WSB Donington Race 2 Drama (Spoiler)

[davenay67]

wait...

we're supposed to be rooting for BMW?  

 

Funny old world, eh..??  

The variety is good for the sport. It gets too boring if certain makes dominate. BMW deserves some success.

Now, if only Triumph could/would make a competitive Superbike. They are having a good run in AMA Sportbike categories.

[nnjhawk02]

The racing was awesome along with all the lead changes ......both races!!!!!

Rae is a prick that should not be in anything at a world level........A racing incident but a dick move on his part for sure...cemented as a dick move by his reaction in winners area......I just knew that was going to happen when he was in the lead 5 battling......it did.....

1st its REA

As stated by many GREAT Races.  I just watched em both on DVR.

But that Rea incident was a racing incident & I'm not a Rea fan.  Bad luck for BMW in race 2.  I just re-watched it, RACING Incident, pure & simply.  Haslam & Marco should have held their racing lines & this would never had happened, period.

[scottzilla]

Not sure what the big deal is.  Both races had more contact than usual (Melandri especially).  Rea went for it.  What's the problem?  He didn't intentionally take anyone out.

[veefer800canuck]

Neil Hodgson says he would have went for it as well:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2012/May/120514d.htm

[ZuluHour]

this isn't MotoGP fella's, these guys gotta shove their shit in any way they can.  Was it a super-aggressive, last lap, last corner bid for the win by Rea?  Hell f'n yeah!  I'd much rather watch 5 contenders slug it out over the entire race, than 1 guy keep trying to improve his lap record each time around.  Sure, Rea can be accused for riding above his head, but that at least means he's hungry for the win, which is more than can be said for several other riders out there.

Like it or not, this is what makes racing interesting.  I can't wait for Miller!

[Silverbird]

It's more of how he handled himself after the race.  Good manners will get you a long way in this sport. Ask Nicky Hayden.

I'm glad BMW is doing well, onlu  because they are actually producing a bike that is pushing the limits of modern sportbike technology. Unlike Honda, Yam ans Suz who have seemed to just stop trying.  

[DogBoy]

If it was a racing incident, what does it matter how he handled himself after the race? Rea just won an extremely hard fought World Championship race on his home soil. I think he acted like any other racer would.

[tomek]

Had it been Pedrosa the discussion here would have been entirely different   .

[R Doug]

Had it been Pedrosa the discussion here would have been entirely different   .

There's a big difference when you're near the end of the season and your teammate is fighting for the championship.  

I found Rea's move aggressive but not stupid.  I loved race 2!

[scottzilla]

If it was a racing incident, what does it matter how he handled himself after the race? Rea just won an extremely hard fought World Championship race on his home soil. I think he acted like any other racer would.

Americans like their heroes humble.  That's why the villians in wrestling are hated.

[dietDrThunder]

For Leon Haslam’s and BMW’s sake, I hope that Melandri got a stern talking-to after race 2. Yes, it was Rea’s move that knocked LH down, but the entire situation was brought about by Melandri’s absurd impossi-lunge in that corner when the race was for all intents and purposes, over.

If he just kept it in his pants, he would have had a 1-2, and BMW would have had two historic wins in a breakthrough weekend. Instead, he attempted a ridiculous never-successful-in-100-tries lunge from waaaay too far back, and punched a hole that Rea rightfully went for. The fact that Melandri did this against his team mate makes it completely unforgivable.

Wow, what a couple of amazing races though…plus the F1 race was great too (I know, hard to believe). What’s next…a compelling MotoGP race? I know, I know…but I dare to dream.

(don't think it matters, but I cross-posted this from my response on motorcycledaily.com)

[DogBoy]

Had it been Pedrosa the discussion here would have been entirely different   .

   Entirely different situation and its been nearly SIX YEARS. Let it go.

[miles]

For Leon Haslam’s and BMW’s sake, I hope that Melandri got a stern talking-to after race 2. Yes, it was Rea’s move that knocked LH down, but the entire situation was brought about by Melandri’s absurd impossi-lunge in that corner when the race was for all intents and purposes, over.

If he just kept it in his pants, he would have had a 1-2, and BMW would have had two historic wins in a breakthrough weekend. Instead, he attempted a ridiculous never-successful-in-100-tries lunge from waaaay too far back, and punched a hole that Rea rightfully went for. The fact that Melandri did this against his team mate makes it completely unforgivable.

I agree with that.  Melandri shouldn't have tried to pass his teammate at that point.  That said, his move didn't crash anybody out- if Rea hadn't been there, the results would have been Haslam, Melandri and whoever was behind them, either Rea or Biaggi.  

As it was, Rea shouldn't have jumped into a gap that was already closing fast.  

[motodog650]

As far as 'the pass', If someone has to take blame I'd say it should be Melandri. After winning race one just in front of Haslam he dive bombs him in the last corner instead of tucking in behind him for a BMW double win & 2nd. I sure can't fault Rea especially after the door was opened for him to get a win at a home race. Don't think Leon was upset at Rea but I'm thinking he probably isn't just real pleased with Marco.

I'm just glad the racing was that close that the scenerio existed. Don't have to worry about it happening in MotoGP...

[JonS]

Rea can be counted on to crash every third race or so. He is fast, but very undisciplined. He was very optimistic and too had too much speed to put himself on the inside at the last moment. he moved up, after getting his wheel in there.
Last race, in the rain, I told my wife that Rea would crash, and he did. I must have mystical powers. I used to root for him, but soon realized he was a lost cause. Maybe when he grows up.

[dietDrThunder]

It is true that Rea touched the BMW and it went bowling for dollars. But, the move was not at all egregious, the gap was enough, and would have been occupied by any number of others in that race had such an opportunity presented itself. Melandri's sin there is creating chaos where the result was already decided. That move was absurd, doubly so that it was on his team mate. It had 0 possibility of success, introduced about 27 different ways that something could now go terribly wrong, and well...more than one of those came to pass.

On a side note, if you watch carefully, the real reason that Rea and Haslam touched was that Haslam was sort of diving inside a bit extra as part of his reaction to just having been dive-bombed. This made him try to tighten up more quickly (either to get back on line, or try to protect the inside, or both) and that's why they touched. If he had just kept on the slightly wide line that he was on when Rea went up the inside, there would have been no contact at all.

Is that debatable? Sure it is...and that's why it's a "racing incident" as opposed to the not-debatable silliness of the Melandri Kamikaze lunge.

[crashtech]

I agree 100% with most of you guys...Melandri opened the door, yes...I am not a Rea fan since he dive bombed Haga in Germany and took him out of the championship that year. Had he not Ben would have had a nice rookie year instead of a championship. I have seen him (Rea) crash and crash others so many times it is just a given when he is anywhere close to try it...Look at the race earlier, he just about took out melandri earlier and almost crashed several times.....he has no place on a world level, it happens every other race.....

[JonS]

On a side note, if you watch carefully, the real reason that Rea and Haslam touched was that Haslam was sort of diving inside a bit extra as part of his reaction to just having been dive-bombed. This made him try to tighten up more quickly (either to get back on line, or try to protect the inside, or both) and that's why they touched. If he had just kept on the slightly wide line that he was on when Rea went up the inside, there would have been no contact at all.

Is that debatable? Sure it is...and that's why it's a "racing incident" as opposed to the not-debatable silliness of the Melandri Kamikaze lunge.

I slow moed it a couple of times. Rea moved up and into the BMW.

[DogBoy]

IMO, Haslam was off line made a big correction but lost a bunch of speed and attempted to park anyone behind him. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

[Silverbird]

I still think if you have to knock someone off to win the race, you deserve to be called a dick.