Those are good observations on riders with dirt experience; Jeff, as you know, braking principles are opposite on dirt and grass as they are on pavement. On the race track, we tend to not use the rear brake very often as we need the gyroscopic effect of the turning rear wheel for stabilization. At the end of longer, faster straightaways, some guys might use rear brake (and probably do in order to brake later). To my point of dexterity and rear braking…did you know some GP bikes have a thumb brake in lieu of a right pedal? This makes a great deal of sense to me!
Off topic: I’d REALLY like to see Nicky return to world championship form. The Ducati seems to be an absolute bear to ride…Casey being the only guy who really seems to be able to tame it, and then only for several laps (so far this year). Nicky had a GREAT ride and I think we’ll see him get faster. I’d love to see a Nicky/Ben/Collin podium at least once. In any order, how great would that be?