RAIN BRINGS EARLY END TO TEST FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM AT BRNO Bad weather at Brno afforded the MotoGP teams just half a day’s testing in the second and final official one-day post-GP session scheduled for the 2010 season. Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden both gave positive feedback about a new front fork they tried for the first time today, Stoner clocking the second fastest time of the day and Hayden tenth fastest as he took care not to force his injured left wrist. The American is confident he can be back to full fitness in time for his home race at Indianapolis on the 29th August. CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) “We tried a new fork today and as far as we could tell the feeling is positive. Unfortunately we were only able to get a couple of hours in this morning because immediately after lunch it started to rain and we couldn’t complete the test. I hung about in the garage in case we got chance to go back out but the track stayed wet and there was no point. Our impressions of the fork are good but really the day was a bit of a waste.” NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) “We got out there this morning and got a few hours of testing in because we really needed it. We had a few new settings we wanted to try as well as the new fork. The feedback was positive but at the moment but we need more tests. My hand was a little painful but honestly it wasn’t a major drama and I hope that with a week’s rest I can be fit for my home race.” Circuit Record: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2009), 1’56.670 166.716 Km/h Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2009), 1’56.145 167.469 Km/h Unofficial lap times Monday 16th August 1. Jorge LORENZO Yamaha1:56.269 (44 laps) 2. Casey STONER Ducati1:56.844 (37) 3. Dani Test PEDROSA Honda1:56.944(6) 4. Valentino ROSSI Yamaha1:57.129 (50) 5. Dani PEDROSA Honda 1:57.424 (28) 6. Colin EDWARDS Yamaha 1:57.512 (41) 7. Ben SPIES Yamaha1:57.575 (42) 8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Honda1:57.691 (48) 9. Loris CAPIROSSI Suzuki1:57.700 (51) 10. Nicky HAYDEN Ducati1:57.991 (38) 11. Hector BARBERA Ducati1:58.017 (47) 12. Marco MELANDRI Honda1:58.070 (42) 13. Marco SIMONCELLI Honda1:58.091 (35) 14. Aleix ESPARGARO Ducati1:58.612 (53) 15. Hiroshi AOYAMA Honda1:58.830 (46) 16. Mika KALLIO Ducati1:58.926 (62) 17. Alvaro BAUTISTA Suzuki1:59.454 (30) More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Positive test for Spies and Edwards in Brno Less than 24 hours after a strong performance in the Czech Republic MotoGP race, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team was back hard at work for a one-day test session at the Brno circuit today. Perfect conditions this morning allowed Texan Spies to complete 36 of his 42 laps on board a 2011 prototype model of Yamaha’s factory YZR-M1 machine. Spies was delighted with the potential of the test bike and finished in sixth position on the timesheets having been able to give valuable feedback to engineers. Spies ended with a best time of 1.57.575 to lap 0.5s quicker than he managed when finishing in an impressive fourth place in yest erday’s 22-lap race. The 26-year-old though was unable to complete a further assessment of the new bike when rain brought an early end to proceedings shortly after 3pm. Colin Edwards finished one place higher up in fifth place as he was able to spend 41 laps assessing different front-end geometry settings and a revised front tyre specification from Bridgestone. Edwards, who equalled his best result of the season in yesterday’s race with seventh, set a best time of 1.57.512 to finish almost a second faster than his quickest race pace. Colin Edwards 5th 1.57.512 41 laps “We made a change with the set-up for the race yesterday and I didn’t really have a good feeling with the bike, so we reverted back to the setting I was happy with on Saturday just to try and understand why I wasn’t able to run the same pace. I’ve learned not to race the bike with a setting that we hadn’t tested but we thought it would be fine. I tested some different front-end geometry to try and make more progress with the better turning performance we found earlier in the weekend and we’ve got some more ideas for the future. I tried a new Bridgestone front and I was really happy with that so it was a good test. Although I wasn’t happy with the result yesterday, I felt we made a breakthrough with the bike here and I’m really looking forward to challenging for my first top six finish of the season at the next race in Indianapolis.” Ben Spies 6th 1.57.575 42 laps “It was a good day. I can’t say too much about the new bike and honestly I’m not sure exactly what I rode. I just got on and rode what was given to me and I didn’t set any blistering lap times today but th at was not the objective. Today was all about giving feedback and getting some data on the new bike. The good thing is that I was pretty much on the pace of the bike I’ve been riding since February and that is a big positive because we’ve got plenty of time to work on that bike. We got lots of information so it was a productive day. It was a good weekend with my first front row start and a strong fourth place in the race and after today I’m heading to Indianapolis for another home race full of confidence. I love racing in front of my home fans and hopefully I’ll be able to get my best result of the season at Indy.” More, from a press release issued by Interwetten Honda: Aoyama back in action for Brno Test The official test that took place today, after the Grand Prix Ceské republiky, was the first strain test for Hiroshi Aoyama, who had to stay at home after he had a nasty crash in the Warm up for the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, where he fractured his 12th vertebra two months ago. Aoyama rode 46 laps and is satisfied with both, his condition and the bike. Also the team was very surprised about the good shape of the 28-year-old Japanese and the test was a positive beginning for them. As it started to rain in the afternoon the test finished earlier than expected and came to an end at 4 pm. Which Grand Prix will be the return of Aoyama to full racing action will be decided during this week. Hiroshi Aoyama: “Now it is two months after my crash and I am back on the bike for the first time. My feeling and my condition is better th an I expected and I am very happy about that. Today was more a test of my healing process improvements and how I can deal with the bike. My back is still not 100% okay and I don’t want to decide now if I will return in Indianapolis or not, I want to see how I feel tomorrow and later this week. Anyway I want to say that this test was positive for me and I am positive about my whole situation. I want to return as fast as possible.” Tom Jojic, Crew Chief: “It was a good test today and Hiro was able to ride some laps without any pain. The lap time surprised us and was better than expected. He rides the MotoGP bike for the first time on this track and didn’t sit on a bike for two months now and he did the same lap time as we had in the free practice on Friday straight away. And he even bettered this time. Unfortunately we could not test the whole day as it started to rain, but I think this is better for Hiro and his healing process anyway if he does not test the whole d ay. I want to thank Alex as because of his good work in the last three races we found a really good base set up, which also helpes Hiro and suits his riding style as well.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: REPSOL HONDA TEAM COMPLETES TEST DAY AT BRNO Repsol Honda Team riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso took to the Brno race circuit again today to complete the scheduled day of MotoGP testing that traditionally follows the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. The day was cut short by rain shortly after 3pm, but the factory Honda riders still managed to amass some valuable mileage on their RC212V machines. Dovizioso took the chance to evaluate some new suspension components from Ohlins which are scheduled to be introduced from next year. The Italian also tried several adjustments to the existing Ohlins set-up with encouraging results, and then worked on the electronic settings on his RC212V. In addition, Dovizioso evaluated a modified version of the thumb operated rear brake he tried earlier in the season. His fastest lap time today was a respectable 1m 57.691s. Fresh from his second place finish in yesterday’s race, Pedrosa spent time improving his race set-up before trialing his RC212V with a modified chassis, setting an encouraging lap time of 1m 56.944. Just before lunchtime he had a low-speed fall in turn seven, but he was able to return to the track to continue testing in the afternoon. The rain however prevented Pedrosa from trying the new Ohlins equipment. With the final test day before the end of the season complete, the Repsol Honda Team will now begin preparations for the trans-Atlantic trip to the USA for the Indianapolis Grand Prix, which takes place on August 29. Official Lap times Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha 1:56.269 Casey Stoner Marlboro Ducati 1:56.844 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda 1:56.944 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha 1:57.129 Colin Edwards Yamaha Tech3 1:57.512 Ben Spies Yamaha Tech3 1:57.575 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:57.691 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki 1:57.700 Nicky Hayden Marlboro Ducati 1:57.991 Hector Barbera Aspar MotoGP Team 1:58.017 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda 1:58.070 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda 1’58.091 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Ducati 1:58.612 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda 1:58.830 Mika Kallio Pramac Ducati 1:58.926 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki 1:59.454 DANI PEDROSA “This morning we started with our race set-up from yesterday and made some improvements to the rear grip which could help us in the upcoming races. I had a crash with the race bike late in the morning and took an impact on my chest which might be painful tomorrow, but luckily I was able to get back on the bike this afternoon without any problems. I tested an updated chassis and the initial results were positive, but I had only five laps on it before the rain ended the day for us. We weren’t able to test the new Ohlins suspension which is a pity because these were new parts for next year, but overall it was a worthwhile test.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO “Today we tested the new Ohlins front forks and shock for next year and we will take a look at the data collected from those runs to verify the results. We also tested this year’s Ohlins components with modified settings, and the feeling was good so we’ll take those to the next race at Indianapolis. We made some adjustments to the front set-up which has improved the stability. Our plan was also to test some modifications to the electronic controls and we started this, but the rain interrupted us so we didn’t get through the full programme. Still, we did some valuable work today which should help us at the upcoming races.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: FIAT YAMAHA COMPLETE IMPORTANT DAY OF TESTING IN BRNO Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi today completed a one-day test at Brno, alongside the rest of the MotoGP grid, to set themselves up for the final eight races of the season. The test was cut short when it began to rain in the mid afternoon but not before both Fiat Yamaha men had the chance to do some important work on their M1s. Lorenzo picked up from where he left off yesterday, the race winner once again topping the time sheets nearly half a second ahead of Casey Stoner. The championship leader tried a new engine upgrade and a new suspension setting for his M1 and also completed some laps on Yamaha’s 2011 prototype YZR-M1. After struggling in yesterday’s race Rossi and his crew were keen to understand what had happened so they worked closely on their setting to do just that today, with the Italian c ompleting more laps than nearly anyone else. Rossi also had the chance to try the new 2010 engine upgrade and finished the day fourth fastest. The team now has a weekend off before flying to Indianapolis next week for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship. Jorge Lorenzo Position: 1st Time: 1’56.269 Laps: 44 “This was an important and interesting test for us, both for the rest of the season and looking towards next year. We had a lot to do but unfortunately the rain forced us to stop early. As well as the ‘new’ prototype machine for next year we also tried an engine upgrade and a new Ohlins suspension, but it’s too early to know if they will be better for our M1, which is already very competitive. We got quite a lot of information though so hopefully it will help the engineers to improve things even more.” Valentino Rossi Position: 4th Time: 1’57.129 Laps: 50 “I’m happier today because we worked hard to understand what happened during yesterday’s race and at the end we have a clearer picture. We worked a lot on the setting and we found out some things, which we hope will be useful over the rest of the season and help us to have some more good races. I tried a new engine for the 2010 bike and it’s not so different but there are some small things about it which I think can help; I hope we can use it soon.” More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: LORENZO TOPS BRNO TEST; ‘TEAM TEXAS’ STRONG HEADING TO INDY INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 One day after earning his seventh victory of the season, points leader Jorge Lorenzo dominated a rain-shortened MotoGP test session Aug. 16 at the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic. The next stop for Lorenzo is Indianapolis for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 27-29. He looms as a big favorite to become the first two-time winner of the annual MotoGP race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lorenzo’s top time was 1 minute, 56.269 seconds on his Fiat Yamaha Team machine, more than one-half second ahead of his closest rival, Casey Stoner, whose best lap was 1:56.844 on a Ducati. Dani Pedrosa was third at 1:56.944 on his Repsol Honda, putting three different manufacturers in the top three. It was a strong test for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and Ben Spies, two of the three American riders in the premier MotoGP class. Edwards returned to a setup that he used during qualifying at Brno and ended up fifth overall in the test at 1:57.512. Rookie sensation Spies was sixth at 1:57.575. Spies finished fourth in the race Aug. 15 at Brno after starting a career-best second. Edwards finished seventh. “Although I wasn’t happy with the result yesterday, I felt we made a breakthrough with the bike here, and I’m really looking forward to challenging for my first top-six finish of the season at the next race in Indianapolis,” Edwards said. Said Spies: “It was a good weekend with my first front-row start and a strong fourth place in the race, and after today I’m heading to Indianapolis for another home race full of confidence. I love racing in front of my home fans, and hopefully I’ll be able to get my best result of the season at Indy.” 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden was ninth in the test at 1:57.991 on his Ducati. American Hayden finished fifth in the race Sunday despite racing with a chipped bone in his wrist from a crash during qualifying Saturday. He will race in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 29 at Indianapolis. “The feedback was positive, but at the moment we need more tests,” Hayden said about the test. “My hand was a little painful, but honestly it wasn’t a major drama, and I hope that with a week’s rest I can be fit for my home race.” Sixteen of the 17 full-time riders in MotoGP tested. Only Randy De Puniet skipped the test, as he is still recovering from a broken leg suffered less than a month ago despite racing Aug. 15 at Brno. He is expected to race at Indianapolis. *** TEST RESULTS BRNO, Czech Republic Results of the MotoGP test session, with position, rider, country, motorcycle and best lap time. All riders on Bridgestone tires: 1. Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha 1:56.269 2. Casey Stoner Australia Ducati 1:56.844 3. Dani Pedrosa Spain Honda 1:56.944 4. Valentino Rossi Italy Yamaha 1:57.129 5. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha 1:57.512 6. Ben Spies United States Yamaha 1:57.575 7. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda 1:57.691 8. Loris Capirossi Italy Suzuki 1:57.700 9. Nicky Hayden United States Ducati 1:57.991 10. Hector Barbera Spain Ducati 1:58.017 11. Marco Melandri Italy Honda 1:58.070 12. Marco Simoncelli Italy Honda 1:58.091 13. Aleix Espargaro Spain Ducati 1:58.612 14. Hiroshi Aoyama Japan Honda 1:58.830 15. Mika Kallio Finland Ducati 1:58.926 16. Alvaro Bautista Spain Suzuki 1:59.454 *** AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES COLIN EDWARDS (Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone, fifth): “We made a change with the setup for the race yesterday, and I didn’t really have a good feeling with the bike, so we reverted back to the setting I was happy with on Saturday just to try and understand why I wasn’t able to run the same pace. I’ve learned not to race the bike with a setting that we hadn’t tested, but we thought it would be fine. I tested some different front-end geometry to try and make more progress with the better turning performance we found earlier in the weekend, and we’ve got some more ideas for the future. I tried a new Bridgestone front, and I was really happy with that so it was a good test. Although I wasn’t happy with the result yesterday, I felt we made a breakthrough with the bike here, and I’m really looking forward to challenging for my first top-six finish of the season at the next race in Indianapolis.” BEN SPIES (Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone, sixth): “It was a good day. I can’t say too much about the new bike, and honestly I’m not sure exactly what I rode. I just got on and rode what was given to me and I didn’t set any blistering lap times today, but that was not the objective. Today was all about giving feedback and getting some data on the new bike. The good thing is that I was pretty much on the pace of the bike I’ve been riding since February, and that is a big positive because we’ve got plenty of time to work on that bike. We got lots of information, so it was a productive day. It was a good weekend with my first front-row start and a strong fourth place in the race, and after today I’m heading to Indianapolis for another home race full of confidence. I love racing in front of my home fans, and hopefully I’ll be able to get my best result of the season at Indy.” NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone, ninth): “We got out there this morning and got a few hours of testing in because we really needed it. We had a few new settings we wanted to try as well as the new fork. The feedback was positive, but at the moment we need more tests. My hand was a little painful, but honestly it wasn’t a major drama, and I hope that with a week’s rest I can be fit for my home race.” *** 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.