Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Ducati - the end of an era. RIP

[aws]

It was a sad 2 weeks, this week (being race week) especially.

The long line of Ducati wins & entries has come to an abrupt end. Spectators who have turned out in their thousands may well have missed the death of a marqué, but I noticed it.

Go back to Mike-the-Bike's astonishing return to winning after a retirement of 13 years from racing in 1986 (?), Tony & Michael Rutter, Foggy, Hislop and many more.

This year there are no 125, 250 nor 400cc classes, instead we have Superstock and Superbike categories amongst others.

What am I telling you: there is not one single Ducati on the entry list at the IOM TT this year - bar the Parade of older race bikes.
3x Aprilias
3x Voxans
Everything else is an in-line 4 from the land of the rising sun.

RIP Ducati at the IOM TT.

[Jools]

Originally posted by aws
Spectators who have turned out in their thousands may well have missed the death of a marqué, but I noticed it.

Well, fancy that!

Lavilla
Easton
Toseland
Capirossi

All tootling round on dead bikes.

If Ducati wanted to enter, or any Ducati team come to that, they'd still be competitive. You could ask yourself, does anybody, especially the factory teams, really care about the TT like they used to. RIP TT?

It's a huge overstatement to write off Ducati as a marque simply because of one event, however historic, but then your posts are always somewhat dramatic.



[Edited on 7-6-2005 by Jools]

[Mark]

Ohhhh, the drama!

Spot on Jools, if the TT meant to much to the teams, would the croft BSB and the TT been so close, no.

End of a marque, my arse it is.

[Rattler]

Originally posted by Jools
your posts are always somewhat dramatic.

[Edited on 7-6-2005 by Jools]

[aws]

Rutter would have been there were it not for protecting his BSB title hopes.

The point I was making is that the IOM TT is less of a spector's event with such a limited range of bikes. More bikes means more interest in each bike as it goes past.

It's the mix that gets you looking at your race programme, just to see just what it was that went belting past, so Jools, it's not that the marqué is dead per se, as you seem to have mis-read, its that on the island this year, with not a single Ducati, it's less of a spectator bike-fest.

There is one MV that gets people commenting upon it as it screams past, and the Voxans are very obvious - and very French!

I was simply lamenting the loss of the Ducatis, in whatever number, be it 748, 996-8, or 999.

Apologies to Jools for not being a little simpler in my approach to this posting, the rest of you understood it perfectly it seems - but the island was excellent again - 2x fatalities aside thus far, and a shortened Mad Sunday (which is 100% bonkers as the mountain road is one way for a few hours), the GSXR 1000K4 was the perfect weapon and with visitor numbers up, it's still a huge event.

If you've never been, try it, or the Manx GP in August, as it's bike Heaven. If you thought the Ring was worthy of that crown - think again.

Tim

Tim

[Edited on 7-6-2005 by aws]

[bradders]

dont think its just the TT, do any of the top riders do any road racing?? Cant see WSB or most of BSB frint runners doing macau, NW 200 etc, so not as much end of TT more and of top flight road racing?? Too dangerous? No run offs? too expensive??

[Steve M]

The techniques required for circuit or road racing get further apart all the time, making it difficult to be truly competitive at both. And you often hear people like Mike Rutter saying how it's hard to get back up to pace on the short circuits after 2 weeks of racing at the TT. Look how much better Steve Hislop went when he stopped doing road circuits.

[Jools]

Spectators who have turned out in their thousands may well have missed the death of a marqué, but I noticed it.

Jools, it's not that the marqué is dead per se, as you seem to have mis-read, its that on the island this year, with not a single Ducati, it's less of a spectator bike-fest.

Ah yes...I'm only a simple soul, but I'm pleased to see that I'm not the only one who is confused

[skidlids]

TT is now more like a round of the Irish Road race championships with a few guest riders from oversea's.
I noticed Karsten Schmidtt is no longer running his Ducati and I wonder how much of it is to do with the rule changes.
Two years ago in the Proddy 1000 race John McGuiness on the monstermob 999R failed to complete two laps on a full tank of fuel.
I haven't checked the superstock rules but if they insist on a standard fuel tank then a superstock 999R is probably going to run out of fuel at signpost on its 2nd lap.

[aws]

That's precisely what happened yesterday in the superstock!
I think it was Archibold who was way out front, and he ran out of fuel in the run up to Sign Post - ie, 1 mile from the finish!
How frustrating.
But like you say, it's the main even in the road racing calendar, and very few riders seem to be able to combine the 2 disciplines, or maybe not wanting to.
More money elsewhere.
Joey Dunlop was a good example, he thrived on the Irish / IOM races, and that was his racing.
I wonder how many grass roots club racers, who are good enough, really contempleate the TT now adays?It's one thing to spend years learning a complex route so intimately, and they'll know the short circuits better from having raced them at club level.
Easier to try and step up to BSB me thinks - and the £ may be better too.
Less chance you go home in a box too!

Tim