POWER ELECTRONICS RIDERS READY FOR AMERICAN RETURN AFTER SUMMER BREAK Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaró arrive at Indianapolis tied on points as the best CRT riders in the championship After a short summer break of just two weekends since the last race at Laguna Seca it is time for the MotoGP riders to plan their return to action this week as the series resumes on the other side of the United States at Indianapolis. The legendary ‘Brickyard’, home to the Indy 500, plays host to the eleventh round of the championship, to be followed immediately by round twelve in the Czech Republic next week. Indy’s MotoGP circuit, laid largely around the infield of the world famous oval, is completely flat and measures 4.216km. Casey Stoner’s victory at Laguna kept alive his hopes of fighting for the title with Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa as the season enters a crucial stage. Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaró lie twelfth and thirteenth in the overall championship standings, tied on 33 points as the top CRT riders in the series by some margin. The first half of the season has been a resounding success for the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team riders, who between them have taken eight CRT victories from ten races. The holiday period may have been short but it was long enough for both riders to recharge their batteries and prepare in earnest for a tough run-in to the season. Randy De Puniet: “After Laguna Seca I spent a few days at Colin Edwards’ house and had a lot of fun. We rode some dirt bikes and motocross bikes and then after that I went to stay with some friends in the Bahamas. It has been a nice holiday with plenty of opportunity to relax but I have also been doing sport every day. Now it is time to turn our minds back to racing. It is two weeks since the USGP so I am looking forward to getting back on the bike. We’ll continue with the same approach that we have had up to now and hope for a little more luck than the last race, when I was punted off track in the first corner. Indianapolis is not one of my favourite circuits, it is very tricky because of the track surface, but our objective is the same as always, which is to finish as the top CRT.” Aleix Espargaró: “The break came at a good time for me. I needed to switch off and the time has flown by but I was able to spend it at home with family and friends and relax on the beach. I have also kept up to my daily training plan to make sure that I am fit and full of motivation for Indianapolis. The championship is long and tough. Luckily for us things have gone well in the first half of the season but we need to keep working hard to keep it going. My team-mate is a very strong rival and we are currently tied on points so we can’t afford to lose concentration for one moment because every race promises to be a constant battle. I quite like Indianapolis. I struggled with the Moto2 bike last year because it was sliding around a lot but it is a different kind of track and I love the straight because you get to ride part of the famous oval.”