MotoGP stars to auction items for charity Aug. 27; Fans can watch Moto2 bike this week INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010 Every rider in the premier MotoGP class, including superstars Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies, Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards, is scheduled to participate in the Riders For Health charity auction Friday, Aug. 27 during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The auction is scheduled from 10:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m. at the SPEED Stage in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield. Each rider will auction an item to fans. All proceeds benefit Riders For Health, a charity that works to ensure all health workers in Africa have access to reliable transportation usually a motorcycle so they can reach the most isolated people with regular and predictable health care. *** R. Hayden testing this week: Race fans are invited to watch a Moto2 bike at speed Thursday, Aug. 19 and Friday, Aug. 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as American Roger Lee Hayden prepares for his first Red Bull Indianapolis GP. Hayden will test from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday on the 2.621-mile road course. Fans are welcome to view the test for free from adjacent to the Hall of Fame Museum in the IMS infield. Hayden, from Owensboro, Ky., is riding as a wild-card entry for Team Honda/Moriwaki, managed by 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz. Hayden is the younger brother of Nicky Hayden, 2006 MotoGP World Champion and two-time Red Bull Indianapolis GP podium finisher. Moto2 replaced the 250cc class this season. Riders compete on bikes with 600cc Honda engines and Dunlop tires, with the emphasis placed on lower costs and rider skill. The new formula has attracted grids of 40 motorcycles or more at nearly every race. One of the most exciting moments of any MotoGP event weekend is watching at least 40 bikes pile-drive into Turn 1 on the first lap of the Moto2 race, with bikes sometimes spread five- and six-wide to get the edge into the first corner. *** Gear check offered for riders at IMS: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway once again will provide multiple gear check locations for Red Bull Indianapolis GP fans to check helmets, leathers and any other motorcycle gear at the track. Fans can visit any of the five locations on the IMS grounds and place any gear in plastic bags to be securely stored and picked up upon exiting the facility for the day. Gear check locations will operate from when public gates open until one hour after gates close all three days of the event. A total of five gear check locations include two operations for backstretch motorcycle parking, Lot 3 Pavement, Lot 8 and the Vendor Marketplace in Gasoline Alley. The service is free and available all three days of the Aug. 27-29 event, with ABATE of Indiana members working for tips for their assistance. *** Walkabout a great deal: The Pit Walkabout on Friday morning, Aug. 27 during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP is one of the best deals in motorsports, as any number of children 12 and under will be admitted free with an adult. Adult general admission for the day is just $10, and kids of all ages can participate in the Pit Walkabout. The Walkabout takes place from 9-10:45 a.m. Fans must enter and exit the Walkabout at the south end of Gasoline Alley. Fans can stand adjacent to the open garages, getting a clear view of the 800cc prototype machines upon which MotoGP stars such as Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Americans Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and Colin Edwards will compete during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 27-29. Many teams in all three classes continue extensive preparation work on their bikes, giving fans photo opportunities and an unparalleled look at the most sophisticated motorcycles on Earth, which exceed 200 mph on the front straightaway at IMS. Teams in the Moto2 and 125cc classes also will have their garages open and bikes on display. *** ‘Crash’ to play two shows on race weekend: Crash, the pop-rock band led by former MotoGP rider James Toseland, will play two shows in Indianapolis during Red Bull Indianapolis GP race weekend, including one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Toseland and his band will play from 11 a.m.-noon Sunday, Aug. 29 on the SPEED Stage at IMS. Toseland and Crash also will play at 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27 at Jackson and Meridian streets in downtown Indianapolis during Motorcycles on Meridian. It’s the third consecutive year that classically trained pianist Toseland, who is racing for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship this season, will perform at IMS during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. He played with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2008, and he played with Crash last year. *** Kickoff the race downtown: Fans are invited to the official kick-start of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP event weekend, a celebration at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 26 on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. MotoGP riders will participate in the celebration, and numerous rising young stars from the USGPRU Moriwaki MD250H Powered by Honda series that will compete at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP will sign autographs for fans. Noted local and Indianapolis Motor Speedway dignitaries will speak, and Red Bull will be on hand to bring its unique style to the event. The celebration is free. *** Special gates for print-at-home tickets: Fans who print at home their tickets for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP must enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through Gates 1, 6 and 9 only. Three-day reserved seat and Race Day-only general admission and reserved seat tickets can be printed at home after the tickets are ordered online at www.imstix.com. Simply order tickets and follow the instructions contained in the ticket-ordering process. *** IMS tickets: Tickets for the 2010 Red Bull Indianapolis GP are on sale now. A new structure offers additional value and flexibility to fans attending the annual MotoGP event. Among the highlights of the new ticket structure are lower prices and single-day reserved and general admission tickets for Race Day, Sunday, Aug. 29. Children 12 and under will be admitted free any day of the event if accompanied by an adult holding a general admission ticket. Fans can order tickets online at www.imstix.com, call the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visit the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Online orders can be made at any time. Hours for phone orders and the ticket office are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. General admission tickets provide access to the grounds, viewing mounds along the infield section of the circuit and selected grandstands, which provide excellent angles to see the greatest riders in the world. Fans can now print their tickets three-day reserved seat and Race Day-only general admission and reserved seat tickets with their printer after ordering tickets online at www.imstix.com. Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.