Spot on. I was fortunate to be at JGP when Fast by Ferracci came to test the new MV Agusta F4-1000R towards the end of '06 with Luca Scassa & Matt Lynn. It was Luca's first time to JGP, if not the US, and believe first time on that bike. It was a private test so there were only 2 of us cornerworking (just in case of incident). Sarge (former race control @T3), and I was at T7. I had a pair of binoculars as well so I could see them really well entering T3 all the way around to T14 before the losing them. Luca's speed & line entering T7 was like nothing I'd seen in the many times I'd corner worked watching both CCS & WERA races with the likes of Batey's, Jensen's, Smith's, Dwire's, Mc'Enery's, Yonce's, Villas's, etc. When he reached the flagger booth of T7 (I was eyeing him straight in front of me) he was on the far left edge of the track already at full lean.....still on, or at least maintaining, throttle. Just after that point, he'd ease off the throttle just before the 7 apex. He carried more speed through T7, and deeper into the apex of T8 faster than any riders I'd seen, and that was many. Any club racer prior I'd watched come through there, was nowhere near doing that. In fact, they'd be center track at most, and just beginning to lean into T7. And, exiting T6 all the way to throwing it over for T7, that rear end was NEVER hooked up. Danced left to right all the way. Scassa rode raw, full tilt, ballz to the wall. Lynn was silky smooth. Believe he ran 15's that day, previous best was 17's. Even Lynn's line through T7 was more like the club racers....just a bit faster I suppose, but it wasn't Scassa's line for sure. I have pics & vid of it on an SD card somewhere. To view it in person is really cool. I told Borge back then, after seeing what bit I did, that the top MotoGP guys would do 12's easy. Then Canepa does a :12.? a few years later on the Pegrams's Buell 1190 race bike, and makes me wonder if 10's are possible. Prolly are. Apologies to all for the thread jack......
I've arrived, I found Johnny B's hideout, and went to Culvers for dinner, that makes up for having to pay a ton to park my stuff a mile away from the hotel I guess.
Mat Mladin on Daytona, past and present "For the first few years after I retired and returned home from the States, every time the second weekend in March would come around, I was on edge. I was angry. I couldn't settle. I never thought about it until I was telling a friend and they said, “you are supposed to be at Daytona”. " https://www.mcnews.com.au/mat-mladin-on-daytona-past-and-present/
DiSalvo went up the inside of me going into T4 at GingerMan with a knee on the deck and basically slid it all the way to T6 without ever picking up his knee. He broke the lap record that weekend on a Moto2 bike that I don't think he hadn't ridden until that day. I considered selling everything motorcycle related and taking up knitting or something.
Can't wait- been able to take the boy 2 years in a row now. Be helping out our friend on the Rydfast bagger. Anyone know where to pick up credentials? Will call?