Davies, who impressed in the 250cc GP class as a teenager, is competing in the AMA Supersport and Formula Extreme championships at Laguna Seca, California, this weekend for the Celtic Yamaha squad. He is on the shortlist for a place in the d'Antin Ducati MotoGP satellite team, but with riders like
Sylvain Guintoli, Alex Barros,
Shinya Nakano and
Toni Elias also in the frame for that ride, the test option could be a fantastic path to a great future in WSBK or
MotoGP.
Friday am - Michelin May Have Found the Path Back
Looking at this morning's free practice times at Estoril, you'd have to say that Michelin may finally have found a path back to the top.
Casey Stoner leads on the Bridgestone-shod Marlboro Ducati, but
Valentino Rossi is less than a third of a second behind with Michelin rubber on the Fiat Yamaha, and there are two other Michelin runners –
Colin Edwards on the second Yamaha and Carlos Checa on the LCR Honda in the top five.
In all the strident talk about MotoGP becoming boring this year, it's easy to forget that the "crisis" has been caused by only one factor - Michelin's sudden implosion after dominating the senior class for almost three decades.
When Valentino has had competitive rubber he has fought like the Rossi we have come to love. If he had had grip consistently, this season might have been an incredible battle between he and Stoner.
