MotorcycleUSA.com's newest correspondent is none other than Rizla Suzuki's MotoGP ace Chris Vermeulen, who will lend his insight on the MotoGP world throughout the 2008 season.
What a year to be a MotoGP fan in the States. I know I can't wait for what will be two of the biggest races this year. I'm really happy to be writing for MotorcycleUSA.com and I hope I can give you a real insight into the world of MotoGP over the course of the season.
The first thing I'm going to say is that I've set myself the goal of winning the U.S. double this year. That for me would be a brilliant reward for all the hard work over the off-season and for Red Bull, my personal sponsor and the event sponsors.
I know that I will be fast at Laguna Seca. I love the track and I've had some of my greatest results in racing there. I feel very much at home at Laguna. The fans are knowledgeable and passionate. People remember my double there on the Superbike, they remember my pole in 2006 and I'm sure they'll be saying to me in July "One better this year Chris!" after taking second-place last year.
I also know that I can be quick when we get to Indianapolis. At Misano in 2007, I finished second. It was a track that all the riders had to learn and I was able to get on the pace quickly. I'm going to take the same mind set into the Indy GP and do everything in my power to be the man standing on top of the podium.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; we've got a lot of work between now and then.
After testing in Malaysia and Australia, I bet you're keen to know how the report card reads. All in all it's been a very positive few weeks for the Rizla Suzuki team.
We started the year with basically a brand new bike. The Japanese have worked extremely hard on the project over the break. E-mails were being sent on Christmas Day, so that's an indication how seriously they are taking this year.
The new engine is good; we certainly have more horsepower. The aerodynamic package is a step in the right direction and the electronics we've added this year seem to be a big step as well.
I did a long run at Sepang in the heat of the day and only two other guys could do the times we achieved. So that was extremely positive.
Chris Vermeulen tasted Grand Prix victory last year in the rain at Le Mans and podiumed at Laguna Seca. This season, Chris has set the ambitious goal of taking the U.S. double with wins at Laguna Seca and Indy.
On the time sheets at Phillip Island we look behind the eight ball again and that's disappointing. We made the decision to come here at the end of '07 for a private test, to learn as much as we could, but last week we didn't take the big steps we all hoped for. Having said that, we all need to have a bogey track and this is ours.
Just on the Island test, I've had a lot of people say it looks like it's going to be the Casey show again in 2008. I really can't agree with that. Sure, he was quick here, but that shouldn't really surprise anyone. I think there are 15 guys who can win the first race and I mean that.
One of those guys will be Valentino, but the Yamahas didn't go to Phillip Island. To me that is surprising. We'll have to wait and see how The Doctor performs this year on Bridgestone, but I don't think it's going to be a matter of just showing up and racing. This year could be the tightest championship ever.
Race 1 in Qatar will be interesting this year. If you haven't heard, it's a night race. That sets it up for a live afternoon telecast back in Europe. Only problem for me will be staying awake. I really like to sleep! Actually, that's probably an understatement. I am often asleep on planes before the emergency demonstration. I'd better strap an alarm clock on the bike to wake me up on the grid.
I trained really hard over the off-season and I mean really hard. I've just purchased a new kayak, similar to the one that some of Australia's top surf life savers use. So to help me get up to speed, I started to paddle with Coolangatta Gold winner Rhys Drury.
Ironman competitor Rhys Drury showed Chris the ropes during a recent sea kayaking excursion, just one part of Vermeulen's intensive offseason conditioning program.
Now the Coolangatta Gold is Australia's premier ironman event. It's 46 kilometers (28.6 miles) long and is held at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It took Rhys over four hours to complete. So as you can guess he's some paddler. I tried to match him in some big waves that we got off the Queensland coast over the Christmas holidays and I can report I came off second best. It's a wonder the kayak is still in one piece. But it's doing different things like that which help keep me focused and training while everyone else is having a good time.
It's my third year as a MotoGP rider and I have a certain amount of confidence now. A feeling that I belong and that I am a MotoGP rider. I know what I want from my crew and I feel comfortable enough to ask for it. I need to take that confidence to the track this year. There are higher expectations, no doubt, but that's the sort of thing that I thrive on.
Just finally the last time I had the number 7 on the bike was when I won the World Supersport championship in 2003. Maybe there will be something in the numbers for me this year.
I hope you're looking forward to the season as much as I am.
Hold it on.
- Chris
www.chrisvermeulen.com
