Jagged notes on the Daytona 200 - '02

March 10, 2002

o Kudos to Nicky Hayden for riding one of the smartest races in a while. He has proven he is the equal of any rider at managing a race.
o Whatever you read about what Kurtis Roberts said after the race is bullshit. He fried his tire like a dumbass and is complaining. I hope Dunlop punish him for it in whatever way they can.
o My early predictions for this year are off to a good start already.
o Too bad for Gobert. I really was hoping that he could hold out for 2nd. It's OK though, Hacking seems to do well at Daytona for whatever reason, but he screws up most of the season after that. Gobert is well on his way to battling for the championship.
o It was Honda's race to lose, and Honda's championship to lose. DuHamel broke. Roberts acted like a moron. Are these preludes to the rest of the season? If so, it could get exciting...
o Mladin played down his injury during a pre-race interview. I think that this injury is huge as far as the rest of the championship is concerned. He's starting off with a big mental disadvantage which he hasn't had in a while, not to mention a fairly substantial injury.
o Honda is off to a great start, but their focus needs to be on Nicky Hayden now. It's really too bad that DuHamel wasn't there to help fend off other riders for him, but that's the way it goes. They win the championship. That means Nicky, all the way. He's not necessarily my favorite, but he's the best at this point.
o Too bad for Eric Bostrom. He just didn't seem to have enough speed. See what kawasaki gets for firing Rob Muzzy? Bostrom is tough, and he'll probably win at least one race this year, but not the championship. Get outa there and to go WSB Eric!

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