Danger Zone Kenny Loggins

2011 MotoGP Power Play: Honda Sitting Pretty

The new engine - his fifth of six allowed this season - that Yamaha is providing Ben Spies at Indianapolis raises an interesting point: Which top factory riders are in good shape with their annual allotment of powerplants, and who is nearing the danger zone, as the immortal Kenny Loggins sang about in the "Top Gun" theme?

Jorge Lorenzo completed his sixth race distance of the season on engine No. 3 at Brno. He started using engine No. 4 at Barcelona but only has raced it at Sachsenring. There's no word on which engine will be bolted into his M1 at Indy.

Casey Stoner is sitting pretty with Honda, in more ways than one. The points leader broke out his fourth engine of the season for the first time at Brno, and he didn't race with it. So he has three fresh engines to use down the stretch run of the season in case Lorenzo makes a late charge.

Dani Pedrosa is in the same position as Stoner with Repsol Honda, using his fourth engine of the year only in practice and qualifying at Brno and opting to use engine No. 3 in the race. Andrea Dovizioso is the only Repsol Honda rider to race four engines this season, as engine No. 4 was bolted into his bike for the Brno race.

Marco Simoncelli used his fourth Honda engine in practice and/or qualifying at Mugello, Sachsenring, Laguna Seca and Brno but only raced the powerplant at Brno.

The recalcitrant chassis of the GP11 and GP11.1 aren't the only problems at Ducati Corse. Valentino Rossi has been running his fifth engine of the season since Assen and raced with the piece at Laguna and Brno. Cue up "Danger Zone."

American Nick Hayden is in only slightly better shape. His fourth engine of 2011 has seen duty in five races since Catalunya, including Mugello, Laguna and Brno this summer. Interestingly, Ducati reverted to engine No. 1 of 2011 for Hayden at Sachsenring.

Alvaro Bautista and the improving Suzuki team already have three races on its fourth engine of the year. Suzuki put four races on engine No. 2, so maybe the team can squeeze one more distance out of No. 4 at Indy.

Top Gun (Blu-ray Review) at Why So Blu?

Is now available on a Blu-ray/Digital Copy Combo from Paramount Home Entertainment.  The story of an elite group of pilots competing to be the best in their class and earn the title of “Top Gun” captured the imagination of a generation and earned a worldwide box office of over $350 million.  Tom Cruise is superb as the cocky but talented pilot known as Maverick and Kelly McGillis sizzles as the civilian instructor who teaches Maverick a few things you can’t learn in a classroom.  Featuring a sensational soundtrack with unforgettable songs from the 80s including Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” and Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone”, the film also stars Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan. but on an aircraft carrier but he was overruled.  The film’s producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer quickly let him know that they wanted something more commercial and exciting.  After Scott re-read the script another two times, he finally understood what was being asked of him – he needed to make a rock and roll film with silver jets racing across a blue sky as they were piloted by rock stars.  With this new vision of the film, Scott was in sync with the studio, the producers, and even more importantly – the cast.

Written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., Top Gun tells the story of an up and coming aviator named Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) who’s only desire in life is to be “the best of the best.”  Maverick lives his life on the edge which keeps in trouble and also has a tendency to drag down his best friend and Radar Intercept Officer Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards).  When Maverick and Goose are sent to assist “Cougar” (John Stockwell) and “Merlin” (Tim Robbins) when they inadvertantly are forced to face off again some enemy MiG-28s.  Maverick scares off their opponents and then disobeys a direct order to return when Cougar loses his nerve and is unable to land.  Maverick is able to help Cougar land his plane but his actions end up getting him and Goose in trouble with Principal Strickland…I mean their Carrier Air Group officer (James Tolkan) who chews them out but reluctantly tells them that they will take Cougar’s slot at the prestigious Top Gun school.