FIM MotoGP World Championship Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Indiana September 12, 2008 Free Practice Two Results (wet conditions): 1. Anthony WEST (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:54.274 2. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:55.032 3. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:55.067 4. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), Bridgestone, 1:55.425 5. Ben SPIES (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:55.869 6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda), Michelin, 1:56.225 7. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:56.313 8. Casey STONER (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:56.458 9. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:56.782 10. Marco MELANDRI (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:57.534 11. John HOPKINS (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:58.335 12. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda), Michelin, 1:58.382 13. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:58.399, crash 14. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda), Michelin, 1:58.546 15. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:58.600 16. Toni ELIAS (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:59.059 17. Shinya NAKANO (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:59.092 18. James TOSELAND (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:59.478 19. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:59.661 Best Combined Practice Times: 1. Anthony WEST (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:53.034 2. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:53.151 3. Casey STONER (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:53.190, crash 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda), Michelin, 1:53.704 5. John HOPKINS (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:53.715 6. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:53.771 7. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:53.850 8. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda), Michelin, 1:53.931 9. Ben SPIES (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:54.297 10. Toni ELIAS (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:54.616 11. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), Bridgestone, 1:54.795 12. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda), Michelin, 1:55.072 13. Shinya NAKANO (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:55.074 14. Marco MELANDRI (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:55.292 15. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:55.731 16. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:56.125 17. James TOSELAND (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:56.271 18. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:56.345 19. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:56.782 More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: STONER STARTS OUT THIRD FASTEST, MELANDRI 14TH AS MOTOGP GETS UNDERWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS As promised by local weather forecasts, the effects of Hurricane Ike were felt as far away as Indiana today, making for a dreary debut for MotoGP at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The opening free practice session, extended by half an hour to give the riders time to learn the track, took place under grey skies and was hampered by constant drizzle that intensified during the afternoon. Stoner set the third fastest time of the morning session before crashing on his final lap, escaping without injury on one of the recently laid sections of asphalt, where grip levels appear to be lower than other areas of the circuit – a problem exacerbated by the rain. Marco Melandri began making improvements towards the end of the session before finishing with the fourteenth fastest time. Neither rider managed to improve as the conditions worsened in the second session. CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team) 3rd: 1’53.190 “The track conditions vary drastically between the old surface and the new. Grip is good on the old stuff but there isn’t even minimum grip on the recently laid asphalt and the rain makes it much worse because it isn’t draining off. If it continues to rain like it did this afternoon then I’m not sure the conditions will be safe enough to race in. As far as the layout is concerned there are only a couple of critical areas – in particular turn five, where the run-off is very short. There’s not much we can do about that right now though – the best thing would be to stick an air-fence in. This morning I crashed on the section where the grip is poorest and that’s obviously not good for the wrist but thankfully it didn’t create any major problems.” MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati MotoGP Team) 14th: 1’55.292 “I like the design of the circuit – it’s fun but unfortunately there are too many different types of asphalt and the new part is definitely the worst, especially with the rain. The bike tends to aquaplane and you can’t see anything because of the reflection off the water. Grip on the older part is good, although if it keeps raining it’s going to get really difficult. There are two or three dangerous corners: turns one, five and six, where the walls are too close. This morning we started out cautiously but we improved towards the end, whilst this afternoon we didn’t get chance to make too many improvements because the conditions were so bad More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI MAKES RAINY DEBUT AT THE BRICKYARD The historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway had its first taste of MotoGP action today as the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix got underway, but it was a rain-hit debut for the sport at this most famous of racetracks. Nonetheless Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi made an encouraging start and is optimistic for the weekend, should the weather not become even worse. After having some initial concerns on first sight yesterday, the Italian was pleasantly surprised with his first foray onto the track and found it more enjoyable to ride than he had expected, despite the areas of new asphalt lacking some grip. He was 11th fastest this morning but improved considerably this afternoon and finished the second session, which was much wetter, in fourth. Fastest on track today was Anthony West, whilst Rossi’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was also happy with his first outing, finishing seventh in both sessions Valentino Rossi Position: 11th Time: 1’54.795 Laps: 59 “So, after some worries yesterday it seems that the track is not so bad and in fact it’s a lot more fun to ride than I expected; it’s like Rio in places. There are some parts that have a few problems and we can definitely improve them for the future, especially turn five and turn one, but for now I think it is okay. The biggest problem is the difference in the asphalt, which changes too much, and the new asphalt doesn’t drain so well; if this weather becomes worse things will be very difficult. I am really sad about the rain because it’s fantastic to be here and I felt quite a strong emotion leaving the garage for the first time this morning, at such a historic place. I really hope that the weather improves so that we can have some crowds here on Sunday! I think we have good potential here and I feel like if it was dry then I could be quite fast as well, but it looks like this won’t be the case at the moment. Anyway, the situation is okay, my bike and tyres are working well so far so we will try to improve again tomorrow.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “It’s a great pity that the weather is so bad on our Indianapolis debut! We had hoped for better conditions but it’s the same for everyone and we’re working as hard as we can to find a good set-up for these conditions, because it looks like it may stay like this all weekend. This afternoon we improved our bike and in general things were much better, so now we will just continue like this. Being a new track there are many things to adjust, but I think it’s fair to say that we have had a good first day in difficult conditions.” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: LORENZO SEVENTH AS MOTOGP LANDS AT INDIANAPOLIS MotoGP made its long-awaited debut at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana today, the first time in 99 years that the track has seen motorcycle action. Jorge Lorenzo played a promising part in the opening day, finishing seventh overall in soaking wet conditions. After a sunny and humid day yesterday, an area of low pressure brought non-stop rain today, which grew heavier throughout the afternoon. These were less than ideal conditions for the riders to begin getting to know the track, which uses part of the main straight before winding its way around inside the famous Oval. Lorenzo, who lies fourth in the MotoGP standings, made a positive start to his second race on US soil and found the track nature suited him more than he expected, enabling him to find a good base set-up from the start. His team-mate Valentino Rossi was fourth fastest this afternoon, when it was much wetter, but 11th fastest in the combined standings, which were topped by Anthony West. Jorge Lorenzo Position: 7th Time: 1’53.850 Laps: 50 “I am happy today because the track is much better than I expected and a lot less dangerous. Some walls are quite close to the racing line but in general it’s not too bad. The first part, with the new tarmac, is difficult because it’s very slippery and there’s a lot of standing water, so you have to ride very carefully and very straight. The other part has better grip. We need to find a balance between tyres, which is the biggest issue we have to deal with. The back part is flowing and fun to ride, I think it suits my riding style so this is an unexpected surprise! Anyway, the situation is the same for all the riders, the weather is bad, it’s a new track we will do our best!” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “Overall it’s been a positive day for us. We have started at a new track, about which we had little information, but our pace has not been so bad all day. We need to improve our performance in section one quite a lot, where Jorge has some problems entering the turns because there is a lot of water on the track. It seems like we need to prepare a wet race set up because the forecast is more of the same, so tomorrow we will continue to try to improve our set-up and see what we can do.” More, from a press release issued by JiR Team Scot Honda: Andrea Dovizioso, 6th despite Indianapolis deluge The second round of free practice of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis concluded with Andrea Dovizioso in sixth position, despite poor weather conditions. The morning rain intensified and puddles of water had formed on the track that meant that it was impossible for riders to better their performance from the morning. For JiR Team Scot this was an important session, if the race were to be played out in similar conditions. Either way, Andrea Dovizioso is confident of being up with the competition all weekend. Andrea Dovizioso – Pilot JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA RC212V 6th-best time: 1’56 “225 “In conditions of intense rain we have reached a good general setting. We are not the fastest out there today, but we are competitive, and if we are in a similar situation come Sunday, I think we could make a good race. I am satisfied with the performance of the tyres, even if we could improve in dealing with the slippery new track surface.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP’s three rider attack at this weekend’s inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix in America was hampered today in its preparations for Sunday’s race by persistent rain at new 4,216m circuit. Chris Vermeulen, Loris Capirossi and wildcard rider Ben Spies were able to complete plenty of valuable wet-weather testing, which looks like it could be very important as heavy rain and storms some of which could be the remnants of Hurricane Ike that is battering America at the moment will probably be a continuing factor over the whole weekend. Vermeulen was sixth quickest overall today as he set a best lap-time of 1’53.771 from his 46 laps. He was pleased with his first outing on the Indy circuit and is certainly hoping that the weather improves for the weekend so he can get to grips with the new track. Capirossi (P18, 1’56.345, 47 laps) was unable to find a setting he was happy with during both of today’s sessions, but the experienced Italian is convinced his fortunes will change tomorrow. Ben Spies impressed in his third MotoGP event by recording a creditable ninth position with a best time of 1’54.297 from his 33 laps. The recently crowned 2008 AMA Superbike Champion used his circuit knowledge gathered from a two-day tyre test he attended in July to good use and was regularly up with the front runners in the atrocious conditions. Today’s fastest time was set by Anthony West on his factory Kawasaki. The three Rizla Suzuki racers will have one more practice session tomorrow morning, followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 28-lap race is round 14 of the season and the action gets underway at 15.00hrs local time (19.00hrs GMT). Chris Vermeulen: “This is the first time at Indianapolis and it’s great to have bikes at a place with such a racing history, it’s just a shame the weather didn’t turn it on today and we ended up with two very wet sessions. The circuit have done a good job here and they have built a great track, although some of the new surface is different to the old one and it holds water in very different ways, so in the wet it was difficult to get the bike working with any rhythm. We did try a lot of things and the whole team did a good job in the awful conditions. Bridgestone has brought some really good wet tyres here and they worked very well. Hopefully we can improve further tomorrow on what we have done today!” Loris Capirossi: “I think this was a bit of a negative day for me today, not just my position but the fact that I never found a good setting. We tried to change things throughout the day, but the biggest problem was how bad the conditions were and we just didn’t seem to be able to make any improvements. It is easy to say this about the track, but it is the same for everybody and I just struggled out there today. Today has been the worst day of the season, but I am not going to let that bother me because we have to improve tomorrow and I know that we will!” Ben Spies: “It was good today and we’re quite pleased with how it went. We finished both sessions early because it was so wet we weren’t going to make any difference. They were both good sessions for us though and although the track was a bit awkward in places – because the water was laying on the surface – and it made it difficult in parts. I know I still had a bit in reserve and if the conditions are the same tomorrow I am sure I can go a good bit quicker!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Chris has adapted to the very bad conditions today as well as we have come to expect, and Ben has also done a great job and looked very competitive. Unfortunately for Loris we weren’t able to resolve a problem that has affected him all day, and that has been frustrating, because clearly he is capable of a lot more. We just need to hope that the weather improves because it’s hard enough riding a MotoGP bike when it’s wet but when it’s really wet like at the end of this afternoon’s session when the track started to flood it will be almost impossible for the guys to race” “The Speedway has done a great job and it deserves better than the conditions we have had today. The whole organisation has been really positive in welcoming the MotoGP family and let’s hope it gets a break with the weather.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: West singing Indy rain in wet practice Round 14: Indianapolis Free Practice Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Friday 12 September 2008 Kawasaki Racing rider Anthony West has ended the opening day of free practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the top of the timesheets having led the way in both wet sessions. Persistent and often torrential rain has fallen at the Speedway throughout the day, rendering difficult most riders first taste of the new-look Indianapolis circuit. Nevertheless, there are three Bridgestone-shod riders at the head of the combined practice standings with San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alex De Angelis in second place, and Ducati’s reigning world champion Casey Stoner in third. John Hopkins made it two Kawasakis in the top five with the fifth fastest time of the day. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen was sixth overall ahead of Ben Spies, who is participating as a Suzuki wildcard this weekend, in ninth. Toni Elias, who has enjoyed a run of podium results in recent races, rounded out the top ten. The weather forecast for the rest of the weekend does offer much hope of respite from the wet conditions, so this morning’s extended 90-minute session and this afternoon’s 60-minute session could prove extremely valuable for Sunday’s race. Bridgestone’s soft and medium compound wet weather tyres have performed well over the day with over a race distance worth of laps set using the same set of tyres. Tyre Talk with Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development How did Bridgestone fare with the wet conditions today? “For any new track it is preferable to have fully dry conditions to allow the riders to get up to speed with the circuit characteristics, for teams to set up their bikes and for tyre manufacturers to evaluate the range of slick tyres. The wet conditions we have faced today have therefore changed our workload quite a bit. We used soft and medium compound wets during the day. Lap times were naturally quicker in the morning session but overall I am pleased with our wet tyre performance. Our riders have put many laps on the same set of tyres, so it would seem durability is within our expectations in spite of the difficult circuit conditions.” How is the track in the wet? “This circuit has several different tyres of asphalt and the conditions are not consistent over the entire lap. It is quite tricky for the riders in the first part of the lap, the newer MotoGP circuit layout, and also in the second sector. But the older parts of the circuit – the traditional Indy oval and the Formula One course- drain the water better and give the riders a different feeling. It has definitely not been easy for the riders out there today, so their commitment and performance is to be commended. We have some riders in good shape in these conditions, especially Anthony, who has shown his usual excellence in the wet.” Bridgestone-shod Riders’ Combined Practice Session Results Pos. Rider Team Session 1 (pos) Session 2 (pos) Gap P1 Anthony West Kawasaki Racing Team 1m53.034s (P1) 1m54.274s (P1) Fastest P2 Alex de Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m53.151s (P2) 1m55.067s (P3) +0.117s P3 Casey Stoner Ducati Corse 1m53.190s (P3) 1m56.458 (P8) +0.156s P5 John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team 1m53.715s (P5) 1m58.335s (P11) +0.681s P6 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m53.771s (P6) 1m55.032s (P2) +0.737s P9 Ben Spies Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m54.297s (P9) 1m55.869s (P5) +1.263s P10 Toni Elias Alice Team 1m54.616s (P10) 1m59.059s (P16) +1.582s P11 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 1m54.795s (P11) 1m55.425s (P4) +1.761s P13 Shinya Nakano San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m55.074s (P13) 1m59.092s (P17) +2.040s P14 Marco Melandri Ducati Corse 1m55.292s (P14) 1m57.534s (P10) +2.258s P16 Sylvain Guintoli Alice Team 1m56.125s (P16) 1m58.399s (P13) +3.091s P18 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m56.345s (P18) 1m59.661s (P19) +3.311s P19 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1m56.851s (P19) 1m56.782s (P9) +3.748s Weather: Session 1 / Wet Air 22°C, Track 24°C (Bridgestone measurement) Session 2 / Wet Air 23°C, Track 25°C (Bridgestone measurement) More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: WEST STORMS TO FRONT IN WET INDY PRACTICE Kawasaki’s Anthony West dominated both practice sessions during the opening day at a very wet Indianapolis circuit, putting his Ninja ZX-RR at the top of the timesheets in both practice periods to finish as the fastest rider overall. The 27-year-old Australian was quick to get to grips with the 4.216km track, which is new to the MotoGP regulars and, as a result, spent the majority of the opening practice at the top of the standings, over two seconds ahead of the rest of the field. The Kawasaki pilot responded to challenges from reigning World Champion, Casey Stoner, and finished the one hour and a half long stint 0.117 seconds clear of second-placed Alex De Angelis, with the fastest time of the day of 1’53.034. West’s storming pace aboard his Ninja ZX-RR continued throughout the hour-long afternoon session, as he impressively led the field while conditions on track worsened. The Kawasaki pilot looked smooth and comfortable aboard his Bridgestone shod machine, and although none of the MotoGP competitors improved their times from the morning session, West still set a lap time nearly one second faster than closest rival, Chris Vermeulen. A confident West is looking forward to qualifying tomorrow, for which the forecast is continued rain, as he looks to further refine his set-up around the slippery Indianapolis circuit. John Hopkins also made a strong start to his home Grand Prix, finishing the day fifth in the overall standings. The 25-year-old Anglo-American set his fastest time of 1’53.715 on lap 28 of 28 during this morning’s opening wet session. Hopkins worked through different Bridgestone rear tyre options during the second session, and ended the day confident that he can fight for a front row position during tomorrow’s qualifying with further improvements that he intends to make to his machine overnight. Anthony West #13 – 1st – 1’53.034 “This is a great way to start the weekend, especially after the results we’ve had recently. There’s a lot of water out on the circuit, and it’s a bit strange as there are quite a few changes of surface, but I’ve found my way around here quite easily, so I’m feeling happy. In some ways this track is a bit like those I used to ride on back home in Australia, because many of the circuits there have inconsistent surfaces, and I’ve found it relatively easy to adapt my riding style to suit the changes throughout a lap here. The bike is working well, and although we’ve had a few scary moments, I’m feeling pretty confident for tomorrow. It’s promising that we can come to a new track, learn the lines quickly, and be able to put in good lap times quite comfortably.” John Hopkins #21 – 5th – 1’53.715 “This morning conditions started off quite wet, so we concentrated on finding the right lines around the circuit, and it’s quite strange as I really had to alter the way I was riding the bike to suit the changes in surface. I was fairly pleased with our lap time, which we set on a softer compound tyre, before trying something a bit harder during the opening part of the afternoon session. This didn’t really work so well for us, but by the time we went back to the soft tyre, conditions had worsened and there was a lot of standing water out on track. My first impressions of the layout of the circuit are quite good, but it’s difficult to tell with so much rain. It’s pretty special for me here this weekend with all of the American fans, and I’m confident there’s a lot more to come from us during tomorrow’s qualifying, after we’ve made a few adjustments overnight.” Juan Martinez West Crew Chief “Anthony’s performance today was very strong. We have found a good set-up for the Ninja ZX-RR to suit this circuit and it’s the first time he has felt really comfortable aboard the bike. We have a little bit of an advantage in that our test team was here earlier this year, but as conditions are completely different this weekend, the data we have from them doesn’t replicate exactly what Anthony is feeling out on track. To finish the day in first place is a big motivation for the team, and I hope we can continue to build on this tomorrow, especially as the forecast is for more rain.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Yamaha: Tech 3 Yamaha battle Indy rain Heavy rain dominated the long-awaited opening day of the inaugural Indianapolis MotoGP today, with Tech 3 Yamaha’s Colin Edwards and James Toseland battling treacherous conditions to finish 15th and 17th respectively. Edwards and Toseland both clocked their best times on a wet track this morning before conditions rapidly deteriorated in this afternoon’s second free practice session. With the rain worsening, the majority of the 19-strong field failed to improve their times from earlier in the day. The main issue for the Tech 3 Yamaha pairing was standing water on sections of the circuit run on new tarmac. And with grip levels varying drastically between old and new sections of asphalt, aquaplaning became a major concern as the rain worsened. Conditions look set to remain wet for the remainder of the weekend, with thunderstorms and showers forecast for tomorrow and Sunday’s 28-lap race. A large crowd is still expected for the MotoGP debut at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a venue steeped in motorsport history and tradition. Colin Edwards 15th 1.55.731 44 laps “It is pretty tough out there and when the rain is at its heaviest it was terrible. The people at Indy have done a phenomenal job to get this show on, and it’s a shame that the rain is playing such a big role. The circuit for me is cool for safety and I’ve got no major issues and its fun to ride. But in that heavy rain I wouldn’t look forward to having to race in those conditions. And if the rain is that hard on Sunday it is going to be last man standing. This morning it wasn’t so bad because the rain wasn’t so heavy, but this afternoon it got really tough to ride. The problem is where the tarmac changes between the old and the new. On the front straight and then for the first four corners it is pretty bad. But then once you are on the old surface you are good to push. You can flick the bike on its side and brake hard. But you don’t know where the limit is on the first part. And when you find the limit you aquaplane and crash. You’re constantly trying to push a little bit more at a time to see where the limit is while keeping it on two wheels. It was so easy to make a mistake. There’s a channel of water in the first corner and I was behind Sylvain Guintoli. He wasn’t pushing hard at all. I’d say he was a fraction off line and he hit a huge puddle and he was down. In the first part nothing is draining. It drains but it is just not draining fast enough when it starts to rain really hard. So then you start aquaplaning.” James Toseland 17th 1.56.271 44 laps “I’m not too disheartened with my position and the lap times I was doing in the worse conditions were not bad compared to the rest. We didn’t have a good setting for when the track was pretty good at the start of the session this afternoon, but when I went back out again it had rained hard and there was lying water in parts of the track. You needed to do a lap time in the first 20 minutes and we didn’t. But in the middle of the session when the times were slower we weren’t too far away at all. It was one of those days when you could have been up the front or down the bottom. The big issue is the puddles on the new surface. With the amount of rain we had this afternoon, it made it nearly unrideable. You aquaplane for at least two metres before you turn in at the first corner and that isn’t a lot of fun. This morning when it wasn’t raining so much, there was still a big puddle in the first corner, but this afternoon the rain made it nearly impossible. The old surface is absolutely fine but we are really struggling for grip in the sections where the new surface is. You aquaplane because the puddles in places must be two or three inches deep. It is just a shame because there has been a lot of expectation about coming to Indy. It would be a great track in the dry and it could be a fantastic event. It is great to see so many fans turn out in this weather, so hopefully we can put an exciting show on for them.” More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP MotoGP POST-PRACTICE QUOTES Friday, Sept. 12 COLIN EDWARDS (Tech 3 Yamaha): “This morning wasn’t bad. This morning was like, we all kind of knew where the puddles were, we were all trying to find … you’ve got two parts to the track. You’ve got what I call Donington on the first six or seven corners, and then you’ve got Portugal over here on the last part of the track. It’s just basically the assessment of grip. Portugal, the way the tarmac is, it’s like the last few corners (of IMS), Donington is the first few corners. You get this flat, black tarmac without any stones and you get little depressions in it, and water fills those depressions. Once you get them all figured out, it’s not bad. The problem is when it rains a lot those areas swell, and then they take over whole areas that used to be good. That’s kind of the issue with a lot of rain. If it rains (in the race) like this morning then we’re fine, let’s go racing. If it’s like this (heavy rain), then we might have to delay a little bit or just wait for the timing in the weather. I don’t we really have a schedule this weekend, we’ll just try to fit it in when we can.” (You feel pretty good overall with the results so far, comfortable with the track layout?): “The track feels great. They’ve done a fantastic job. They’ve done a fantastic job of making it not feel like an oval track. I’ve raced on many of them in the U.S., Daytona and Texas and all these oval tracks that you have to race at, and it just seems much less like an oval track. Once you get through Turn 1, it feels like a normal (road course) racetrack, and that’s pretty cool. You don’t get that feeling out of any oval track that I’m aware of. Normally most ovals they’re trying to fit in a paddock, motorhomes, all that (stuff), and then you have to figure out where to put a racetrack. They’ve done a good job, it works great here.” (How do you feel about your chances in qualifying, what did you learn in that regard?): “I think I just need to take the brain out of things. Sometimes being older and wiser is not the best scenario with all the young punks out here.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (JiR Team Scot MotoGP): (What is it like to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?): “It is very strange to be here. I am happy to be here, but the track is not one of the best or one of the nicest in the World Championship. It is quite slow. The main problem is new asphalt coming out of the wet spots. It is quite dangerous.” (About the main straightaway): “The main problem is the wet parts. There is a wall, a difficult corner, and there are wet parts, so it is really difficult.” LORIS CAPIROSSI (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP): “I think it’s really interesting to come to Indianapolis and see the amazing complex. The track is nice, and the layout is good. We have to work a little bit on safety for us. We are unlucky about the weather, but I feel so good and I really happy to run here.” (What’s the front straight like?): “The problem is that the first corner surface is not aggressive. It is a bit slippery, but it is the same way for everybody.” CASEY STONER (Ducati Team): “The new surface on the track is really, really bad. There doesn’t seem to be any grip whatsoever, or any feeling. The old surface, you can definitely tell it’s old, but the grip is a lot better and you get a lot more feedback from it. Also, I think the new parts of the circuit they’ve put in – with the new surface – they’re all very tight and very twisty. The older surface you can definitely tell the track was quite nice and it seemed to flow quite nicely. The weather conditions today seemed to be pretty difficult, but overall it’s OK. There definitely is not enough runoff in some areas. There’s some pretty fast corners – especially in the wet if you manage to crash you won’t be able to stop until you hit a wall. There’s a few points that need to be improved, but overall the track is not too bad. Definitely, with the history it’s unbelievable just to be here, you know, to see the grandstands and everything. It’s amazing. So, it’s very nice, you know, the Brickyard, and it would have been nice to ride here in the dry. It’s disappointing the only chance we got to run on the track is in the wet. It’s not always the most fun.” JOHN HOPKINS (Kawasaki Racing Team): “Today was just hit and miss with the weather. We definitely missed with how hard it rained this afternoon. There was just a lot of standing water, and it was just real, real difficult. This morning really wasn’t so bad. The water had subsided quite a bit so we were able to get some decent laps times in the morning, and lap times were much, much quicker this morning. But this afternoon we had a lot of standing water, and standing water equals a lot of aquaplaning and stuff. We took it easy today; we thought the weather was going to let up, so we took it easy throughout the beginning of the session. But it just got worse and worse, so we kind of dug out own hole there. Turn 1, once the rain subsided a bit, you are able to carry so much speed through there. The first section and the second section I was going pretty consistently fast there in the morning, but with the standing water, we couldn’t improve it in the afternoon.” (About tires in the wet): “To be honest, there is a lot more setup to do when you have drier conditions. In the wet conditions, the main thing you have to do is work on is traction control. Traction control is a must because you want to be able to hit the corner and hold it wide open coming out of the corners and the bike does the work for you. It controls the slip coming out the corners. In terms of suspension and everything, it is not as crucial as it is in the dry, but as far as the tires go we worked really, really hard, we tried three or four different compounds this afternoon, so we did a lot of tire testing this afternoon.” (About different surfaces on track): “You have to change up your riding style about three different times over a lap. The first part of the track you are going into complete standing water, really, really slick, then it goes to really grippy conditions when you get to the old surface, and then it goes back to slick, and then the entire last section of the track is just amazing grip, it is almost as if you are driving in the dry.” (How long does it take to learn a new course?): “In the first hour and a half this morning we had in nailed, and that was in the wet. If it were in dry conditions, I think people who have tested on a Moto GP bike might have an advantage, but no, in the dry it is like learning a completely new track. But we know our direction, and it the wet we know where we are going.” (What can you learn when you have a teammate on top?): “Well, there is a lot of data we can share, so we will able to get a lot better placing tomorrow. I’m quite confident of that. We can push quite a lot harder. He did a really good job, and I know we can catch right up and be right up there with him.” (Would you prefer dry or wet on Race Day?): “If we are going to race all day, and every session in the wet, then we might as well be wet, but as far as the fans go, I would much rather have a dry race just because it is much better for the fans, and the atmosphere is a lot nicer.” VALENTINO ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team): “So, after some worries yesterday it seems that the track is not so bad, and in fact it’s a lot more fun to ride than I expected; it’s like Rio in places. There are some parts that have a few problems and we can definitely improve them for the future, especially Turn 5 and Turn 1, but for now I think it is OK. The biggest problem is the difference in the asphalt, which changes too much, and the new asphalt doesn’t drain so well; if this weather becomes worse things will be very difficult. I am really sad about the rain because it’s fantastic to be here and I felt quite a strong emotion leaving the garage for the first time this morning, at such a historic place. I really hope that the weather improves so that we can have some crowds here on Sunday! I think we have good potential here and I feel like if it was dry then I could be quite fast as well, but it looks like this won’t be the case at the moment. Anyway, the situation is okay, my bike and tyres are working well so far so we will try to improve again tomorrow.” MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati Team): “I like the design of the circuit. It’s fun, but unfortunately there are too many different types of asphalt, and the new part is definitely the worst, especially with the rain. The bike tends to aquaplane, and you can’t see anything because of the reflection off the water. Grip on the older part is good, although if it keeps raining, it’s going to get really difficult. There are two or three dangerous corners: Turns 1, 5 and 6, where the walls are too close. This morning we started out cautiously, but we improved toward the end, while this afternoon we didn’t get chance to make too many improvements because the conditions were so bad.” JORGE LORENZO (Fiat Yamaha Team): “I am happy today because the track is much better than I expected and a lot less dangerous. Some walls are quite close to the racing line, but in general, it’s not too bad. The first part, with the new tarmac, is difficult because it’s very slippery and there’s a lot of standing water, so you have to ride very carefully and very straight. The other part has better grip. We need to find a balance between tires, which is the biggest issue we have to deal with. The back part is flowing and fun to ride, I think it suits my riding style so this is an unexpected surprise! Anyway, the situation is the same for all the riders, the weather is bad, it’s a new track we will do our best.” NICKY HAYDEN (Repsol Honda Team): (On how he feels about his practice sessions): “This morning I felt decent, but I don’t feel really comfortable where there’s the big standing water. I’m just not gettin’ no; just pace, and it’s just hydroplaning on me. I don’t know if the bike is actually too soft or what, so maybe tomorrow definitely I’ll try some different tires. Where the track’s dry on the old part, I feel OK; I feel comfortable. But the other places, I mean, I’m just not comfortable. I feel stiff and feel really slow. In Turn 1 and Turn 2, I’m embarrassingly slow. It would be nice to catch a little break here and dry out a little bit today. The weather was, I mean, the same for everybody, but man, that was some serious rain.” (On whether his heel injury in causing some problems): “It’s not really helping me by any means, but it’s certainly better in the rain than riding in the dry. It’s not a big, big problem. It’s not helping me, but that’s not why I was eighth and 14th or something.” (On the possibility of racing in rain as heavy as today): “I mean, I would think if it was raining as hard as it was at the end of the session, it’d be impossible to race about anywhere.” (On racing near his home): “It’s nice to be here. Obviously, I wish I was having a bit more fun. Today was not ideal. Also, for all the fans, that had to be pretty miserable after about an hour of just solid rain. It kind of takes the fun out of it. At least we have garages and stuff to get out of it. But I’m happy to be here and be so close to home. More than anything, I need to gas it up and try to get up front. That’s where the fun’s at.” (On what it’s going to be like in the draft during the race if it’s raining): “Well, that’s the one thing in the rain when it’s that heavy, as much as the track has standing water, it’s really hard to see. If it’s raining and you’re behind somebody, that’s probably in the race, the hardest part; visibility. You know what it’s like trying to see in your car with windshield wipers. Once you get behind the bubble, sometimes it steams up, also. You can’t really see through the bubble. When a bike throws up spray, it’s hard to see. Today over in Turn 4, your knee was throwing water up in your lap. I mean, I’ve felt that before, but that’s kind of when you know. When the rain gets deep, when your knee goes through it and starts putting water in your lap, you better get the snorkeler out.” DANI PEDROSA (Repsol Honda Team): “Well, it’s very wet. It was hard, because it was raining so hard. Much water stands on the track, buy anyway, the track is good and we try to get better. Some areas are very good, but some other areas is not so good. It’s quite slippery, but we try to get in good shape for tomorrow.” BEN SPIES (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP): “It was good today, and we’re quite pleased with how it went. We finished both sessions early because it was so wet we weren’t going to make any difference. They were both good sessions for us, though, and although the track was a bit awkward in places because the water was laying on the surface, and it made it difficult in parts. I know I still had a bit in reserve, and if the conditions are the same tomorrow I am sure I can go a good bit quicker.” CHRIS VERMEULEN (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP): “This is the first time at Indianapolis, and it’s great to have bikes at a place with such a racing history. It’s just a shame the weather didn’t turn it on today, and we ended up with two very wet sessions. The circuit have done a good job here and they have built a great track, although some of the new surface is different to the old one and it holds water in very different ways, so in the wet it was difficult to get the bike working with any rhythm. We did try a lot of things and the whole team did a good job in the awful conditions.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: The MotoGP World Championship´s first day of action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw attention turning away from the impressive new circuit and towards the skies, as torrential rain hit the American track during the 800cc action at The Brickyard. Whilst the conditions were to few riders´ tastes as they looked to set up their bikes from scratch, wet weather star Anthony West was able to settle in nicely onboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. The Australian star is known for his adaptation to new tracks and ability to perform amidst a deluge, and didn´t disappoint Stateside with a 1´53.034 lap of the IMS circuit in the opening practice session. He was also the fastest in the second run under even heavier rain, albeit with a slower time. The Kawasaki rider was out to impress as he looks for a ride for 2009, and at the very least put himself on the highlight reel for the day with a spectacular save from the brink of a huge highside in Free Practice 2. With the meteorological picture unlikely to change this weekend, West could be one of the principal beneficiaries. With no rider able to improve on their times in the second session, Alex de Angelis retained his second place on the combined standings list, a tenth of a second behind West. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider pushed hard on his afternoon run, going off-track and onto the grass onboard his satellite RC212V. Reigning World Champion Casey Stoner did not seem too shaken up from a morning crash when he continued his Indianapolis adaptation process, and he remains the rider with the third fastest time from Friday. Andrea Dovizioso was the highest placing Michelin rider with the French range of wet rubber, ahead of Bridgestone-shod Kawasaki and Suzuki riders John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen. Jorge Lorenzo, the home duo of Nicky Hayden & Ben Spies, plus form-rider Toni Elias, completed the top ten. Series leader Valentino Rossi looked more at home in the second session, although he did take a trip off-track to the banked first oval corner -not featured in the MotoGP layout- during the run. The only rider who improved upon their morning times was Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa, getting acclimatised to new Bridgestone tyres, a new engine and the all-new circuit. The final placing American was Colin Edwards in fifteenth, but rather than `The Texas Tornado´, the main focus of the day was the predicted arrival of Hurricane Ike, which could hit Indiana over the course of the weekend. 250cc With excessive rain proving to be a great leveller at Indianapolis, Karel Abraham rounded off a day of surprises at the soaking American circuit by taking a last-gasp 250cc provisional pole. The Czech rider clocked a time of 2´02.529 on his sixteenth and final lap of the first quarter-litre qualifying session, the risk associated with a track flooded in places paying off for the Cardion AB man. Abraham was over a tenth of a second faster than second placed Hiroshi Aoyama, who himself made a late push onboard his Red Bull KTM machine. The Japanese rider had collided with teammate Mika Kallio at Misano in the race, and they were alongside each other once more on the provisional front row for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. Said first line is completed by Irish rider Eugene Laverty who, like Abraham, pushed his somewhat inferior machinery to its limits in the wet and reaped the rewards at the end of the session. The Blusens Aprilia rider had participated in supersport competition last weekend under similar conditions, and made the most of his recent experience to claim his provisional grid spot. Lotus Aprilia´s Alex Debon, second Czech rider Lukas Pesek, Yamaha´s Doni Tata Pradita and KTM man Julian Simon put themselves on row two, whilst there was no place in the upper echelons for some of the established stars of the series. Series leader Marco Simoncelli placed fifteenth, whilst title contender Alvaro Bautista was the lowest classifying rider. Mattia Pasini did not make the cut on any of his four laps in the afternoon run. 125cc Lorenzo Zanetti´s was the surprise name at the top of the 125cc timing screen at the end of the opening qualifying session for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, with the Italian grabbing provisional pole courtesy of a 1´58.491 lap. In tricky conditions of persistent rain and ample track spray, the ISPA KTM Aran rider made a strong showing at the latest circuit to be added to the World Championship calendar. If he holds onto the provisional top spot on Saturday it will be an astonishing result for the man who has a highest grid position of 19th (at Assen) this season. Zanetti was just under four-tenths of a second faster than Blusens Aprilia´s Scott Redding in the session, with Andrea Iannone quickest in Free Practice 1- joining the top three. Wet weather expert and series leader Mike di Meglio completes the provisional front row. The second line of attack for the Indianapolis date has Marc Marquez´ name pencilled at its head, with the Repsol KTM rider set to line up alongside Sandro Cortese, Stefan Bradl and Bradley Smith should things remain the same. There were crashes in the session for Raffaele de Rosa and Gabor Talmacsi, with the latter not reemerging for further work after tumbling out on his fifth lap. The Hungarian is in the running for a fourth consecutive pole position, but could only place eleventh on Friday. More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: RAIN SLASHED OPENING FREE PRACTICES AT INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis, 12 September 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet clocked the 12th fastest lap time at today’s opening free practice sessions at Indianapolis Speedway race track which hosts the 14th round of the calendar. Both sessions were conducted on wet track as the circuit was hit by torrential rain since this morning and the premier class riders had a longer first free session to study the 4.216 Km of the American track. Riding the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14, Randy de Puniet focused his work mainly on tyre testing on the rain-lashed and slippery track clocking his quickest lap time of 1’55.072 despite the right arm pain due to the Misano crash. The fastest time overall today was set by Australian rider Anthony West (1’53.034). De Puniet 12th: “Obviously it’s really hard in these conditions. We hoped to get some dry track time to learn the circuit and to test our bike but it’s the same for everybody. We had a good selection of tyres and we just need to find the best choice for us. Our position is not related to our potential but I decided to use this first exit to learn the track. This afternoon, at the end of the session, the track was extremely slippery and preferred to take it easy. The first part is a real disaster bur after that I could easily ride as I would like. The right arm still aches a lot but I did not take any painkiller; if the things go worse I will take some tomorrow for the qualifying session”. More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: HAYDEN STARTS HOME GP IN EIGHTH PLACE Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway First day of practice, Friday September 12 2008 Relentless rain dominated proceedings at Indy today, with Repsol Honda RC212V rider Nicky Hayden ending the first two sessions eighth fastest. The rain is perhaps something of a blessing in disguise for the Kentucky Kid, who is riding with a foot injury. The low-grip conditions reduce the amount of physical input riders need to put into the bike through the handlebars and footrests. Hayden is still getting around on crutches to protect the still-healing right heel he broke during a Supermotard ride on August 1. Riders were allowed an extra 30 minutes this morning to learn their way around the new Indy MotoGP track, Hayden working throughout the day with his crew and his Michelin technicians to get maximum grip around the patchy circuit. The rain got heavier this afternoon, so lap times were mostly slower. During the final ten minutes the downpour increased to the extent that deep puddles were forming around the track, causing aquaplaning. Nicky Hayden, 8th fastest, 1m 53.931s “Man, some serious rain out there this afternoon and this morning. It certainly hasn’t made things easy for anybody. We started both sessions kinda slow. This afternoon I wasn’t feeling so comfortable, then Pete [Benson, Hayden’s crew chief] wanted me to change bikes which was a good idea. The other bike had a little different set-up on it and felt better, so I was able to go faster, even though conditions were getting worse and worse. It’s not been a perfect first day but we’ve got a bit of data and learned a few things, the main thing is there’s so much standing water. I’d say it’s worst through that whole first section turns one, two and three and also at turns, seven eight and nine. At the end of the afternoon it got so bad that we shut her down early, we weren’t going to learn anything in those conditions. The first part of the track, with the new surface, is very slippery, like ice. The old surface has really good grip, that’s another big thing: there’s different grip all over the track. The heel is not too bad in the rain, if anything it makes it a little bit easier. I’m confident we can improve tomorrow. I think our tyres are okay, the main thing is finding something for the aquaplaning. They say the weather’s not looking real good for the rest of the weekend the fans are already suffering, so that’s not cool for them.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “Nicky’s heel isn’t so bad here, definitely a bit better than it was at Misano two weeks ago. He has started okay today, learning the track and getting used to these very difficult wet track conditions. Tomorrow he can improve for sure improve the setting and go faster, depending on the conditions, of course.” More, from another press release issued by Repsol Honda: PEDROSA HAS BUSY FIRST DAY AT INDY Repsol Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway First day of practice, Friday September 12 2008 Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa had the toughest possible start to his Indianapolis weekend today: new bike, new tyres and a rain-soaked racetrack. But the Spaniard is confident of using everything he has learned today to improve tomorrow after running ninth fastest in this afternoon’s session. Rain fell throughout the day, increasing in intensity during the afternoon session until it became monsoon-like during the final few minutes, forcing riders to take shelter in the pits. Despite the heavier rain during FP2, Pedrosa improved his pace from the morning session, proving that he is making a good job of adapting to the pneumatic-valve RCV engine and Bridgestone tyres. He used the new engine and tyres for the very first time during post-race tests at Misano on September 1, so this is the first time he has used either in the wet. Rain is forecast to continue on and off throughout the weekend. Dani Pedrosa, 19th fastest, 1m 56.782s “Today has been a tough but interesting day. Everything was new: bike, tyres and track. Also this is the first time I have ridden the pneumatic-valve machine and Bridgestone tyres in wet conditions. That’s why we started calm this morning and then improved my lap times this afternoon. The rain made the process of adaptation to the new bike and tyres more difficult, but considering that this is only the first day, I’m quite happy. Now it’s important to improve session by session, we need to gain experience and confidence. I still haven’t found the limit with the Bridgestone rain tyres. This track is complicated by the fact that there are several different types of asphalt. The old asphalt is incredibly grippy, while the new section at the start of the lap is much more slippery, with a risk of aquaplaning. On the straight there’s so much standing water that you can hardly open the throttle. The circuit layout is unusual but there are some interesting sections. We need time to work on the bike and adapt the set-up but I’m confident. Tomorrow we hope to make another step forward. It will be important to get a good result in qualifying because the first corner is very near to the start and the next three turns are quite tight.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “Today was very tough for Dani: new machine, new tyres and a new track with very difficult weather conditions. During FP1 he was just getting used to things, he used the same set of tyres all session. This afternoon he was able to start pushing a little bit harder and he was in the top ten, which is very good considering the situation. Now we can improve the setting for tomorrow and he can improve his position.” More, from a press release issued by Nick Harris Media Communications on behalf of Dorna: WEST RULES THE INDY WAVES Anthony West ruled the waves as he led the first day of practice for the very first Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix in the torrential rain this afternoon. The Australian may have been told by Kawasaki that his services are no longer required next season but when the going gets wet he is the man to turn to. Wet it certainly was with heavy rain falling on the new 2.62 mile circuit constructed within the world famous oval, throughout the two sessions. Different track surfaces made life hard but West, despite one big slide in the afternoon, excelled as we knew he would in the rain. It rained harder in the afternoon and all the fastest times where set in the morning with West leading the way from Alex De Angelis who was celebrating signing a new contract with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. They were separated by just over one tenth of a second with World Champion Casey Stoner third. The Australian slid from the Marlboro Ducati in the morning but was unhurt. Championship leader Valentino Rossi made steady progress in the afternoon riding the Fiat Yamaha but had to settle to 11th fastest from his morning time. In the afternoon Rossi missed turn one in the rain and took to the famous Indy banking. The first eight riders were separated by less than one second with Andre Dovizioso fourth in front of John Hopkins, Chris Vermeulen, Jorge Lorenzo and local hero Nicky Hayden. The weather forecast for the next two days is for the rain to continue. It may force the postponement of the much anticipated Indy Mile dirt track race on Saturday night but it could provide West with a weekend to remember. TOSELAND SURFACES AFTER TOUGH DAY Like the other riders James Toseland found the change of surfaces round the new Indy circuit difficult to cope with especially in the rain. The 27 year old Yorkshireman eventually finished 17th riding the Tech 3 Yamaha over three seconds behind West. “The different track surfaces make it so very difficult,” explained Toseland. “The old surface is giving plenty of grip but the new surface is very slippery. Also at turn one the track was becoming flooded.” REDDING IN THE RAIN Fifteen year old Scott Redding enjoyed his first ever visit to America by finishing second in the first rain-lashed 125 cc qualifying session. The Gloucestershire teenager, riding the Blusens Aprilia had been on the pace right from the start of the first practice session in the morning. He led the way in the first qualifying session in the afternoon only to be pipped by Italian Lorenzo Zanetti in the final few minutes of the 30 minute session. Bradley Smith made a slow start at the new track riding the Polaris World Aprilia but at the finish of that first qualifying session put in his best lap to finish in eighth place. Kent-based Danny Webb found the going tough in the rain and finished 19th. STOP PRESS… Ulsterman Eugene Laverty fought through the storm lashed 250 cc qualifying session to finish a brilliant and brave fourth riding the Blusens Aprilia. ..