Who's Your Favorite Racer?

Loris Capirossi!

And I also like Valentino and Garry Mcoy!

 

I recently saw that Mr. McCoy will be campaigning a Triumph 675 in the 2008 World Supersport Championship! That guy has mad feet up flat track skills. Very entertaining guy to watch do his thing. Good Choice.

 

Anthony Gobert!! Great rider! As good as any!


Like me, he got sacked for failing a drugs test!

 

Anthony Gobert is a tremendous natural talent who threw his career in the toiler because he was not disciplined enough to make the most of what he had. This is a classic example of someone whose head gets so big that he thinks that he can be successful on talent alone. Unfortunately, talent alone is not sufficient to overcome a poor work ethic and unprofessional behavior. What Anthony and Max BIaggi never figured out is that doesn't matter how talented you are, if you're consistently a pain in the *ss to work with, no one will want anything to do with you, regardless of your talent.

Eddie Lawson was just as naturally talented, and won four Grand Prix World Championships because he was thoroughly professional, worked hard and had incredible mental, physical and psychological discipline. So was Mick Doohan. At that level, talent alone is never enough. you'll always get smoked by the guys who are as talented as you but are hard, disciplined, and unemotional about what they are doing.

 

I'm partial to the period of US domination of GP starting with Roberts and ending with Schwantz. Those days, and the first to best (what's the best gen? :wink: ) Interceptors in the showrooms, are what gained and kept my interest in motorcycling. Having a US winning streak for my Jr. High through Grad School years was pretty damn cool.

To mention the crowd that did the deed...
Roberts
Spencer
Mamola
Lawson
Rainey
Kocinski
Schwantz

 

How could I forget Mamola?!

 

The Greatest

The Greatest One Is Always Giacomo Agostini....isn't He ?

 

DOOHAN!!!
Cut his teeth with the best - Rainey, Schwantz, Lawson, Gardiner (the best era of GP). Was immediately in the thick and then went on. Will never get his dues as Rainey, Schwantz and Lawson all left around the same time. He had it easy as a result.
Developed the NSR into the best package it ever was and they still go to him now for development issues. Went away from the 'Big Bang' engine and still stomped the competition.

Current - really liking Stoner (can he back it up?). Would love to see Hopper on something competitive.

(2 months 'till it all starts again!)

 

Fast Freddie Spencer and Fred Merkle (80's)

 

Oh, easy...that would be the one on the end of a Berol #2. Oops, that is an eraser!:smile:
I meant to say Casey Stoner!

 

I've actually met Eddie several occasions & talked, That said.
He would be on my top 10 list as with other great ones, but I just made a short top 5 list that Have influenced me the most (in those 2 category's).

Don't forget the Great entertainer - "Evil Knievel" as well !

 

OK, age-giveaway time.

1) Kenny Roberts....not junior!
2) Roger DeCoster
3) Malcolm Smith

Today's riders? I like Rossi.

Lane

 

just my opinion

Yer Maun, Joey Dunlop, the pic says it all!

Thank you Stephen Davison for the pic

 

Kbrick:

Even your avatar...I love it!

It will be a hell of a long time before we see another Joey.
The picture does say it all!

BZ

 

This thread has turned out better than I expected.

Thanks all for participating. I love the opinions and hearing who influenced you all. Some people have contributed some real classic riders like Doohan, Shwantz, Smith, "Ago", Mamola...damn the list goes on!

BZ

 

Cool story norcal!

BZ

 

my .02

One thing we all need to remember these are men first, many have families and in Joeys case he also got his hands dirty up to the end.

For those who don't know the legend of "Yer Maun"
http://www.v-four.freeserve.co.uk/joeydunlop.htm

They have the coolest jobs in the world.

Thanks Bubba for the compliments..

 

In no particular order: Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Bubba Shobert, Miguel Duhamel, Kenny Roberts, Scott Russell, Kevin Schwantz. Rainey and Schwantz had some of the best battles I have ever seen. WOW, I didn't realize how old these guys are getting!

 

I liked cheering for Schwantz back in the day... I had a Suzuki and that's who he rode for. I've seen GOAT, Ricky Carmichael ride... and he is so far above the other folks he road MX near that it is hard to compare, but Bob Hannah would have to be the other MX dude that I enjoyed.

right now, it is hard not to cheer for a Bubba like Nicky Hayden when he's been a Honda guy for a long time and both he and his family seem to have a humility that is rare and I appreciate.

neat to read about some of the West Coaster's experiences with actually meeting some of the folks I only see on SPEED.