Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix FIM MotoGP World Championship Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Indiana August 29, 2010 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 28 laps, 47:31.615 2. Ben SPIES, USA (YAMAHA), -3.575 seconds 3. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), -6.812 4. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), -12.633 5. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (HONDA), -21.885 6. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (DUCATI), -35.138 7. Marco SIMONCELLI, Italy (HONDA), -36.740 8. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (SUZUKI), -36.825 9. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (DUCATI), -44.905 10. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -51.368 11. Loris CAPIROSSI, Italy (SUZUKI), -55.386 12. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Japan (HONDA), -57.903 13. Randy DE PUNIET, France (HONDA), -64.139 14. Mika KALLIO, Finland (DUCATI), -10 laps, DNF, crash 15. Colin EDWARDS, USA (YAMAHA), -12 laps, DNF, retired 16. Casey STONER, Australia (DUCATI), -21 laps, DNF, crash 17. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (HONDA), -26 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 11 of 18 races): 1. Lorenzo, 251 points 2. Pedrosa, 183 3. Dovizioso, 126 4. Stoner, 119 5. Rossi, 114 6. Spies, 110 7. Nicky Hayden, 109 8. De Puniet, 78 9. Simoncelli, 63 10. Melandri, 61 11. Edwards, 57 12. Barbera, 54 13. Capirossi, 41 14. Espargaro, 39 15. Bautista, 33 16. Kallio, 31 17. Aoyama, 22 18. Alex De Angelis, 11 19. Roger Hayden, 5 20. Kousuke Akiyoshi, 4 21. Wataru Yoshikawa, 1 More, from a press release issued by Interwetten Honda: INTERWETTEN HONDA MotoGP TEAM – Successful Comeback for Aoyama in Indianapolis Two months Hiroshi Aoyama had to watch the races in TV, one whole month he had to lay on his back after the nasty crash in Silverstone in June where he fractured his 12th vertebra during the Warm up. This weekend the 28 year old Japanese is back to active racing and he showed that he is ready with a strong performance. Already in qualifying yesterday Aoyama impressed with a 13th position on the grid and he continued with this performance in the race today by finishing the U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis with 12th place. Aoyama didn’t want to risk anything under the given physical conditions he is in and will continue his reintegration in Misano next weekend. Hiroshi Aoyama, 12 – 47’57.903: “Under the given conditions here at Indy it was quite hard to finish the 28 laps. I had to fight in every single lap. I could sta y with the other riders, but didn’t want to risk anything. I had to find a compromise not to go too far and over my possibilities and still have a good race. Surely we can be better than that when I am 100% fit again and I am looking forward to that so much.” Daniel M. Epp, Team Manager: “Hiro did a good job this weekend. He was reasonable and found a good way back into racing. He was able to race a whole race distance. Of course he needs more time to be fully fit again and physically more confident. He already showed in the qualifying with the fast lap times that he is on the right way. The team hit the target of this weekend and I am glad about it and I look forward to continue in the same direction in Misano.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Pedrosa wins in scorching Indianapolis on harder option slicks Round 11: Indianapolis GP Race Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday 29 August 2010 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Hard, Extra Hard (asymmetric) Starting from fifth position, Dani Pedrosa stormed to a decisive victory at the Indianapolis Grand Prix today to record his third win of the season. The Repsol Honda rider was one of only four riders to opt for the harder option rear Bridgestone slick, and made best use of it to take the lead on lap seven and later record the fastest lap of the race. The conditions for the race were incredibly tough as the track temperature soared to a weekend-high of 55 degrees Celsius and the track surface became increasingly greasy. Every rider chose to use the harder option front tyre for its extra durability and stability under braking but rear tyre choices were mixed with many riders choosing the softer option despite the heat for the extra grip it offered. Having led the field away from the line, Ben Spies finished in second place to mark his career best MotoGP finish. In contrast to Pedrosa, the Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider used a softer option rear slick tyre which proved remarkably consistent over the 28 laps. Jorge Lorenzo also used a softer option rear slick to good effect to finish third, and further demonstrated its durability by setting his personal best on lap 23. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “I’d like to congratulate the riders for riding in what were incredibly hot and tough conditions today. Dani rode very well to take his fifth career win on Bridgestone tyres, and Ben also showed his strength with his best weekend in MotoGP to date with pole position and second place today. It is especially fitting for him that this came in America, at a circuit as historic as Indianapolis.” Tohru Ubukata Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “The race conditions were very tough and the track didn’t provide the level of grip we expected because the temperature was so high; in fact the track was 20 degrees Celsius hotter today than it was during last year’s race here. The race provided a direct comparison between the performance of both rear tyre compound options as tyre choice was mixed based on bike characteristics and rider preference. For example, the harder rear tyre was clearly well suited to Dani and the Repsol Honda bike, whilst Ben’s and Jorge’s packages worked better on the softer option. The consistency of both rear tyre options was impressive though and overall I am happy with our tyre performance.” Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Race Winner “This was the most difficult race for everyone. The conditions were very hard because of the heat and the asphalt was very greasy. Spies was very strong but I had a good rhythm and I could make up the gap and was able to escape. I had a fast bike on the straight and I had a good feeling in the corners. In the race I didn’t use the softer compound rear because my bike generates too much tyre temperature so after a few laps I start to lose stability into the corners, so I chose the harder one. It was hard to concentrate at the end and I am very tired but happy.” Top ten classification (Sunday 15:00 GMT-4) Pos. Rider Team Race time Gap Front spec Rear spec Tyres 1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 47m 31.615s Hard Extra Hard Bridgestone slick 2 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech3 47m 35.190s +3.575s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 3 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 47m 38.427s +6.812s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 4 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 47m 44.248s +12.633s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 5 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 47m 53.500s +21.885s Hard Extra Hard Bridgestone slick 6 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 48m 06.753s +35.138s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 7 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 48m 08.355s +36.740s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 8 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 48m 08.440s +36.825s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 9 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 48m 16.520s +44.905s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 10 Hector Barbera Paginas Amarillas Aspar 48m 22.983s +51.368s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick Weather: Dry. Ambient 34°C; Track 55-52°C ( Bridgestone measurement) More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: DIFFICULT RACE AT INDIANAPOLIS FOR DUCATI TEAM RIDERS Nicky Hayden was out of luck at his home Grand Prix today, the American losing his knee slider early in the race. It is a small but crucial piece of equipment for the riders because it helps them support the bike at full lean angle. As such it was a near impossible task for Hayden but he put in a valiant effort to bring his bike home in sixth place. Casey Stoner didn’t make the best of starts but was quickly making up ground and was about to challenge Valentino Rossi for sixth position on the eighth lap when he lost the front and crashed. NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team 6th “I still can’t believe what happened – I am so disappointed. I was being careful over the first few laps because in that heat the track was very greasy. I lost the front slightly on the third lap and caught my left knee on a drain cover on one of the kerbs, right where the knee slider attaches to the velcro. There are so many left-hand corners here… from that point on I had to take it really steady, I couldn’t push anywhere and finished up with a huge hole in my leathers. I am incredibly disappointed because we had to the pace to put in a performance today.” CASEY STONER, Ducati Team – DNF “I am very disappointed – it was a nothing crash but obviously it was enough to leave me out of the race. I know a lot of people have had front end crashes but apparently here at Indianapolis we have gone back to the situation we were in at the start of the season and we’ve struggled to find front-end feel in the corners. It is a real shame because we had good pace and I think we could have been on the podium.” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “What happened to Nicky is really incredible but he did brilliantly to finish the race in that situation and finish it so well. I am gutted for him because he was in competitive shape and missed out on a possible podium. Casey crashed just at the point when the tyre he had chosen was coming up to its optimum level and he was recovering well but lost the front. It is a shame because after five podiums in a row he could have had another one here.” More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Sensational Spies claims career best second at Indianapolis Ben Spies treated a patriotic home crowd at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway to an all-action display in today’s MotoGP race, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider ending a fantastic weekend with a career best second position. Starting from pole position for the first time in his premier class career, Spies made a blistering start and streaked away from the field in the early stages with a succession of fast laps as he looked at ease leading a MotoGP race for the first time. Such was Spies’ phenomenal early speed that he was a second clear after just three laps, the reigning World Superbike champion leavin g his illustrious rivals trailing in his wake. Only Dani Pedrosa was able to get close to matching his rhythm as a crowd of over 62,000 fans roared the Texan on. Spies was producing heroics to keep Pedrosa at bay but the Spaniard made a decisive attack on lap seven to move into the lead. Spies produced a super human effort in gruelling heat and humidity to try and keep the pressure on Pedrosa before he eventually eased off to secure a richly deserved second. The 26-year-old’s performance received a huge ovation from the appreciative Indianapolis crowed with Spies celebrating being top Yamaha rider for the first time in his career. And marking his career best result in front of his home fans shortly after confirming his 2011 move to Yamaha’s factory team only made his accomplishment even more special. Colin Edwards had a tough afternoon after he was one of only four r iders to select the hardest compound Bridgestone rear tyre available for the 28-lap race. With temperatures and humidity higher than at any stage during the weekend, Edwards hoped his choice would enable him to mount a strong showing in the second half of the race. But he opted to change to the softer compound tyre at the end of lap 11 and while his lap times instantly improved, the 36-year-old retired on lap 17. Ben Spies 2nd 110 points “I’m really happy to have got my best result in MotoGP in front of the American crowd and at a track as famous as Indianapolis. I always said I wanted my best result in my home race, so it’s mission accomplished. After the pole position I got a great start and it felt good to be out front for the first time in MotoGP. But I didn’t have the pace for Dani today and he rode a great race. I’m happy because I didn’t make too many mistakes when I was out in front and I was consistent for the whole race. When Dani passed me I knew I couldn’t follow him, so I let him go and concentrated on keeping a gap to Jorge in third and that’s what I achieved. I can’t complain because it was a great weekend and to be top Yamaha rider when you look at who else is on that bike is pretty satisfying. It hasn’t sunk in yet that I’ve finished second in my home race. But I’ll enjoy it before I hop on a plane and try and do it again in Misano next weekend.” Colin Edwards DNF 57 points “I went for the hard tyre because I’d done a 41.6 on that tyre on Friday and felt pretty comfortable and confident. I’d not been able to make the soft tyre last close to race distance. I’d started to have a problem after eight or nine laps with it, so with the temperature and humidity coming up I was getting excit ed about using the hard tyre. But I had a problem with edge grip from the start and I was having an issue turning. I was riding on the limit but way off the pace so I pulled in for the softer tyre and did a few laps and my lap times were immediately better. The tyre choice cost me today but congratulations to Ben. He’s just riding at an amazing level and second in this field is something to be proud of.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager “That was a fantastic weekend from Ben and he delivered an unbelievable performance for the American fans. We could not have hoped for more and he showed why we are so sad to see him leaving us to join Yamaha’s factory team next season. But I’m happy for him though because clearly with the factory team he will be with the top four. His pole position yesterday was incredible when you consider how tough it is to achieve that against such a h igh level of competition. He got an incredible start and he was very strong at the beginning of the race. Only Dani could match him and pass him but Ben rode immaculately and it never looked like Jorge was going to catch him. It wasn’t the race Colin was expecting and unfortunately his decision to run the hard tyre didn’t pay off. Conditions were very demanding but it was clear when he switched to the softer tyre that he had the pace to have scored possibly his best result of the season.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: De PUNIET MANAGED TO FINISH 13th AT SWELTERING INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis, 29 August: after yesterdays physically demanding qualifying session, the LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet started from the 17th spot on the grid for the 28-lap race at the spectacular Indianapolis circuit which hosted the eleventh round of the season and managed to finish 13th. The American GP got underway at 15:00 local time in very hot conditions with ambience temperature of 35°C (56 degrees on the asphalt) ahead 62.794 fans. The Frenchman riding the Honda RC212V is still recovering from the fracture he suffered six weeks ago during the German GP and the 16-turn track has ten lefts, which puts an added burden on the only recently mended left leg. The 29-year-old spent the whole week end trying to find his rhythm but the Speedway is one of the bumpier and more abrasive tracks on the calendar and despite a very hard work Randy struggled with handling problems and pain. Now LCR Team will move straight to Misano circuit for the San Marino e Riviera di Rimini GP on the 5th of September. De Puniet 13th: “Honestly this was the most tough race for me since the beginning of the year… even more demanding than Brno! This track is heavily biased with ten left hand corners and six right hand corners which make changing direction very punishing. Then the surface is very bumpy and everybody struggled with grip levels. We tried to get the most from our bike and I even tried to change my riding style but at the end I could not find my pace. I am still holding the 8th position in the classification and I am pretty sure that the next race we will be up there onc e again as I like Misano layout”. More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: ESPARGARO’ GAIN A TOP TEN POSITION IN INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX: NINTH. KALLIO BETRAYED BY A HOLE IN THE ASPHALT. It could have been the first top ten for both Pramac Racing Team riders. Unfortunately, a hole in the asphalt of Indianapolis circuit has made Mika Kallio slip ten laps from the end when the Finn was fighting for the seventh position. Pity, because Mika, who had not try in the better way his bike during Friday’s free practice due to a strong flu, was running with a very fast pace that would have allowed him to gain a position in the top ten. Mika has started the race from the fifteenth position, he had made a good start that allowed him to close the first lap in the twelfth position very close to the group of riders that where fighting for the top positions. In few laps, he managed to climb into eighth place thanks also to the fall of Melandri and Stoner ahead of him. Pramac Racing Team rider was then overtake by Bautista that was faster than him. Together they have reduce the gap from Simoncelli that was lonely turning in seventh position. Unfortunately, an asphalt disconnec tion haven’t allowed to Mika to end his good race. Aleix Espargar had regained a position in the top ten, a ninth position, which bodes well for the rest of the season. The Spaniard seems to have returned to have confidence in his abilities. Confidence and speed that had allowed him to win in the first half of the season some good placements. Although the race was hard for Aleix, from early laps he found himself fighting with the riders ahead of him. On the fifth lap he made a double overtake Capirossi and Edwards and in few laps he have sewed up the gap between himself and his teammate. Unfortunately in the final laps his pace did not allow him to stay close to the riders that where fighting for the seventh position, Simoncelli and Bautista, and had to settle to close the race in ninth position. The focus is now moving on Misano where in one week will take place the twelfth round of the MotoGP season. Fabiano Sterlacchini – Technical Director “Too bad about Mika’s fall, he was having a very good pace that would allow him to fight with other riders for the seventh position. After Brno’s fall he aimed to achieve a good result on this track, but unfortunately he had found a hole in the asphalt that saw him lose his front tyre. I’m happy for the ninth place that Aleix had gain, he has returned in the top ten after a difficult period. During this morning warm up we tried some solutions on both bikes that allowed the riders to be fast in all points of the track, we had positive feedback that would lead to a double top ten.” Aleix Espargar – Pramac Racing Team – 9th in the race – 14th in the world Championship “It’s so hot here, I did a sauna inside my leather suit, I had never run with a similar wheatear condition. I’m really exhausted after this race but very happy to have finished my race in the better way. I was able to start very well and to not lose positions, in the early laps I tried to get my rhythm and overtake the other riders. On the fifth lap, I both overtake Capirossi and Edwards and I sewed up the gap with Mika. Unfortunately I could not have a lap pace that would allow me to be with the others. With the heat the track had became very slippery, during the last laps I tried to complete my race without taking unnecessary further risks. After the summer break I came back in a perfect shape, I cannot wait to race on Misano’s, which is one of my favorites. Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – DNF the race – 16th in the World Championship “What a bad luck, this is not the right way. I had start a lot better than usual, at the end of the first lap I had conquer three positions. Then thanks to the drop of some riders and to the overtake that I had made on Bautista, I was riding in eighth position with almost four seconds behind Simoncelli. During the eighth lap I was passed again by Bautista, who was faster than me at that time. Together we started to run with a very fast pace and in seven laps we sew up the gap we had from Simoncelli. I was fighting with Simoncelli and Bautista for the seventh position, but in a curve due to a hole in the asphalt I have instantly lost the front tyre and found myself with my face on the asphalt. I could easily fight with the others for the seventh position or at least I could gain a top ten position. I am very disappointed with how things went, but as so often is happening during this season for one reason or another I cannot get the results I deserve.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: THIRD AND FOURTH FOR FIAT YAMAHA IN INTENSE INDIANAPOLIS HEAT Jorge Lorenzo finished third at Indianapolis today and Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi fourth in a punishingly hot race won by Dani Pedrosa. Tech 3 Yamaha and future Factory Team rider Ben Spies finished second, his best result so far in his rookie MotoGP season. Lorenzo dropped three places on his grid position at the start and finished the first lap in fifth with his team-mate close behind. On lap three of 28 the championship leader made it past home favourite Nicky Hayden and he set off in pursuit of Andrea Dovizioso, arriving within striking distance by the eighth lap. The Italian did not make it easy for Lorenzo however and it took the Mallorcan several more laps to pass him, which he did on the brakes into turn one on lap 12. By that time Spies was too far ahead for Lorenzo to make much headway on second place so he se ttled for third and 16 points to add to his already hefty season tally. Rossi meanwhile had jumped from seventh to fifth at the start and looked more comfortable on the bike than he had all weekend, during which he had struggled for grip and rhythm. On the fourth lap he overtook Nicky Hayden and settled in fifth, a few tenths off the Lorenzo-Dovizioso battle. Once Lorenzo was past Dovizioso, the World Champion too began to close down his compatriot and with eight laps remaining he passed him for fourth place. By then however his lack of fitness following his injury had caught up with him in the searing heat and he was unable to push any more, coming home some six seconds behind his team-mate. Lorenzo continues to sit comfortably at the top of the standings, with a 68-point lead over Pedrosa. Rossi remains fifth but has moved to within five points of Casey Stoner and fourth. The MotoGP paddock now has just a few days rest before it reconvenes at Misano in Italy for round 12 of the World Championship. Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3rd Time: +6.812 “Of course I shouldn’t be disappointed with third place but at the same time I’m not happy with my race today, I didn’t ride as well as I could have and I didn’t get a good start. The conditions were incredibly hard and I simply didn’t have the physical strength to push as hard or do the same times I did in practice; it was like a race in Malaysia! The track was so slippery and it was very difficult to use the tyres as you wanted to, I think honestly I’m quite lucky to have finished third today. The good thing is we took some points and now I have to concentrate on recovering before Misano because we don’t have much time.” Valentino Rossi Position: 4th Time: +12.633 “This was a good race for us after the weekend. Fourth is quite good in the circumstances but the important thing is that my rhythm in the race was strong and I felt much happier on the bike. I did some good laps and I wasn’t too far from the other Yamahas, but unfortunately I paid a lot for my lack of fitness in this heat and in the end I had to stop pushing because I didn’t have any strength left in my body. I’m happy though because we came back to a good setting and with me riding well, and if you consider I had three small crashes in the weekend, fourth isn’t so bad. Now we will look forward to Misano, my home race!” Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “These were terribly hard conditions for the riders and considering this we have to be very happy with third. It was so hot and so easy to make a mistake so before the race we told Jorge to just try to bring it home on two wheels! Unfortunately he had a bad start which didn’t help because he then had a hard task to get past Dovizioso, but considering the conditions and the championship we’re just as happy with this as with one of our seven wins.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “This was a really positive race for us and Valentino showed us that he could keep the pace of the front runners. Unfortunately he’s still not in peak condition after his accident and with the heat he wasn’t strong enough to keep the same pace for the whole race, but he fought at the top end, stayed close and showed us that he’s okay. It gives us confidence for our overall set-up and our package for the next races. We came out well from a difficult weekend so well done to everyone.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: PEDROSA UNTOUCHABLE AT INDIANAPOLIS, DOVIZIOSO FIFTH Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa rode to an emphatic win at the Indianapolis Grand Prix today, expertly piloting his Honda RC212V to victory ahead of home hero Ben Spies and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo. His team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was looking strong in second position in the early laps before finally coming home in fifth place at the end of the 28-lap encounter – held in wilting 35 degree heat at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From fifth on the grid, an on-form Pedrosa was fourth into the first corner and quickly set about dispatching his rivals, starting with Nicky Hayden on lap two and Dovizioso two laps later. With only Ben Spies now ahead, Pedrosa relentlessly closed down the Texan and passed him at the start of lap eight before easing out a comfortable gap of 5.5s – setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11 and then controlling the race from the front to come home 3.5s clear at the chequered flag. Today Pedrosa’s only real threat came from the circuit’s vicious bumps, which had caught out some many riders through the weekend, and the concentration-sapping heat, but the 24-year-old Spaniard was equal to the task and recorded his third MotoGP victory of the 2010 season. This third win was also a personal milestone for Pedrosa, who had scored two victories in each of his previous four MotoGP seasons since his debut in 2006. His 34th GP victory in all classes of Grand Prix racing and his 11th in MotoGP closes the gap by nine points to Lorenzo in the World Championship, his countryman’s lead now standing at 68 points with seven races remaining. Dovizioso made a good start from fourth on the grid and held second place for three laps before slipping behind his team-mate. The 24-year-old Italian then resisted the pressure from Lorenzo for eight laps and continued to keep pace with the Spaniard once he had got past on lap twelve. In the second half of the race though, Dovizioso was powerless to maintain his speed and slipped behind Valentino Rossi with eight laps to go. Although disappointed with this result on a day when he believed a podium was within his grasp, fifth place means that Dovizioso retakes third position in the world championship from Casey Stoner, who crashed out today. The Repsol Honda Team now dashes back across the Atlantic in readiness for next week’s San Marino Grand Prix at the Misano circuit. DANI PEDROSA 1st World Championship Position 2nd 183 points “I’m really happy with this win and it was an especially tough one because of the heat today. I didn’t make the perfect start but I was quite quick through the first few tight corners and stayed close to the leaders. My rhythm was good today and even though Spies was strong in front I was able to close him down and make the pass. I’m really pleased with the performance of my bike because it was fast on the straights and also was working well in the corners. When I was out in front it was quite hard to stay focused and at the end of the race I was really tired – but I’m very happy because last year I crashed when I could have won and now I have made up for it. There were many crashes this weekend and it would have been easy to make a mistake in the race – you only need to go a little off line and you can be on the ground immediately, especially towards the end of the race when the tyres are worn. I’ve gone past the barrier of two MotoGP race wins in a season so I’m very happy. We are doing a good job and I hope we can maintain this momentum next weekend at Misano. I want to thank the team and all the people around me for this win.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO 5th World Championship Position 3rd 126 points “I’m disappointed with this result because I expected to do better this afternoon. The conditions today were really critical. It was so hot – the asphalt was more than 50 degrees! – and the track lacked grip because of it. The result was that I was slower than yesterday. I made a good start and for a while we were close to the podium battle but I didn’t have enough speed to fight as the race progressed. Dani was really fast, he was very strong in the middle of the corner and also his style made the difference today. For two thirds of the race I could fight for the podium, then it was difficult for me to stay with the front guys. I think maybe I need to study how I can improve my position on the bike and my riding style. Now I’m just looking forward to going to Misano – which is my home GP – and I’m back into third in the championship so I have a lot of motivation to get a good result there.” TOSHIYUKI YAMAJI – REPSOL HONDA TEAM MANAGER “Dani was just about perfect today and he controlled the race completely in very difficult conditions. With the bumps and the heat it would have been so easy for him to make a mistake – and we have seen many, many riders fall this weekend – but Dani did exactly what was needed to win, so congratulations to him. Three MotoGP race wins in a season is a breakthrough for him and we hope there will be more before the end of 2010. Andrea looked strong in the opening laps but unfortunately his pace suffered more in the hot conditions and he couldn’t fight for the podium – which is what he wanted to do and also looked capable of. Still, he is back into third in the championship behind Dani, and Andrea can come back with a strong result at the next race in Misano. I’d like to say thank you to the whole Repsol Honda Team because everybody is working very hard and we are getting stron ger at every race.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: Results Indianapolis Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc races August 29, 2010 Weather: Hot and sunny Track temperature: 56 degrees Ambient Temperature: 35 degrees Crowd: 62,794 PEDROSA STORMS THE BRICKYARD Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) continued his impressive 2010 season by winning his third MotoGP race of the season for the first time in his career, with today’s win coming in front of nearly 63,000 sun-drenched fans at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) finished second in front of Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) fourth ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V). The win was worth 25 valuable championship points to second-placed Pedrosa, who took nine back from Lorenzo, the championship leader after 11 of 18 races. But today belonged to Pedrosa. Starting from the middle of the second row, Pedrosa jetted into fourth on the first lap as he set out to chase Spies, the early race leader in front of a jubilant home crowd. Pedrosa took over third from Nicky Hayden (Ducati) on the third tour of the 4.216k road course, which was bumpier and, because of the 56C track temperature, greasier than last year, and demanded concentration to avoid the fate of so many riders who crashed on the weekend. The third began a series of fast laps, each one quicker than the previous. On the fourth lap he passed his team-mate Dovizioso, again with a fastest lap, with Spies one second ahead. There was another fast lap on the sixth, which set up the pass for the lead. Pedrosa used the power of his Honda RC212V to motor by Spies just as they crossed the famed “Yard of Bricks” at start-finish ending the seventh lap. Spies tried to stay with the Spaniard, but Pedrosa continued to lower his own fast lap mark on the eighth, ninth, and eleventh laps. The eleventh would be the fastest of the race (1m, 40.896s) and would give Pedrosa a lead of 2.787s. By the time he took his third checkered flag of the season the gap was 3.575s. Dovizioso would fall prey to Lorenzo on the twelfth lap. That put him in fourth, and he’d lose one more spot to Rossi on lap 20 of 28. The heat reduced grip levels significantly and Dovizioso couldn’t match his pace from qualifying. Still, he took over third in the championship just behind Pedrosa. Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) finished seventh in his first MotoGP race at the track known as “The Brickyard.” Simoncelli was the only rider in the top seven to have a real fight on his hands for the second half of the race. The Italian was chased by three riders, then two, and finally just one. Alvaro Bautista (Suzuki) made a run at the stripe, coming up short by .085s. Simoncelli’s team-mate had less luck. Marco Melandri started the race as the youngest rider ever to reach 200 GP’s, but it wasn’t to be a happy day. Melandri was pushing hard when he lost the front end on the third lap while in a strong seventh position. The final two Honda riders both rode with injuries to score points. In his return to MotoGP after a more than two month lay-off, Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP) finished twelfth. Aoyama had broken his back in morning warm-up for the June 20 British Grand Prix. One place came Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda). De Puniet was in his second race after breaking his fibula in the German Grand Prix six weeks earlier. The left-biased layout, and strength-sapping heat, made the race more difficult for de Puniet than Brno, which was run only four weeks after he’d broken his left leg. Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) extended his world championship lead with his fifth win of the season in the red flag-interrupted Moto2 final, despite suffering from a fever and body pains that made the 35C heat unbearable and sapped his strength. The first attempt to start the race ended with a pair of multi-rider crashes in turn two. The re-start would be 30 minutes later and Elias was ready. Elias bolted into the lead from sixth on the grid, taking Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team, Suter) and Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter) with him. Simon passed Redding on the third lap and set out for Elias, taking him on the draft into turn one on the fifth lap. Simon held back Elias from the fifth to the twelfth, but the veteran made a smooth pass of Simon entering the first turn on lap 12. That set up the fight to the finish, as Redding didn’t appear to have the straight line speed of the lead duo. He would finish third, his best in Moto2. Elias held off Simon to take his fifth win and extend his championship lead to 67 points over Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up, Speed Up), the fourth place-finishing Italian. Marcel Schrötter (Interwetten Honda 125 Team) had a disappointing day. On his first visit to the Speedway, the young German crashed out of a points-paying position on the ninth lap. Following the championship’s second trip to the U.S., the paddock quickly packed their gear for the flights back to Europe and next Sunday’s San Marino Grand Prix in Misano, Italy. HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V): 1st “I’m really happy with this win and it was an especially tough one because of the heat today. I didn’t make the perfect start but I was quite quick through the first few tight corners and stayed close to the leaders. My rhythm was good today and even though Spies was strong in front I was able to close him down and make the pass. I’m really pleased with the performance of my bike because it was fast on the straights and also was working well in the corners. When I was out in front it was quite hard to stay focused and at the end of the race I was really tired – but I’m very happy because last year I crashed when I could have won and now I have made up for it. There were many crashes this weekend and it would have been easy to make a mistake in the race – you only need to go a little off line and you can be on the ground immediately, especially towards the end of the race when the tyres are worn. I’ve gone past the barrier of two MotoGP race wins in a season so I’m very happy. We are doing a good job and I hope we can maintain this momentum next weekend at Misano. I want to thank the team and all the people around me.” Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V): 5th “I’m disappointed with this result because I expected to do better this afternoon. The conditions today were really critical. It was so hot – the asphalt was more than 50 degrees! – and the track lacked grip because of it. The result was that I was slower than yesterday. I made a good start and for a while we were close to the podium battle but I didn’t have enough speed to fight as the race progressed. Dani was really fast, he was very strong in the middle of the corner and also his style made the difference today. For two thirds of the race I could fight for the podium, then it was difficult for me to stay with the front guys. I think maybe I need to study how I can improve my position on the bike and my riding style. Now I’m just looking forward to going to Misano – which is my home GP – and I’m back into third in the championship so I have a lot of motivation to get a good result there.” Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V): 7th “It was such a tough race – similar to Malaysia in that if you tried to push like you did in practice you could easily end up on the ground. I am quite happy with the result even though I would have liked to finish higher up, but hopefully that will come soon. I had a good fight with Bautista and was pleased to hold him off in the end. Apart from Spies I finished ahead of the other rookies so that also gives me a lot of satisfaction.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V): 12th “Under the given conditions here at Indy it was quite hard to finish the 28 laps. I had to fight in every single lap. I could stay with the other riders, but didn’t want to risk anything. I had to find a compromise not to go too far and over my possibilities and still have a good race. Surely we can be better than that when I am 100% fit again and I am looking forward to that so much.” Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V): 13th “Honestly this was the most tough race for me since the beginning of the year, even more demanding than Brno! This track is heavily biased with ten left hand corners and six right hand corners which make changing direction very punishing. Then the surface is very bumpy and everybody struggled with grip levels. We tried to get the most from our bike and I even tried to change my riding style, but at the end I could not find my pace. I am still holding the 8th position in the classification and I am pretty sure that the next race we will be up there once again as I like Misano layout.” Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V): DNF ” I am really disappointed with this race. We improved our pace a little but like always I was struggling so much in braking and couldn’t get the bike stopped. I wasn’t happy to just settle for the position I was in and wanted to attack Valentino, but lost the front without any warning on the way into the corner. We’ve spent all season trying to fix the same problem and don’t seem able to find a way around it.” MOTO2 RIDER QUOTES Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki): 1st “I’m so tired! Only ourselves and the doctors at the Clinica Mobile know the true shape I was in this weekend. It has been an extremely difficult weekend because I had no strength, my blood pressure was very low and I had a fever and pain all over my body. I just had to try and save as much energy as possible for the race and even though I made a few small mistakes I hung on, held off Simon was able to win. The 25 points we scored today are a real bonus and I have to thank everybody at the Clinica Mobile for helping me so much. I suffered and so did the team and the Moriwaki family, who are here at Indianapolis and are doing a wonderful job.” Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter): 2nd “Yeah, I tried to pass (Elias) in the last part of the race, but he was a little bit better than me and could not take exactly for pass to him. So I’m happy for my effort of this weekend. Not lucky as last year, I don’t like, but I make a very good weekend. So I’m happy for this, also for my feeling now on my bike. And, of course, I win some race finally of decision.” Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team, Suter): 3rd “We’ve been on it all weekend. We were at the top of the time sheet for the first two free practices, felt really good in qualifying, real good in warm-up. We were doing consistent laps with 10-lap-old tires. You know, it was all going good this weekend. We had a nice, soft, gentle mentality against it, you know. And we did the best we could. I did 110 percent, as you can see. Yeah, toward the end of the race, it was really tough. I was struggling to get past the humidity. First corner, you know, you sit up and the helmet just stops in your face, and heat off the engine also don’t help the situation, but we were just pushing strong as I could, you know. It was the best effort I’ve ever put in to get on a podium, you know. Yeah, it was really good. We had a bit of trouble with the rear tyre towards the end of the race. But, you know, I guess Simon and Elias were also feeling the heat out there. Elias not well at all, you know, and he did a great job out there today. Admired Julian for pushing on, you know; he was there. I was there and I just, I couldn’t stay and did the best I could. Yeah, that’s all I can really say.” HONDA 125 RIDER QUOTES Marcel Schrötter (Interwetten Honda 125 Team): 14th “The race did start well for me. Straight at the start I could catch up many positions and was with Krummenacher and Cortese. Then I went wide and had to ride through the grass and lost the positions again. When I came back I was able to follow Iwema in his slipstream, but unfortunately had the high-side crash and the race was over for me.” More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 2010 RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP PRESS CONFERENCE MotoGP Podium Dani Pedrosa, Ben Spies, Jorge Lorenzo Aug. 29, 2010, Indianapolis Motor Speedway MODERATOR: OK, ladies and gentlemen, riders are on their way. In third place, Jorge Lorenzo here at Indianapolis. (Applause) Jorge has a 68-point lead in the championship over Dani Pedrosa, of course, who won the race. In second place, Ben Spies. (Applause) And the race winner, his third Grand Prix victory of the season, Dani Pedrosa. Dani, you look absolutely shattered, I’ve got to say. I think that was, all three of you look absolutely shattered but that was a pretty tough afternoon’s work. DANI PEDROSA: Yes, it was, it was very, very warm out there. You know, you didn’t cool down in the 45 minutes you’re out there. So it’s hard. But we did a good race. I think the rhythm was very good. The track was slippery, because when the asphalt always get over 50 degrees, the bike always starts to be very greasy, you know. But the same thing for everybody, so I did not a perfect start, but I was good on the first small corners to be still in fourth place. And then I just try to overtake. Spies was quite, was maybe half of one second ahead, and he was pulling very, very strong. But I could pick up, pick up and get over ahead of him. And finally I try to do my rhythm and I was able to escape and do a good pace. So I am very happy, pleased with my bike. It was a fast bike in the straight and it was going well, also, in the corners. So good feelings. And then, yeah, by the end it was hard to stay focused because it was very tiring and my I had tube for the water but I don’t know why it was not working. And yeah, I’m tired but very happy because last year I crashed here and I could win the race, but this time I did. So very happy. MODERATOR: With the track and with the temperature, when you were leading and the gap was OK, you had to concentrate very hard because one little mistake here, we’ve seen so many crashes. PEDROSA: Yes, so many crashes because of the bumps and the track temperature. Yeah, if you just miss one line in one corner, you can be immediately on the ground. So it was very important to be focused in every corner and make no mistake with the bumps, especially at the end when the tires were more damaged, when you go over the bumps, the bike is shaking a little bit more and it was more difficult to control. But even that, I was able to stay in the front, not crash this time and finish the race on top. MODERATOR: Misano obviously in a week’s time, and you’ve had your third MotoGP win of the season. It’s always been two MotoGP wins. That’s a big step forward for you, isn’t it? PEDROSA: Yes, I cross the barrier of two wins, so I’m very happy, and I hope we can keep this rhythm. We are doing good lately in the races, so mistakes, but I hope till the end I can still keep this rhythm and do some more good results. MODERATOR: Misano, is it a track you like? PEDROSA: Misano is a track I like. I’ve been always quite fast, but we have to work harder on the setup because the Honda there is always a little bit hard to ride. Our engine is a little bit — it’s fast, but in the corners it’s always very aggressive. So to control on this is difficult, but we will have to work very hard since Friday, and we’ll try our best. And I hope we can do there a great result, also. MODERATOR: Finally, it will be important to rest. It’s a long trip home. You’re back on the bike Friday afternoon in Misano after a really tough race. It’s very important, isn’t it, to rest the body if you can? PEDROSA: Yes, you must rest as much as you can. Also Misano can be a hot race. So, yeah, as much as we can rest and to recover for the next one is better. MODERATOR: Dani, congratulations, your third win of the season. In second place, of course, riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, Ben Spies. Very, very close, Ben, but a great second place for you. BEN SPIES: Yeah. I mean, we can’t complain, you know. We came in and did better than I thought we were going to do. We got the pole yesterday and got out and had a good start today and led some laps. Didn’t set the world on fire, but we, you know, we had a good pace. If just wasn’t fast enough when Dani came by. His bike was working good, and he had good grip. We had a good setup, too; it just wasn’t fast enough. And I tried as hard as I could and didn’t make too many mistakes. Saw that we had a gap to third and, you know, just tried to manage it and ride as hard as I could. It was really tricky, and I saw a lot of crash marks out there and I knew some people were hitting the ground, and it was quite easy to make a mistake. But in the end we had to ride 100 percent the whole time with only a three-second gap. So I’m happy for all the friends and family and fans that are here to get a second in the American Grand Prix for the first season, you know, it’s a hard weekend, you know. It hasn’t soaked in yet, but I’ll try to go and enjoy it a little bit and hop on a plane and do it again next weekend. MODERATOR: I believe you said Thursday afternoon when we spoke, you finished second in the Grand Prix, your Grand Prix future is confirmed replacing Valentino Rossi, pole position, I think you’d have said, yeah, I’ll settle for that. SPIES: Yeah. I mean, it’s a lot of confidence, too, to know that next year what’s happening, to have Yamaha behind me. It’s knowing that they believe in me that they want me on the factory bike, you have a lot more confidence in it. It just takes pressure off you, you believe in yourself. You push and push and having the American fans here, they wanted something big. We tried as hard as we could, which we didn’t win today but to get on the podium, I’m happy with that. I think everybody that’s with me is. MODERATOR: You’ve moved up into sixth place in the championship, one point in front of Nicky Hayden, so that in itself is turning into a bit of a battle, isn’t it? SPIES: Yeah. It depends how you look at it. For me, you know, Nick is just another rider. He’s a great rider; he’s a world champ. To be doing what we’re doing, not looking at the top American, anything like that, or top satellite bike, just to be the first year and jumping over some of the hurdles we’ve had, I didn’t think it would be going this well. So two podiums, you know. If you had told me we would have had one at the end of the first season, I would have been happy with that and took my money. But we’ll just keep clicking away, keep trying to learn. I think me and the team and everybody is doing a good job, and I’m happy with it. MODERATOR: Ben, congratulations, second place. We come on to the championship leader, ladies and gentlemen, of course Jorge Lorenzo riding the Fiat Yamaha. Out of the first two, the first time, Jorge, but you picked up some very, very important points, didn’t you, and you’re still on the podium. Still a 68-point gap. You can’t be too disappointed. JORGE LORENZO: Yeah, I must not be disappointed, no, but I’m not happy with my race. I didn’t ride so well. The start didn’t help me to make better. That’s why I didn’t feel so good with my physical condition, no? The third lap I was tired and I was not able to make the same pace as in practice. Anyway, this our worst result, and I think for Misano we will come back again, and we will see. MODERATOR: As Dani said and Ben said, it really was very, very difficult out there. The track, you had to concentrate so hard, no mistakes, and the heat as well. LORENZO: Yeah, the track was so slidey and also the bumps were difficult to use it. So I almost crash in some corners, so I prefer to finish third and not to take so many risks. MODERATOR: Finally, Misano, is it a track you like? LORENZO: Yeah, I love it. I love it. I finished second in the last two years and I think it’s a good track for us. MODERATOR: Jorge, thank you very much. Congratulations. OK, any questions from the floor, ladies and gentlemen? Put those hands up. Q: Ben, when did you hear about the passing of Peter Lenz? Did you know him and did that have any impact on this race? Was there a cloud over this race for you or for any of the other riders? SPIES: Yeah, I mean I found out about it about an hour and a half before the race. You know, you try to put the stuff out of your head as much as you can, but he unfortunately had been injured a couple years ago and had sent some stuff to him when he was in the hospital. You know, Colin was, I guess, quite close with him. And, you know, I could see it crushed Colin pretty bad before the race. It’s the race in life, unfortunately. There’s nothing really that can be said right now that’s positive. I mean, I told myself before the race, I was riding my heart out for him today. And I’ve lost a teammate in the past, my best friend. He was at an age at least he knew what he was doing; he obviously loved it. He knew how dangerous it could be, and it’s an unfortunate accident. There’s nothing that can be done right now. But it definitely did put a damper before the race but when the green flag goes. You’ve got to look straight ahead and hopefully it will give me some motivation out there. Q: Ben, you had a chance to lead for a bit and run at the front the whole race and follow Dani for a bit. Did you feel like you picked up a lot of information and learned a lot that will help you in the future? SPIES: You know, yeah. First time leading a GP race, really. I think I led for about 10 feet at Brno. But here I actually led for a few laps. Again, the pace wasn’t fast enough to lead for half the race or anything like that, but I don’t really think I made too big of mistakes when I was out front. We were consistent, just wasn’t fast enough, but was comfortable, so that was key. When Dani came by, you know, a combination of his bike was quite quick on the straightaway but he was riding really well and not making any mistakes and getting the bike off the corner really well; it was difficult with the grip. So a couple of those key factors, you know. We couldn’t follow him too close but I just tried to let him pull me away as much as I could to get away from third and then manage as much as I could. So I think once he got out to his gap, he could manage it, too. And I congratulate him, he rode a great race. I’m happy with how we rode. It wasn’t fast enough, but I think we were quite fast with not too many mistakes and that was important with the way the track was today. Q: Dani, could you discuss your choice of extra hard rear tire? PEDROSA: I wasn’t able to choose, the only hard compound, that’s it. I had to choose the extra hard because on the softer one, it was for me my bike generates too much tire — too much temperature in the tire. So finally after some laps I lose the stability going into the corners, so I had to choose the harder one. I had no choice. Q: Dani, does today make up for last year here? PEDROSA: No, last year, it’s lost. But, yeah, it’s a little less pain, you know. Because when, you know, you have the chance to win and you didn’t do it, it feels bad inside. But today I was able to do it, so I’m very happy. Q: This goes to all of you. Considering the tragedy today, is this course perhaps maybe too difficult for someone 12 or 13 years old to navigate considering how difficult it was for you all over the course of the weekend? SPIES: No, not at all. You know, I wouldn’t say that at all. It’s a normal racetrack, and, you know, racing incidents happen and as unfortunate as it is, it is a horrible thing. Like I said, I didn’t know him really well, but I had spoke to him once on the phone and sent some things to him. But, no, from what I understand, it was a pure racing accident, and it’s happened before to people. The fact is, it’s going to happen again at some point to somebody and we hate it, but we know what’s going on when we put a helmet on; we know what can happen. That’s it. MODERATOR: I think Dani and Jorge are probably not aware of the tragedy that has happened, so I think are you happy with Ben’s reply there? Yeah, OK. They weren’t aware of what had happened before the MotoGP race. Thanks. Anybody else, ladies and gentlemen? Q: A question to Jorge. You said you struggled physically. What was it, muscles or just a problem with the heat here? LORENZO: Well, of course the heat doesn’t help anybody to ride a bike, but especially I lost a little bit my training during these two last weeks. So I have to push again to make stretch and to recover. Q: Just a quick question to someone like Dani. Dani, very hot day here at Indiana today. Comparing to a Malaysian race or when we used to race in the daytime in Qatar, was it hotter today than Malaysia or — PEDROSA: Close. I mean, I have raced sometimes in Malaysia that it wasn’t that bad and sometimes it was really, really bad. And this was close to one of the hottest days in Malaysia or Qatar in the daylight. Q: Jorge, a quick comment about comparing the heat today with Malaysian heat or Qatar heat. LORENZO: I guess in Malaysia it’s worse but today I’m more tired than in Malaysia. Q: Jorge, your start today, just trying to be careful? On your start? LORENZO: No, I really didn’t make a good start, and I lost two or three positions. And then after my bike wasn’t so quick on the straight, so fast, and it was like I was riding a 250 bike. I lost a lot of meters on the straight. I got a chance to overtake Dovizioso because he make a mistake in the last corner and he make a wheelie. So I exit perfect in the last corner and I overtook him in the first corner. But apart from this, from this mistake, I didn’t think I could make it, no, to pass Andrea. Q: Ben, got a question for you. This weekend you’re filled with some good news. Pick one out of the three, which are you most stoked about, is it the factory ride? Is it the pole position or second place? SPIES: Man, that’s a tough one, I think. They all mean a lot. I think it starts with Friday to be able to be a rider that Yamaha picks to be on the factory team is huge. You know, to be in MotoGP, first of all, is a huge thing and then to know there’s only a couple people that can ride for a factory team and that you’re one of them, that’s big. And I think that kind of stemmed a lot how the weekend went, the confidence that was taken from that and just transformed into Saturday’s result and today’s result. You know, like I said, for it all to happen at the home Grand Prix, there’s nothing that can top it unless we won today. But, like, we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground, and I think we’re taking positive steps every weekend. Q: Question to Ben. After testing in Brno on Monday, did you receive some special parts from Yamaha? And for the second part of the season. And you still ride with a 2009 chassis? SPIES: Our bike is the same bike that we started at Laguna with. We received a small upgrade at Laguna, and that’s the bike I’m on now. So I think it’s a little bit of me letting go of the brake. And it makes, you know, it makes me know that the gap between my bike and the factory bike, OK, yeah, there’s some differences. Maybe some better things, some worse things, you never know. I mean, the old stuff some way can be better than the better stuff sometimes but they’re not that big of a difference. So what he’s been doing and Valentino has been doing, Yamaha gives the satellite team, you know, good bikes, and I think it’s showing that the bike’s the same. Q: Ben, will you talk about your tire choice, you went with the softer choice, right? SPIES: Yeah, we kind of went for glory, you know. I couldn’t be quick enough on the hard tire. Couldn’t quite do with some of the things I wanted to do with the bike to make the lap time. The soft tire we knew was going to go down at the end but we were hoping to be in a position where we could manage that at the end. Fortunately we got a good start. I was able to go early on and go good and then just manage it at the end of the race and it proved to be a good choice. I was on the fence about it, I believed in a couple other people and we went with it. So it worked out today. MODERATOR: Anybody else, ladies and gentlemen? OK. Thank you all very much, indeed for your time. See you all in Misano. Thank you. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki racer Álvaro Bautista produced a battling and mature race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to bring his Suzuki GSV-R home in a respectable eighth place. Bautista got boxed in at the start and was relegated to 14th at the end of the first lap; he quickly got on the pace and was able to pass some riders with relative ease. He caught up with Marco Simoncelli at half-distance and had a tremendous battle with the Italian for the rest of the race. Bautista tried a number of times to overtake his old adversary, but was unable to find the opportunity to get past mainly due to the condition of the Indianapolis circuit in the places where Bautista was sure he could make a move and his determination to get to the finish line and complete the race. Loris Capirossi narrowly missed out on a top 10 position as he was pushed off the track on the last lap by Hector Barbera. Capirossi had caught and passed the Spaniard with two laps remaining, but Barbera hit him on the final lap, pushing him wide and on to the grass. Capirossi was visibly disappointed with the result today, not just from the aspect of the final lap incident, but also with a difficulty in finding the right feeling from his machine during the race, a situation that has seemed to trouble him all weekend. Today’s race was held in very warm conditions with air temperatures getting up to 35ºC and track surfaces hitting 56ºC. A crowd of 62,794 saw Dani Pedrosa win the race with home favourite and pole setter Ben Spies in second, World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo was third. Rizla Suzuki now heads across the Atlantic for the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix to be staged at Misano in Italy next weekend on Sunday 5th September. Álvaro Bautista: “It was a hard and very difficult race because it was so hot that you could feel the heat coming from the bike and from the ground. It made it a very physical race, but that was also a good test for me to see how my body had healed and at the end I still felt strong. I lost a few places at the start, but I was able to overtake other riders very quickly and I got behind Kallio and decided to follow him because he had a good rhythm and I didn’t want to use all my energy with a long race ahead. We caught up to Simoncelli and I knew I was faster than Kallio so it was better to pass him and catch Simoncelli on my own. I saw two points on the track where I could then get past Simoncelli, but they were both very risky because they were very bumpy. I tried to get past in turn 10 but it was just too dangerous to go past because it was so bumpy and I wanted to finish the race – as it had been a long time since I’d done that. I finished in the top 10 and we did a good job through the whole weekend. This morning we made a big change in the gearbox and that worked very well for me. I am happy with the weekend and the team worked fantastic, we have another race next week and I’m looking forward to that already.” Loris Capirossi: “Sometimes the feeling in our bike is not too bad and sometimes it is difficult to ride, today it was very difficult and I didn’t really have any feeling in the front tyre and this has been a problem I’ve had many times this year – sometimes causing me to crash. It’s really difficult to find the limit, but it’s not that easy to just find the solution. Today I tried to keep my pace which was not as fast as I would want it to be and at the end I tried to attack Barbera. I got past him, but on the last lap he came in a bit too crazy and hit me and put me onto the grass, so I lost 10th position. I am a bit upset about today’s result because the bike has been up and down all weekend and today it was not so good. Everybody tried their hardest this weekend and that is very important, we now need to move on and see what happens next time.” Tom O’Kane Álvaro Bautista’s Crew Chief: “Álvaro rode a really solid race today, at a track that hasn’t been very good to us in the past, so that is a very promising thing to take forward as we move to tracks where our bike has gone better. We are really happy to get a finish and get through a whole race weekend without the dramas that we have had recently. Álvaro made a big change to his gearbox this morning in the warm-up and we were able to see an improvement in his lap-times immediately especially in the second sector of the lap and he adapted to the different pattern of the box very quickly and that also showed in the race. Overall he rode a good race and had a tough battle with Simoncelli, it’s neither here-nor-there whether he got past him or not, but it was very important to get into the top-10 and for him to come away from here with a lot more confidence in his own ability and that of the bike.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Dani Pedrosa narrowed the gap on MotoGP World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo to 68 points with seven rounds of the 2010 season remaining by winning the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday. It was the Repsol Honda rider’s third win of the campaign, the first time he has achieved three wins in a season in the premier class. Starting from the second row Pedrosa was on the pace early on and a fastest lap on lap two lifted him into second position, as he set his sights on pole holder Ben Spies. On the end of the seventh lap the Spaniard overtook the rookie on the start/finish straight and never relinquished the lead, eventually crossing the line 3.575s clear of Spies. After the race Pedrosa commented, “I’m really happy with this win and it was an especially tough one because of the heat today. My rhythm was good and even though Spies was strong in front I was able to close him down and make the pass. When I was out in front it was quite hard to stay focused and at the end of the race I was really tired – but I’m very happy because last year I crashed when I could have won and now I have made up for it.” For the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Spies, second place marked his best result to date and a second podium in what has already been a fantastic debut season. Spies started from pole the first of his MotoGP career and his race result capped off a great weekend that also saw him confirmed as a factory Yamaha rider for 2011. Completing the podium was series leader Lorenzo who had started from second on the grid but dropped to fifth at the start of the race. That failed to affect his concentration however and he battled his way past Andrea Dovizioso and into third just before the midway point of the race, finishing just over three seconds off Spies as his phenomenal record of having placed in the top two in every race this season was finally broken. He did however score a twelfth consecutive podium finish in the premier class. A complicated weekend for Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) ended with the reigning World Champion placing fourth in the race, as he won the battle of the Italians with Repsol Honda rider Dovizioso taking fifth. Nicky Hayden was sixth having started from the front row for the first time in his Ducati career and battling with an awkwardly dislodged knee-slider throughout the race. Rookies Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) impressed with seventh and eight places respectively, with Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing) and Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar) completing the top ten. Loris Capirossi, Hiroshi Aoyama on his return from injury and Randy de Puniet were the final three riders to finish the race. Suffering the disappointment of DNFs were Marco Melandri (lap two) on his 200th Grand Prix start, Casey Stoner who lost the front end of his Ducati Desmosedici GP10 on lap eight whilst in sixth, Colin Edwards who was forced to retire with rear tyre issues (lap 17) and Mika Kallio who crashed in turn ten when he hit a bump. Lorenzo moves onto 251 points with Pedrosa now on 183 in second in the standings. Dovizioso is third on 126, with Stoner now seven points behind in fourth. Rossi remains in fifth while Spies moves up to sixth. Moto2 Toni Elías won in the intermediate class with a characteristically measured ride on Sunday, taking a third consecutive GP win for the first time in his career as he tightened his grip on the inaugural Moto2 title. The Gresini Racing rider now leads the overall standings by 67 points after ten rounds, having topped the podium ahead of pole man Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) and Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team). The race was restarted and shortened to 17 laps due to two separate crashes on the opening lap of the original contest which brought out the red flag. Championship leader Elías made a fantastic getaway as he used the gap on the front row vacated by Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) to advance into the lead on lap one. Corsi started from the back of the grid having qualified fourth as he experienced problems with his bike due to the crash, but rocketed up the field throughout the race. Elías and Simón became involved in a duel for top spot with Redding watching from third as he kept tabs on the duo, and six laps from the end Elías made a superb overtake round the outside of Simón to assume the lead. He held that to the end, eventually crossing the line just over four-tenths of a second ahead of his compatriot. Redding took his first Moto2 podium as he crossed in third, just under four seconds behind Simón having been strong throughout the weekend, with Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) fourth having started from way back on the seventh row. Corsi completed the top five having made an admirable recovery from the back of the grid. Iannone remains second in the standings, with Lüthi and Simón level on 108 points in third and fourth. Corsi rises to fifth thanks to his result. Absent from the race was Fonsi Nieto who underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle in Indianapolis today following his qualifying crash. 125cc Nico Terol’s first consecutive GP wins came with victory at Indianapolis as the Bancaja Aspar rider won the 125cc contest, his third of the season and on the same track he won his first World Championship race in 2008. Terol eventually crossed the line 4.995s clear of Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo), with Pol Espargaró (Tuenti Racing) completing the podium in what was a typically eventful 125cc race. Marc Márquez (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) looked to be pulling away to a dominant victory in the early part of the race until a crash at turn ten with 15 laps remaining saw Terol assuming first position. Bradley Smith was riding hard and had climbed to second but with 11 laps remaining the Bancaja Aspar rider crashed at turn 11, thus ending his race and also a run of having scored points in every round this season. That elevated Cortese and Espargaró into second and third. The drama was not finished there however and on the penultimate lap the remounted Márquez cut the track when in eighth position, crossing the finish line in fifth with Efrén Vázquez in fourth. The incident was examined by Race Direction and the decision was to penalise Márquez 20 seconds, meaning he was demoted to 10th position for the race. That meant that the top eight was completed by Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX), Danny Webb (Andalucia Cajasol), Randy Krummenacher (Stipa Molenaar) and Alberto Moncayo (Andalucia Cajasol). Terol’s win was the 20th successive 125cc victory for Spanish riders, and moved him into second in the overall standings on 168 points, with Márquez on 172. Espargaró is third on 167 points, with Smith remaining fourth on 115.