Losail

[airwave]

stopped in past on the way back from work this afternoon.
Bunch of locals outside doing a 'rally'
bunch of expats inside doing what looked like a trackday (I hear it's pretty much open all day and free, but have not got sensible confirmation on that)

I've never been to a track before, what a ferkin noise !
Guy on a Buel looked like he was going backwards compared to the guys on inline 4's
3 Ducatis which sounded and looked slow, but from my limited look, I think it's got a lot more to do with the rider than the bike.

lasting impression? the track is huuuuge, the stands are tiny.

[Coddy]

Roy, it wasn't a track day today, its the Race Experience programme.

They have proffesional racers come accross and do courses for the guys who do the track days normally. My boss was there today apparently, he does trackdays there.

Some of the locals are fooking quick, can do 2:09 on tuned 600ers. WSB does about 1:58.

I take it the Buell was an orange one, seen him there before. There is a guy goes up on a KTM motard type bike, basically goes round the whole track flat out, and is not to bad time wise. Last time there was a guy on a BM-W boxer twin putting in some decent times.

[airwave]

the guy on the KTM was ferkin good on the outfield (can see it from the extreme end of the stand, across from the 'podium') and left for dead on the straights.
the guy on the buel was wearing a vest flapping in the breeze over his leathers, was silver / grey (I'm colour blind)

have to speak to yer boss to get a shottie . . .(of the bike . . )

some circuit, and deserted . . . . .

[Coddy]

have to speak to yer boss to get a shottie . . .(of the bike . . )

some circuit, and deserted . . . . .

There was probably a GSXR1000 K6 going round in plain black plastics with PDM Racing stickers on it. I was going to buy that 3 months ago, as it was real cheap, with a fair few toys on it, but didn't in the end.
My boss offered me to buy 1/2 his bike and share it on trackdays, but i think he has alteriour motives, and would be happy if i binned it, so i would have to by his 1/2 as he is thinking of moving back to UK, and would save him from the hasstle of selling it.

[airwave]

yup, saw that, sounded like it had some kind of quick shifter on it, it was bloody quick up the straight.
Think you or Walter would have ridden rings round him on the outfield though (or pretty much any of the 'front runners' we have out of a Sunday at home) most of (well, a significant amount of) them rolled off as they passed under the 'bridge' at the end of the pits.
about 4 of 'em were hard on the throttle to a point midway between the end of the pit lane and the corner at the end of the main straight.
that has to be pretty scary, braking down from 160+ for that corner.

I'm probably going to be offshore and busy from next trip or the one after on, or I'd be buying a fazer just to take the piss . .

[Coddy]

The wind is fairly picking up in Doha this afternoon, whipping up the dust.

Rumours of rain for the race. Only way i can see Casey Moaner being beat, if it rains.

[Bubba13t]

The wind is fairly picking up in Doha this afternoon, whipping up the dust.

Rumours of rain for the race. Only way i can see Casey Moaner being beat, if it rains.

If it rains no race, floodlights cause major vision problems with their visors

[steve]

The wind is fairly picking up in Doha this afternoon, whipping up the dust.

Rumours of rain for the race. Only way i can see Casey Moaner being beat, if it rains.

rumour has it Stoner has only done 6 continuous flat out laps since his wrist operation , if thats true it will be interesting to see how he handles a race distance

Rossi was looking real good in final qualifying last night an only a few tenths behind Moaner , Lorenzo could also be a threat too

[Coddy]

Will take some picks during the VIP pit lane walkaboot (are you doing this Roy ).

But wont be able to post them up for 4 weeks, as basically leave racetrack, dump jeep at the apartment, then roon to the airport for the flight back to the cauld .

[airwave]

The wind is fairly picking up in Doha this afternoon, whipping up the dust.

Rumours of rain for the race. Only way i can see Casey Moaner being beat, if it rains.

rumour has it Stoner has only done 6 continuous flat out laps since his wrist operation , if thats true it will be interesting to see how he handles a race distance

Rossi was looking real good in final qualifying last night an only a few tenths behind Moaner , Lorenzo could also be a threat too

I was watching moaner coming off that last corner onto the straight yesterday, judging by the way the bike was sideways, rear wheel spinning up on the paint markers on the outside of the track, coming up light on the front wheel and heading off down the main straight like a scalded cat with a rocket up it's bum. (and he did it lap after lap)
the fact that you could hear that he wasn't shutting the throttle despite the wheelspin . . . .
I don't think he's getting too much problems from the wrist . . . . .

he was the only one who actually looked like he was trying (that may have been because the Fiat makes a truly fantastic noise) the H onda's were pretty noisy too.

The Yamahahaha actually sound slooooow (admittedly, don't look it) but I couldn't read the starightline speeds off the screen to see how much faster the Fiat was over the Yamaha.


Cody, I shall be waving at you tonight.
From my cheap seats in amongst the great unwashed, I shall give you the traditional 'one fingered wave' as you sit quaffing fruit juice and caviar. on the other side of the track. bstard . . . .

[coullstar]

I was watching moaner coming off that last corner onto the straight yesterday, judging by the way the bike was sideways, rear wheel spinning up on the paint markers on the outside of the track, coming up light on the front wheel and heading off down the main straight like a scalded cat with a rocket up it's bum. (and he did it lap after lap)
the fact that you could hear that he wasn't shutting the throttle despite the wheelspin . . . .
I don't think he's getting too much problems from the wrist . . . . .

You really need to see the guy in action. I never used to like him but after seeing him a couple of times I have nothing but respect for the guy. He is flat out all the time . Ok he's not as likeable as Rossi but he's no worse than most of the other guys. If it was a one lap shootout he'd win everytime but Rossi just pips him over the race distance. Saying that I think he is going to clear off at the start and the others will come back to him tonight.
Anyway f*ck that, cmon Bradley. He was doing very consistent fast laps last night. Very good chance of having a Brit world champion this year.

[DarrenR]

must admit, im starting to like Stoner these days...