Hodgson ready if Kawasaki come calling

Rossi · Post by **Rossi** » Sat May 05, 2007 1:08 am

Neil Hodgson has told MCN he is ready and willing to replace factory Kawasaki rider Olivier Jacque if the Frenchman is forced to miss forthcoming MotoGP races through injury.

Jacque suffered a deep wound in his right arm when he crashed his factory ZX-RR 800 in this afternoon’s (Friday) second free practice session.

The injury has ruled him out of this weekend’s China GP in Shanghai.

Jacque was airlifted to hospital in Shanghai and will require a skin graft back in France, where he was due to fly to from the Far East tonight.

He has already undergone an operation this afternoon in Shanghai’s Huashan hospital.

During the operation doctors decided to completely close the wound after realising no skin grafts were necessary.

Kawasaki bosses confirmed the injury was severe enough to possibly rule Jacque out of his home race at Le Mans on May 20, 2007 and paddock rumour in Shanghai is that Hodgson could be a potential target to replace him.

The former World and British superbike champion is available and also familiar with Bridgestone tyres having replaced injured Bridgestone test rider Shinichi Itoh at Ducati recently.

Hodgson, who will fly to Italy tomorrow for an intensive Bridgestone testing schedule next week, told MCN: “Obviously I’d love to do it if the chance came up.

“I haven’t heard anything but I’d be well interested. I’ve ridden on the Bridgestone tyres now and also the Ducati 800 so it’s not like I would be going into a race cold or anything having to learn the bike and the tyres.”

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:48 am

Why the hell would they ask Hodgson?

I wonder if they could convince our old mate Stauffer to leave Yamaha for a GP ride?

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Sat May 05, 2007 8:06 am

aardvark wrote:Why the hell would they ask Hodgson?

I wonder if they could convince our old mate Stauffer to leave Yamaha for a GP ride?

or pitty, he's done the job for the green machines before....he is now the official "super sub"

I doubt Jamie would want the ride anyway, he to busy serving it up to the other guys in the aussie supers to want to hang round the tail end of the GP circus

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Sat May 05, 2007 7:25 pm

Phil wrote:
aardvark wrote:Why the hell would they ask Hodgson?

I wonder if they could convince our old mate Stauffer to leave Yamaha for a GP ride?
or pitty, he's done the job for the green machines before....he is now the official "super sub"

I doubt Jamie would want the ride anyway, he to busy serving it up to the other guys in the aussie supers to want to hang round the tail end of the GP circus

u serious??

he'd rather rub shoulders with no-names than attempt to chase casey,vale, chucka , hoffy (not the good looking one) and the like??

mind u he could come back after a 4 week stint and prob still win the aus champs...

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Sun May 06, 2007 11:27 am

Neka79 wrote:
Phil wrote:
aardvark wrote:Why the hell would they ask Hodgson?

I wonder if they could convince our old mate Stauffer to leave Yamaha for a GP ride?
or pitty, he's done the job for the green machines before....he is now the official "super sub"

I doubt Jamie would want the ride anyway, he to busy serving it up to the other guys in the aussie supers to want to hang round the tail end of the GP circus
u serious??

he'd rather rub shoulders with no-names than attempt to chase casey,vale, chucka , hoffy (not the good looking one) and the like??

mind u he could come back after a 4 week stint and prob still win the aus champs...

i am serious, do you think turning up to ride a bike that the guys who have been testing it on cant get anywhere near the front would be a good career move - didnt do anthing for pitt or many others

i sure if a motogp, wsbk or wss yamaha ride was offered it would be different story. same employer and competitive bike.

saying that the kawasaki is closer to the front in time than it has been for a while, lets hope randy has a good ride in china

redzedx7r · Post by **redzedx7r** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:01 pm

Kawasaki don't have the fastest bike in the paddock but it is competitive in the right hands (look wot Vale has done with that dog M1 and Hopper & Chris V with the GSRV).
I have said it before and I will say it again & again the Green machine has to stop hiring these duds. Hodgson is an OK rider and nice guy but not the bloke who is going to bring home the bacon. Hodgson won WSBK when there was no credible competition on a factory rocket with top shelf Michies.
Pitty, Westie, one of the Hayden boys from AMA would be a better choice. OJ is a good test rider and he had one great result in the wet in China but the residual brain damage from his 500cc (cc-constantly crashing) days doesn't make for a winner. OJ do yourself a favour have a big rest and take the cheques for test riding.
My money is they will take one of the duds from the WSBK series, Fonsi or Regis will be crashing into Randy any day now!

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:14 pm

redzedx7r wrote:I have said it before and I will say it again & again the Green machine has to stop hiring these duds.

Agreed. I think they should grab one of the young guns heading up the 250 class before the other teams grab them.

Look at how well Pedrosa and Stoner have performed! The biggest advantage these young lads have, is that they think they can beat Valentino, so the psychological battle is half won!

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:41 pm

aardvark wrote:
redzedx7r wrote:I have said it before and I will say it again & again the Green machine has to stop hiring these duds.
Agreed. I think they should grab one of the young guns heading up the 250 class before the other teams grab them.

loopy lorenzo would be my pic

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Mon May 07, 2007 12:53 am

give goey a go...at least he can hide his weed in the fairings and no will ever see it...

redzedx7r · Post by **redzedx7r** » Mon May 07, 2007 4:57 pm

Neka79 wrote:give goey a go...at least he can hide his weed in the fairings and no will ever see it...

I can just see it now the 'Go Show' arriving late to the pits and does a 30min lap of LeMans "whoa man that bike is fast, you got any of those cheese baguettes left I'm real hungry bro"

Barrabob · Post by **Barrabob** » Mon May 07, 2007 6:52 pm

The bike is okay randy should have hung onto the back of pedrosa rather than letting the field walk away from him but buggered if i know who they would get to ride the second bike.

You need a desperate with no contract really and cross your fingers that its a bolter.

someone needs to grab a big heap of rocks and invite daryl beattie down to turn 1 at p.i.....maybe i could try turning off the sound on the free to air.

They always talk about a lack of rear end grip on the bike but randys pre race comments where the bike is perfect before the race so maybe some more practice.

Would be interesting to see how jamie would go on the gp machine but i think you would need more than a few weeks to make a go of it.

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Mon May 07, 2007 7:10 pm

redzedx7r wrote:
Neka79 wrote:give goey a go...at least he can hide his weed in the fairings and no will ever see it...

I can just see it now the 'Go Show' arriving late to the pits and does a 30min lap of LeMans "whoa man that bike is fast, you got any of those cheese baguettes left I'm real hungry bro"

after i posted it all i could think of was adam sandler in "the hot chick"..where hes the hippy bongo drum player who always says "its got this little compartment..u can hide ur weed in there"....lol

Nanna10r · Post by **Nanna10r** » Sat May 12, 2007 1:39 am

aardvark wrote:
redzedx7r wrote:I have said it before and I will say it again & again the Green machine has to stop hiring these duds.
Agreed. I think they should grab one of the young guns heading up the 250 class before the other teams grab them.

Look at how well Pedrosa and Stoner have performed! The biggest advantage these young lads have, is that they think they can beat Valentino, so the psychological battle is half won!

Well Randy Dusted Stoner/Westy & Pedrossa at Donnington in 05 on the 250cc. even so I would of sacked the little TURD for failure to disclose he had a broken bone in his back for most of last season. FFS.

Grab Lollypop Lorenzo or De Angelis or even Brendon Roberts there hasn't been anything he hasn't been quick on YET.

But the bike is competitive. No one was passing Randy at the end of the longest straight in the Motogp circus last week. Pity Cappi & CV got him on the last coupla laps though. I still think our best chance is to pick up whoever Honda drops next year .... Haydon &/or Melandri.

Zoidberg · Post by **Zoidberg** » Sat May 12, 2007 11:14 am

This has been Kawasaki's problem in MotoGP and WSB for a long time now. They just can't seem to attract top level championship winning talent to ride for them. Shinya was great but seems to lack that killer edge.
Of the 250 runners, Lorenzo is definately the standout pick but is widely tipped to join Valentino at Yamaha next year and Dovizioso is a certaintly for Honda. De Angelis is Randy Jr, only won 1 race in his GP career and won't take team green anywhere. Reigning 125 champ Bautista could be good. Has been very impressive in his rookie 250 season to date.
No doubt though, Kawasaki will settle for Barros and De Angelis and continue to wallow in the mid-pack.