 1 We're at the Coal Creek Motel at Korrumburra | 67 kms from Phillip Island. |
 2 We put the bike on the trailer and drove here. |
 3 From our motel window, it looks like serious rain. |
 4 We have quite a large room and it's not expensive. |
 5 The town of Korumbuura. Heavy rain is lurking. |
 6 Looking towards Phillip Island. We're in for a wet day. |
 7 We ride to the circuit and look at the exhibits. This is the latest model Honda Hornet. |
 8 The Honda CB1300. |
 9 The place is a soggy mess. Spectator facilities here are crude in the extreme. |
 10 There are no permanent grandstands or toilets, nor are any of the areas paved. |
 11 We had grandstand seats on Gardner Straight. |
 12 Kawasaki MotoGP team. |
 13 Suzuki MotoGP team. |
 14 Casey STONER rides onto the track. |
 15 Casey STONER rejoins FP1. |
 16 Chaz DAVIES (57) with Alex BARROS' Ducati in the garage next door. |
 17 A funny habit that Valentino ROSSI has is to stand on the footpegs and adjust his gear as he enters the track. |
 18 He does this every time on every track he races at. |
 19 John HOPKINS USA, Suzuki. |
 20 HOPKINS had very lucrative sponsorship from Monster, an energy drink. |
 21 This place is a depressing quagmire. HOWEVER, it's the best MotoGP experience you can ever have - despite this crap. |
 22 John HOPKINS USA, Suzuki. |
 23 John HOPKINS USA, Suzuki. |
 24 Marco MELANDRI Italy, Honda. |
 25 Marco MELANDRI Italy, Honda. |
 26 Colin EDWARDS USA, Yamaha. |
 27 Nicky HAYDEN USA, Honda. Nicky was the current MotoGP Champion. |
 28 Nicky HAYDEN USA, Honda. |
 29 Shinya NAKANO Japan, Honda. |
 30 Chris VERMEULEN Australia, Suzuki. |
 31 Chris VERMEULEN Australia, Suzuki. |
 32 Casey STONER Australia, Ducati. |
 33 Dani PEDROSA Spain, Honda. |
 34 Dani PEDROSA Spain, Honda. |
 35 Chaz DAVIES UK, Ducati. |
 36 Casey STONER powers past Tony ELIAS Spain, Honda. |
 37 Casey STONER powers past Tony ELIAS Spain, Honda. |
 38 Casey STONER powers past Tony ELIAS Spain, Honda. |
 39 Casey STONER powers past Tony ELIAS Spain, Honda. |
 40 Dani PEDROSA Spain, Honda. |
 41 Valentino ROSSI Italy. Knee up where it would normally be down. |
 42 Valentino ROSSI Italy. |
 43 Valentino ROSSI Italy, running with Loris CAPIROSSI Italy. |
 44 As quickly as it began, the rain stopped. It's only 11 am. |
 45 That's the Honda tent where we'd been on three previous GPs. It's now way too expensive at over $600 each. |
 46 125 Free Practice 2, Gardner Straight. |
 47 Preparing Casey's bike for FP2. |
 48 Valentino ROSSI joins FP2. |
 49 Valentino ROSSI joins FP2. |
 50 Valentino ROSSI joins FP2. |
 51 Valentino ROSSI joins FP2. |
 52 Valentino ROSSI at speed. |
 |
 54 This is a ROSSI Yamaha. It's the first year of the 800's so this is possibly a 990 from last year. |
 55 A ROSSI Yamaha M1. |
 56 An R1 Yamaha with a ROSSI-inspired paint scheme. |
 57 Yamaha XJR1300. I had the 1200 version and it was OK but a bit sluggish. Suspension was awful. |
 58 When it rains, as it often does, Phillip Island is the most miserable place in Australia. |
 59 The Repsol Honda MotoGP team opposite us. |
 60 He was so annoyed with the tyres that he insisted on, and got, Bridgestones for the 2008 season. |
 61 Colin EDWARDS USA, Yamaha. |
 62 Chris VERMEULEN Australia, Suzuki. |
 63 Honda Gresini MotoGP team. |
 64 Nicky HAYDEN, USA, Honda, current world champion but having a dreadful year on the new Honda 800. |
 65 Valentino ROSSI, Italy, Yamaha. Yamaha and Michelin got their package wrong and Valentino struggled all year with equipment and tyre failures. |
 66 ROSSI is wearing a traditional moon/sun helmet for the practice and qualifying sessions. He switches on Saturday to his 2007 design. |
 67 Chaz DAVIES UK, is a replacement rider on a DUCATI. |
 68 Mark BRACKS commentated for the MotoGP organisation this year. In previous years, he joined Ken WOOTON for the track commentary. |
 69 And adjusts his gear as always. |
 70 Casey STONER at speed. |
 71 Loris CAPIROSSI Italy, Ducati. |
 72 Loris CAPIROSSI Italy, Ducati. |
 73 Dani PEDROSA Spain, Honda. |
 74 Valentino ROSSI Italy. |
 75 Valentino ROSSI Italy, running with Loris CAPIROSSI Italy. The Ducati was vastly more powerful than any other bike in 2007. |
 76 Valentino ROSSI Italy, running with Loris CAPIROSSI Italy. |
 77 125 FP2 gets under way at 1 pm. |
