VOL. 50 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 6, 2013
Honda's just the chance to get another expert
opinion.
But what does this really mean?
Firstly that Stoner's truly missing the bike,
and has been pushing somewhat in offering his
development services.
Secondly – that after finding the car racing
action surprisingly difficult, he'll be back? All assurances are to the contrary: Honda's official
words on Stoner's possible wild-carding at a
couple of races later this year were "out of the
question."
Not dissimilar, by the way, to Stoner's words
on his impending retirement, only a few weeks
before he announced it. Read into that what
you will.
And wonder just how it will be, should he and
Marquez clash on track.
When Rossi did it to him at Laguna, Stoner
was famously sniffy. "I've lost a bit of respect for
him," he said, and the resentment never really
died. And why should it? Stoner used resentment, drew strength from it. That was his way:
the bigger the chip on his shoulder the faster
he would go.
Media-man Rossi handled his defeat quite
differently. At least in public, knowing full well
the commercial value of his charm. He emerged
from the rookie kicking all smiles, full of praise
for the audaciousness and full of glee for the
sport of it. This was real racing, how he and the
fans like it… and next time it will be his turn, he
promised. Like Stoner, but quite differently, he
used the humiliation as an inspiration. Different
strokes, different strokes, same result.
Now let us indulge in a little fantasy: that
Stoner does come back as a wild card at Motegi and Phillip Island. There he will meet the
rider who is claiming his place. Head on. And
will have no reason to care about any effect he
may have on the championship battle.
Marquez versus Stoner, on equal motorcycles. Now that would be one to watch.
CN
P129
LOOKING BACK
40 Years Ago
August 13, 1973
Nils-Arne Nilsson was caught flying
his 125cc Husqvarna to victory at the
Barely International Motocross, USA's
first 125cc Grand Prix, in Missouri...
We tested the new Suzuki TM250.
We said, "…cross-ups weren't fun on
the TM, just necessary." We weren't
impressed with the machine… Mert
Lawwill won the Peoria TT.
30 Years Ago
August 17, 1983
A photo of Yamaha's new TT600 was
pictured on the cover to accompany our
test of the big off-road thumper… Broc
Glover won the Miller High Life Superbowl of Motocross at the Rose Bowl;
David Bailey claimed the Supercross
Championship… Marty Tripes won the
Ensenada 5000 MX in Mexico.
20 Years Ago
August 11, 1993
We were pretty impressed with Honda's
new CR250R motocrosser – so much
so, that we put it on the cover... Ricky
Graham topped the Oklahoma City
Half Mile… Mike LaRocco and Doug
Henry topped the 250/125cc National
MX at Glen Helen… Tommy Norton
won his first National Hare Scrambles
at Thunder Ridge.
10 Years Ago
August 6, 2003
After winning his second 250cc National MX in a row, Kevin Windham
was shown on the cover in all his glory
from Washougal; guess who won the
125cc class – yup, "Bubba"... Sete
Gibernau flustered Valentino Rossi
by passing him on the last lap to win the
German GP… Mike Lafferty outlasted
Randy Hawkins at the Loose Moose
National Enduro.
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