USA MotoGP

[Steph]

Aren't American's an embarrasment to all Americans?

I have to disagree with that. Only some are. Some of us aren't too bad, I hope.
I did take a few photos but not many you'd be interested in. I'd post a few if I only knew how.

[icebreaker]

steph, email them to me if you like, and I'll post them.

[Phil]

Aren't American's an embarrasment to all Americans?

I have to disagree with that. Only some are. Some of us aren't too bad, I hope.

i've found that with just about everybody

[Barrabob]

I really like the look of that corkscrew but it would be a bit of a handfull on a moto gp bike.

I didnt like a lot of the camera angles on the tv coverage and that photo shows it way better, I am a fan of up hill and down dale style tracks and those flat wide tracks they have in europe get a bit bland to watch after a while.

It was probably hard to get the camera angles right with the very limited space beside the track but they could still put towers out in the spectater areas.

[Yankee]

yes, thank you for sharing Steph!
I thought that race went down in history the way it should have... absolutely perfect (although coulda been better if that was Maxx that went down and not Barros! ) -eh, can't wish that on anyone.....
Nicky Haden is tops, and as a bunch of ppl around are hoping: this will up his confidence and get him moving quicker in the right direction to challenge that italian monkee!!!

[Neka79]

choice pics Steph!!
sounds much like our GP every yr, cept with less beer, sum tool stuffing up ur anthem, and vale not kicking ass...actually, it doesnt sound as good as ours...You'll just have to come & see ours & compare

[Steph]

You'll just have to come & see ours & compare

I was actually at Phillip Island last year for the GP and World Superbike. I loved Phillip Island, probably because I never saw the bad weather everyone told me about, four seasons in one day. Really liked the track even though I never made it around to the back side of it. Don't know if I could pick which venue I like better. I must say that the corkscrew is pretty hard to beat. This was my first time up to the corkscrew as it's quite an uphill climb. Had a golf cart this year so I went up three times. And yes it is hard to get good photos there because of all the trees and people.
I was much better at taking photos at P.I. and I got a great one of Jeremy Burgess with a look of disbelief walking down pit lane right after Rossi had crossed the finish line to win the championship. I've sent it to Dan to post here.

[aardvark]

Hey Steph, what's with all the sand? Don't they have lawn over your way?

[icebreaker]

Here's another one of Steph's pics.

[Steph]

Hey Steph, what's with all the sand? Don't they have lawn over your way?

The terrain around the track is very dry. Not much rainfall especially in the summer. They'd have to install a sprinkler system in order for lawn to grow. Some areas get too much foot traffic for even natural vegetation to grow.
Another interesting fact about the track is that it's owned by the county and leased out. Events are put on by a non-profit organization called SCRAMP, mostly volunteers. They are limited to a small number of events there each year (including cars), it think it's about 5. That's why they couldn't run World Superbike there this year.