Interesting race today. Amazing to see how dominant the Honda's are. Even if JL hadn't COMPLETELY jumped the start (I've never seen a jump start quite that bad) he was still over a second off the flat out pace. They found something. Something major. Marquez is an excellent rider (obvious by how he dominated his team mate on the same bike) but I don't think he's THAT much faster than everyone else. The bike is clearly the fastest machine out there. They're using less fuel in a race than before but they're faster out of the corners and top speed down the straight. All while trying to conserve their engines since they only get 5 for a whole season now. They've got something that's giving them better milage and more power than before. (Hybrid ERS like they're running in F1 now?) I know there have been rumors the last couple of years that they were testing a hybrid energy recovery system. Maybe they've got it figured out. As far as I know, there's no rules against using something like that...
Ducati is doing well, but maybe too well. They are running "Open factory" rules. Getting Dovi on the box today they only have two more 3rd places or one 2nd place and they'll have to switch back to the full factory rules down to 20L of fuel, harder tires, etc... Be interesting to see if they tell one of their riders to back off if they're sitting in a podium spot and that'll bump them out of the "Open" class.
VR had to have had a bad front tire or something. He was running really well for not being on a Honda. For him to just drop like a stone all of a sudden there had to be some kind of issue.
As usual, Moto2 and Moto3 put on the best show. Moto3 in particular. Jack Miller has some skills. That kid's going to be fast as he moves up through the classes. I was really disappointed to see Josh Herrin make the bone head move he did in turn 1. I know he's anxious to prove he belongs there. But he needs to calm down and just finish one lap, then he needs to finish a race before he tries passing 10 bikes on the start. Of course his teammate who's been there for a couple of years make an even bigger bone head move too.
I'm actually really looking forward to the rule changes coming in 2016 that will basically make everyone run the Open class rules. Spec ECU's and software are the only way to go IMO. Especially if they're looking to make MotoGP a more attractive, relatively cost effective racing option for the manufacturers. Look at what it's done for F1. The best team to build the best car with the best driver generally wins. Right now in MotoGP it's all about electronics. Getting rid of that factor it's going to force the teams to actually develop a faster, better handling bike. Not just a better computer program. I know they have to have things like traction control and wheelie control on these things. The amount of power they make, they'd be unridable without it. I just don't like the fact that he who writes the best code usually wins the race. This isn't a video game. Look at Moto2. Generally the best motorcycle road racing on the planet IMO. They have NO electronics whatsoever. (Except the basic fuel injection computer) Aprilia has started the process of coming back to MotoGP for 2016 knowing that they'll all be running the same software and they're not going to have to spend millions of dollars on software engineers. They can focus on building a capable bike, which we know they can do. Suzuki is in full development mode on their new bike. From what I've heard, they're not even worried that their lap times are over a second off the current front runners and they're not even expecting to be running in the front for 2015. (They will probably be running the same "open" rules Ducati is running this year - if they do carry them over like expected) They're focusing on 2016 when there will truly be a level playing field. So even before the rules are put in place, they've already attracted two new manufacturers to the field. I also heard Kawasaki is making noise that they may be putting a program together again. Why has it taken Dorna so long to realize they needed to make this change??? I know Honda's threatening to leave MotoGP if they do go to these rules, and Yamaha was threatening, but now they're all for it since they can't keep within a second of the Honda's. lol Honda taking their ball and going home if they do change the rules would be PR suicide IMO.
I've been in my racing happy place all day. Watched last nights Supercross first thing this morning, then all 3 MotoGP classes, World Superbikes, I'm watching World SuperStock right now. And the Long Beach GP is sitting there waiting for me too.

:steve: