what was going to happen as Stoner relentlessly followed The Doctor around the tight demanding Laguna Seca circuit. Rossi showed his unbelievable grit and determination at the corkscrew as he pulled off a fairytale move on the Ducati man and took to the gravel nearly taking them both off the track. It was a matter of time however before Stoner was broken by Rossi' s unmatchable consistency as the champion run wide and slipped in the gravel trap at walking pace at the final turn.

After the race my admiration for Casey Stoner plummeted as live on BBC 1 the Aussie snubbed Rossi' s handshake complaining the Italian' s moves were too aggressive. It seems that we have a very spoilt Champion at the moment who doesn' t like it when someone shows up to spoil the annoying Ducati party. He is doing no favours for his dire popularity amongst British Moto GP fans as it is. How does he think Gibernau felt when rossi barged him off the track at Jerez in 2005? Now that was too agressive!

Once again Rossi is the hero. The man that made the race and made the summer break an unwelcome one as I'm sure everyone wants to get Brno underway A.S.A.P.

P.S. Stoner has been Valentino' d, Laguna Seca 2008!

super stoner shines in German GP

As much as many fans dislike the Australian Moto GP Champion nobody can take away the fact that he can seriously ride the Ducati GP8 in any conditions on any track.

At the beginning of last season as usual I was an avid Valentino Rossi fan and did not like what seemed like a far superior bike making Casey Stoner look good. Races such as Assen last year enforced many views that Rossi had to make up the difference and that Stoner had it easy. However this year I am seeing just how naive I was last season in thinking anybody could win on a Ducati that good.

Stoner showed one of his most professional displays today in the German GP as the treacherous conditions did nothing to spoil the World Champions form. It seems that no matter how fast or tight the track is or how dry or wet the circuit is, he can win on it. Not even Dani Pedrosa could keep up what looked like sure domination early on in the race without crashing into turn 1 that saw the Spaniard luckily escape with no major injuries.

Rossi kept up the heat as best he could on eventual race winner Stoner but he never looked like troubling the Aussie who relentlessly posted fastest lap after fastest lap during the race. Again the Italian showed why he is adored by the fans of Moto GP being the only man to keep stoner' s point advantage to a minimum. The Championship is now perfectly poised for a thriller as the Champion now trails The Doctor by 20 points and only four points off second place Pedrosa.

I'm sure I am not the only one who is starting to regret playing down Casey Stoner' s ability. As every week passes I become more and more convinced that Valentino Rossi has met his match and Stoner is someone Rossi can' t stop. Good on you Casey you have certainly earned my respect this year, anyone else still eating their words?

First ever night race at Qatar. Was it safe?

Qatar held the first ever Moto GP night race under floodlights this year. However is night race safe for the premier class of racing?

The fairytale stage was set on Match 9^th as one of the most eagerly awaited seasons in Moto GP exploded into life at the floodlit Losail circuit. Moto GP race directors watched nervously as the race weekend progressed. Teams and riders had little data from their bikes apart from the three day test the same week.

Issues that plagued some of the riders and teams throughout the weekend were low track temperatures which greatly affected the level of grip the riders had.

Another problem was the track had a fine layer of sand blown onto it due to the wind speed difference in the night time. Therefore riders had to use every bit of skill to find the limit of their machines.

On race day the top six riders were wheel to wheel as tyre manufacturers struggled to convince the riders that the tires would last the whole race at race pace. However as the laps went by, last years world champion Casey Stoner took the initiative from Dani Pedrosa to pull away and win the race.

Despite the radical difference in what conditions the racers are usually used to there was only one rider who crashed at the race which possibly could quash any claims that the spectacle made the race more dangerous. Rider Alex De Angelis crashed on lap 6 and escaped unharmed.

Motorcycle journalist Simon Roots believes that the Qatar night race was a safety success; “If there was only one rider who crashed out of the race, the issue of safety can’t be too serious. However riders have requested to change the date of the race. As they are the experts then they obviously believe there was a strong element of danger.”

Originally the reason for the night race was not only to create a spectacle in motorcycle racing but as a way of avoiding the searing heat of the Qatar desert. The ambient temperature for the race was 18°C, degrees and track temperature was at 19°C, as apposed to daytime ambient temperatures that have reached nearly 40 degrees.

Despite the extreme change in conditions race winner Casey Stoner still managed a lap 1.4 seconds quicker than his lap record from

2007 in daytime conditions at the Losail circuit. The world champion admitted that he didn’t think the race pace would be as quick as it was due to temperatures and grip constantly dropping which as the race progressed. However Stoner is among a group of riders that have requested the race to be moved later in the year next year for safety reasons relating to track temperature.

After a successful night race under the floodlights of Qatar night racing, could become a new dimension in the world of motor racing?

Even though racing at night is new to most forms of motor sport there are championships in the world that have been doing this for years.

NASCAR racing in the U.S.A. is notorious for running races at night with 11 night races featuring in the calendar. These include the Budweiser Shootout, the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, Darlington, Phoenix, California and the Budweiser Shootout races.

NASCAR has been running night races since 1978 and now most of the circuits raced at today have facilities to accommodate a night race.

The night race at Qatar was not the first ever motorcycle race that has taken place during the night. The 24 hour Le Mans race is an endurance race that runs through the day and into the night time and has been around since 1976. There are also races that take place at the Bol d’Or, Suzuka 8 hour in Japan as well as many others that race during the night time.

Since the success of the Qatar night race in Moto GP the idea of night racing has spread across to the world of Formula 1. In the 2009 F1 season there will be a race held under floodlights in Singapore, a street style race circuit which will be a new addition to the F1 calendar.

The idea of the night race comes due to the broadcasting times being suitable for European audiences. However safety is paramount and if it is deemed unsafe to race at night then it will be run in the daytime.

Judging by many other forms of motor sport that now race in these conditions it is very much thought that F1 will stage the race at night.

The main issues that surround the idea in Formula 1 according to driver Mark Webber are blackouts which would seriously disrupt proceedings and be very dangerous. Another issue raised was the chance of rain during the race which would make visibility almost non existent.