FIM has released a provisional 2012 MotoGP World Championship schedule. The new calendar once again has 18 races for the MotoGP class and 17 rounds for the Moto2 and Moto3 categories. As in the past, only the MotoGP class will race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, leaving room for AMA Pro Racing to run its program in support of the event. But the big news is the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix in California and the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been moved closer together on the calendar. This change was apparently made to allow most of the MotoGP equipment and infrastructure to be flown from Europe to the U.S. once instead of twice, as in the past, saving money and time for those who work in the World Championship. To make this possible, the event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has been moved back to July 27-29, the latest it has ever been since Grand Prix racing returned to the track in 2005, and the event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been moved forward to August 17-19, the earliest it has been in its history. The Czech Republic GP has always fallen in between the two American rounds, but MotoGP will now race at Brno August 24-26. The July 6-8 German Grand Prix, which has been held at Sachsenring for the last several years, does not list a circuit. Media sources in Europe are reporting that Sachsenring has lost money in spite of drawing huge crowds to its MotoGP events and has decided to no longer host the series. FIM MotoGP World Championship Provisional 2012 Calendar April 13-15 Losail, Qatar* April 27-29 Jerez, Spain (STC) May 4-6 Estoril, Portugal (STC) May 18-20 Le Mans, France June 1-3 Catalunya, Spain June 15-17 Silverstone, Great Britain June 28-30 Assen, Netherlands** July 6-8 TBC, Germany (STC) July 13-15 Mugello, Italy July 27-29 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA, USA*** August 17-19 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN, USA August 24-26 Brno, Czech Republic September 14-16 Misano, San Marino September 28-30 Motorland, Aragon October 12-14 Motegi Twin Ring, Japan October 19-21 Sepang, Malaysia October 26-28 Phillip Island, Australia November 9-11 Valencia, Spain *night race **Saturday race ***MotoGP class only STC (subject to contract) TBC (to be confirmed) More, from a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: 2012 Red Bull United States Grand Prix Dates Announced Popular Event Features Three Full Days of Motorcycle Racing and Plenty of Fan Activities MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2011) Motorcycle racing fans will again gather on the scenic Monterey Peninsula for the Red Bull United States Grand Prix, featuring Round 10 of the MotoGP World Championship, which returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca July 27-29, 2012. MotoGP is the world’s premier motorcycling championship, with a 2012 season of 18 Grand Prix race weekends in 14 countries bringing together the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Ducati – plus an elite list of riders from every corner of the globe. “Fans return to our facility year after year for the incredible race action as the finest riders in the world compete for the MotoGP World Championship,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca provides spectators with unparalleled up-close access to riders and teams, making the fan experience unlike any other on the MotoGP calendar, and one that the riders genuinely enjoy.” The Red Bull United States Grand Prix is possible through the continued support of sponsors, such as Yamaha and Red Bull, that provide valued support and who actively step forward with fan engagement activities at the expansive Yamaha Marketplace and in-town. No other road course in the United States tests these world champion riders with such a dynamic, heart pounding combination of 11 turns, dramatic elevation changes of up to 300 feet and the plunging blind Corkscrew turn that drops an equivalent of 6 1/2 stories. This year’s race saw Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner start from second on the grid, dropping to third place at the start and taking his time before launching his attack on teammate Dani Pedrosa on lap 18 of 32. After passing Pedrosa, Stoner chased down Yamaha Factory Team’s Jorge Lorenzo for nine laps and wasted no time in passing the defending world champion around the outside of Turn one with five laps remaining. From there, Stoner controlled the race, finishing five and a half seconds ahead of Lorenzo. Stoner leads in 2011 championship points with four races remaining in the season. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP SET FOR AUG. 17-19 ON 2012 MotoGP SCHEDULE INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011 – The Red Bull Indianapolis GP will be the 11th of 18 events in the 2012 MotoGP World Championship, scheduled for Aug. 17-19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The fifth annual MotoGP race at IMS will take place one week earlier than in 2011, according to the provisional schedule released by Dorna and the FIM. The event also will be the second half of a new American swing for the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing series. The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled for July 27-29 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., followed by MotoGP’s traditional summer break and then the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. Consecutive events in the United States will help raise the profile of MotoGP in America and allow teams – all based in Europe – to keep their equipment in this country during the break. The Czech Republic Grand Prix on Aug. 24-26 will follow the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The 2012 season starts with the sole night race, the Grand Prix of Qatar on April 13-15. The season finale is the Grand Prix of Valencia on Nov. 9-11. All 18 venues on the 2011 schedule return in 2012, with no additions. Officials from IMS and Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for MotoGP, reached an agreement Sept. 4 for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP to continue at the Speedway from 2012-14. Tickets for the 2012 event can be purchased now by visiting www.imstix.com, calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. Existing customers can renew tickets at www.imstix.com through Monday, Sept. 19. MotoGP fans will see new machinery in the premier class in 2012. Riders will compete on 1000cc prototype motorcycles, with more speed and power than the 800cc machines used since 2007. There also will be at least three Americans on the MotoGP starting grid for the fifth consecutive year at IMS: 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, 2010 Rookie of the Year Ben Spies and Colin Edwards. Hayden and Spies each are two-time podium finishers in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, and Spies won the pole for the 2010 race. World Championship support classes Moto2 and the new Moto3 will return to IMS in 2012. Other support classes will be announced in the future.