Driving rain, canopy-shredding wind, blowing debris and power outages at Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought the MotoGP race to an early end after 20 of 28 scheduled laps, and forced cancellation of the 250cc race altogether. Valentino Rossi was declared the winner after red flags flew, followed by Nicky Hayden and Jorge Lorenzo. FIM MotoGP World Championship Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Indiana September 14, 2008 Provisional Results (wet conditions): After 20 of 28 laps 1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Bridgestone, 20 laps, 37:20.095 2. Nicky Hayden (Honda), Michelin, -5.972 seconds 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), Michelin, -7.858 4. Casey Stoner (Ducati), Bridgestone, -28.162 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), Michelin, -28.824 6. Ben Spies (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -29.645 7. Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati), Bridgestone, -36.223 8. Dani Pedrosa (Honda), Bridgestone, -37.258 9. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -38.442 10. Alex De Angelis (Honda), Bridgestone, -42.437 11. Anthony West (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -47.179 12. Toni Elias (Ducati), Bridgestone, -55.962 13. Randy De Puniet (Honda), Michelin, -57.366 14. John Hopkins (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -58.353 15. Colin Edwards (Yamaha), Michelin, -60.613 16. Loris Capirossi (Ducati), Bridgestone, -65.620 17. Shinya Nakano (Honda), Bridgestone, -65.854 18. James Toseland (Yamaha), Michelin, -67.962 19. Marco Melandri, (Ducati), Bridgestone, -81.023 Provisional Championship Point Standings (After 14 of 18 races): 1. Rossi, 287 points 2. Stoner, 200 3. Pedrosa, 193 4. Lorenzo, 156 5. Dovizioso, 129 6. Vermeulen, 117 7. Edwards, 109 8. Hayden, 104 9. Nakano, 87 10. TIE, Elias/Capirossi, 86 12. Toseland, 56 13. Guintoli, 56 14. De Angelis, 55 15. Melandri, 48 16. De Puniet, 43 17. TIE, Hopkins/West, 41 19. Spies, 20 20. Jamie Hacking, 5 21. Tadayuki Okada, 2 More, from a press release issued by Ben Spies’ publicist: SPIES SCORES SIXTH AT INDIANAPOLIS GP Texan is top placing Suzuki rider INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 14, 2008) Ben Spies rode the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R to a solid sixth-place finish Sunday in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP. Gale force winds and heavy rain forced the race to be red flagged after 20 of the scheduled 28 laps. The sixth-place finish was the best in MotoGP for Spies and showed his continued maturation in the world’s premier motorcycle racing series. Spies previously finished 14th in his MotoGP debut at the British Motorcycle Grand Prix in June and scored an eighth the following month at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in his second GP outing. Spies was happy with his result and credited Suzuki for giving him an outstanding motorcycle. He said he did have one major problem with his helmet’s face visor not clearing in the latter stages of the race under the torrential downpour. “Suzuki gave me fourth-place bike for sure,” said Spies, who was the top finishing Suzuki rider. “With the problem I had with my shield all I could do was try to stay close to [Andrea] Dovizioso to see where I was going. I knew if I lost touch with him the next group behind would catch me because I literally could not see the apex of the turns or anything. Considering all that, I’m happy with my finish.” Spies, who qualified fifth, finished just 8/10ths of a second behind the battle of defending world champion Casey Stoner and Dovizioso. Spies was 6.5 seconds clear of seventh-place finisher Sylvain Guintoli. The race took the green flag with a wet track. Spies ran seventh early behind Dani Pedrosa. On lap four Spies made his move past Pedrosa to take sixth, but by that time Stoner was a full second ahead. Spies began chipping away and when the skies opened up and the winds howled, Spies closed rapidly on Stoner and Dovizioso, who were trading fourth-place. “I rode as hard as I could,” Spies said. “We qualified fifth and finished sixth so it was a good weekend. I wish we could have been in the top five, but I can’t be too upset because we did what we wanted to do.” Spies, the three-time AMA Superbike Champion, feels his performance should be enough to earn him a seat in MotoGP. “Like I’ve said before, I think I can do this – I can run with these guys,” Spies explained. “We went to a track where, at the end of the day, they were as comfortable on it as I was and we were right there on the brink of finishing in the top five. I think we can do it and I’m looking forward to the future.” Wildcard rider Spies finished ahead of the Rizla Suzuki regulars Chris Vermeulen (ninth) and GP veteran Loris Capirossi (16th). “You always want to beat your teammates, so that was good,” Spies smiled. Spies will next race in the AMA Superbike Championship final at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sept. 27-28. Spies has already clinched the title becoming only the fourth rider in the history of the series to win the title three consecutive times. He goes to Laguna Seca having set a new consecutive win record at seven straight earlier this summer and boasts the highest podium percentage (91 percent) in AMA Superbike racing history. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP MotoGP POST-RACE QUOTES Sunday, Sept. 14 BEN SPIES (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP): “It was good. Obviously, it was raining. The first 10 laps were good. The last 10 laps, I couldn’t see anything. I caught up to Dovizioso, and I tried to stay right on him so he could tow me around. I just followed everything he did. Then the race was over. The last five laps were pretty hectic with the wind kicking up. It was definitely pushing the bikes around. It was a good race for us, though. We qualified fifth and finished sixth. It’s a great result.” JOHN HOPKINS (Kawasaki Racing Team): “Yeah, we’re moving up a little bit, but the conditions were absolutely treacherous. I mean, it’s a shame to have to end the race like that since we are at Indianapolis for the first time. The winds were just treacherous.” (Have you raced in worse weather conditions before?): “No, no, that is the worse riding conditions I have ever been in in my life. The start was good. We got off to a decent start and made up quite a few positions and got into a decent rhythm, and that is when it all went upside down. The wind was absolutely crazy.” (Is there something to grow here in Indy?): “Yeah, the only downfall was the force of nature. I mean, it was just a shame that it was like this for the fans, but next year it will be twice as good.” COLIN EDWARDS (Tech 3 Yamaha): “It was wacky, man. It was. It was bad. All right, thanks for coming out.” CASEY STONER (Ducati Team): “With this wind, it’s literally unrideable. The rain wasn’t a problem in the race; it was actually the wind issues. You would glance a good 2 or 3 meters offline, and going into the back straight your front wheel is literally just moving a meter every time you change gear. It became very dangerous. It was ridiculous. The safest option was to stop. We’re happy with the race today, but I would rather go home in one piece. Even in dry conditions, I don’t think it’s safe (because of the wind). It is literally unbelievable. I don’t think you can keep your bike online, and I think there would be a few nasty crashes. You know, it’s not anybody’s fault. I lost a load of my confidence in the wet conditions. We started off OK, and I needed a few laps to warm the tires up because we just weren’t getting temperature. I destroyed the tire after that. We were actually quite lucky it started to rain toward the end there. I don’t think we could have kept up if it hadn’t rained.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (JiR Team Scot MotoGP): “It was very difficult because the conditions were not easy. The first 10 laps were quite normal. After 10 laps, a lot of rain. The main problem was the wind. It was so difficult to ride and choose a line. In the middle of the corner came the wind, and it is always easy to crash. I’m not so happy about the fifth position. We mistook the rear tire. Under the dry conditions, we were very fast. Fifth position in this condition is OK, but I am not happy, 100 percent.” CHRIS VERMEULEN (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP): “The conditions were incredible. It’s just a shame for the whole Indianapolis crowd that we got the left over bit of the hurricane. We’ll be back next year, and it should be better. The race was tough starting from 15th place. We got through into a reasonable position like ninth or 10th and were fighting there. We had some good speed, but the front guys had already got away by that stage.” TONI ELIAS (Alice Team): “Yes, crazy. We finished the race safely. It was not bad, but I think if the race was in great condition, I could’ve made a very, very good result today. I hope I have another opportunity like yesterday. I think I could be fast the rest of the season. I need to try to make more podiums and, if it’s possible, try to win some races.” RANDY DE PUNIET (LCR Honda MotoGP): “All of it was very difficult. It was one of the most hard GPs for me. In these conditions, it was very difficult to ride, and also my fitting was not so good with the bike. I finished 13th, and honestly I’m very disappointed about this position.” (On the tires working in the conditions): “Maybe I use too hard a compound, and that’s why my fitting was not so good. And when the rain was coming more and more, it was worse and worse.” More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP PRESS CONFERENCE MotoGP Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Jorge Lorenzo Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 MODERATOR: OK, ladies and gentlemen, what a performance, what a day it’s been for all three. In second place, Nicky Hayden. The winner here of the inaugural Indy Grand Prix, Valentino Rossi. And for the second race in succession, on the podium, Jorge Lorenzo. (Applause) OK, obviously we’ll start with the race winner, Valentino Rossi. Valentino, I just heard the television interview, you said without a doubt it’s the worst conditions you’ve ever ridden in in a Grand Prix race, and it really did look treacherous out there. VALENTINO ROSSI: Yes. So it was, for sure, very difficult. And it was a pity because it was a normal race, you know. They did I think a great job on the track. They throw up all the water and is possible to ride the bike in quite good speed and with quite good angle. So at the beginning was quite scared, but anyway, a good race, a good battle. I go in front, I need some lap for overtaking Nicky because at the same point I lose a bit. When I go in front, I was a bit faster. But from that moment, the condition becoming very bad and start to rain strong. So the amount of water going up on the racetrack, but the bigger problem was the wind and become all dark like in the night, all the beer cans, glass pass in front of the bike in the circuit or the grass, also. Was very, very bad, especially because the wind was so unconstant and very strong. You never know what’s happen. In the straight you take all the straight from left to right for try to go straight. Seriously, I have to, I think I have to raise my hand before, but I was in front and I say — I see that my advantage remain good and going up. So I try to go and every lap I wait for the red flag, red flag, and after arrive I think is the right decision because like this is too dangerous. MODERATOR: It was just a little doubt. You thought you won the race, everything was fine, then there was a little doubt, the result wasn’t confirmed, was it, you might have to go out there again. I could see people were thinking, ‘Oh, my God, we’d never be able to do it.’ ROSSI: Yes, for sure. In my mind, I think when I see the red flag, no way to restart, especially because the wind remain very strong. So the condition was very bad. And restart for eight laps all together with this condition is like when you put one bullet in the gun and you make, “trrrrr,” like this, and you try, you know. It was dangerous; I think it was the right decision. (Laughter) MODERATOR: One big moment, I think you got the tire onto the white line at one point. ROSSI: Ever some slide for sure, especially at the beginning. Because the condition of Friday was very bad in the wet. Today I think is better but, you know, if you make one mistake in the race, the race is over, so I try to understand the limit. When the wind start to be very strong, I have a wheelie exit from Turn 9, I go a bit wide, I cross the white line and lose control of the bike. I was quite lucky, also, yes. MODERATOR: Good lead in the championship, we go to Motegi in two weeks time, on the Yamaha, home of Honda. You could clinch the title there, couldn’t you? ROSSI: Yes. Now we have 87-point advantage, and we have the first match point in Motegi in two weeks. In 2005, I have the match point in Motegi for the championship, but unfortunately I make a mistake, and they take Melandri and we crash. So I have a bad memory of this. But I am able to arrive behind Stoner and lose also 11 points. So it is important and also because we lose the championship last year in Motegi. So it is good, and we try for sure. MODERATOR: Apart from the weather, Indianapolis, they’ve done us proud, haven’t they? It’s been a very, very special weekend. ROSSI: Yes, I love this track because I make the hat trick; pole position, fast effort lap and victory. I was very fast in the dry and the wet. So I like. It is a good track; it is a good place. Unfortunately today the weather is very bad, and I hope for the next year is better weather and more crowd. MODERATOR: Valentino, congratulations and thank you. We go to Nicky Hayden, ladies and gentlemen, his first podium this season. What a place to do it on the Repsol Honda. You dug deep for that, Nicky. NICKY HAYDEN: Yes, it felt good to be out front. It’s been a long time since I’ve been near the front, much less led a race. Man, it felt really good to be in the lead. Felt quite good and comfortable there. And I was thinking, you know, this only happens in the movies, you know, your home race with missing the last two to come back and win in the rain. But I was able to stay focused, but Valentino came past and had a little bit more speed than me, especially through Section 3. But then when he touched the line on the back straight away and I think: ‘You know what? Maybe I’m OK,’ and I was able to make up a little more ground. Then when it started raining heavy, I was in trouble because when it dried, I used a lot of tire and I had no tread left on part of the left side of the tire. When it started to rain heavy again, it was so gnarly. But I held on. Sure, home race, you think, sure, you dream about winning but, honestly I shouldn’t be too greedy with how things have went, t ake this second and enjoy it. A big thanks to my team, all my guys, my friends, my family, everybody who sticked with me and through tough times, and that’s important. We came here, and I gave the maximum. I can’t say I left much on the table today. That’s how it’s supposed to be. All in all, I need to try to enjoy this one. MODERATOR: There’s no way you could have gone out there again, was there? HAYDEN: Well, no — well, because the air fence, no. It was pretty treacherous. Part of me thought, hey, let’s line back up and try again because in the beginning when it was really wet, I’m not leading the championship, so I don’t have nothing to worry. I thought, you know, just give one more try at it. But it was the right thing to do. It was really tough conditions, especially with the wind. Because you would be on a dry line and all of a sudden it would hit you and blow you off onto the wet spot. It was tough, I think that’s why you see three world champions or four of them in the top four when things get tough. Big thanks to the fans, we only had to be out in the wet for an hour, they’ve been out there a lot of them since Thursday, and for everybody for making this thing happen, Indy, Red Bull. A lot of people worked really hard and for me to be able to race so close to home is a great feeling. I enjoyed it. MODERATOR: Indianapolis has done a tremendous job for MotoGP, haven’t they? HAYDEN: Yeah, they have. It’s not something that just happened. A lot of people worked hard to make it happen. The fans came out and supported it. Sure, maybe we can make some things better but actually, I like the track. In those conditions earlier, it didn’t matter where we was at, we wasn’t going to be able to start the race. You know, it was just too much water. But yeah, maybe sure, work on the draining and a few things to improve. But, yeah, big thanks to everybody who made this happen. MODERATOR: Four more races for you with Honda. I think you showed today whatever happens at the end of the season, you’re going to be riding very hard indeed until the change comes. HAYDEN: Oh, yeah. I mean, no doubt about that. I think anybody who knows me knows that. I’m not going to give up. I mean, I would just be hurting myself. It’s not like, like I said the other day, I’m planning on finishing the season strong. You know, I owe it to Honda. They have been a big part of my career, and I’ve been with them for a long time, especially my mechanics. I mean, I think they certainly have not given up on me one bit, know what I’ve done. It would be real easy for them to slack off early and get on out of here, you know, pretty quick after the session, hurry up, hurry through the bikes and go for a cold beer. But they’ve just worked as hard now as they did in the middle of 2006. I’m really grateful for that. MODERATOR: Thanks, Nicky. Congratulations. Good to see you back on the podium. HAYDEN: It’s good to be here. MODERATOR: Thank you. Third place, ladies and gentlemen, his second podium in succession, Jorge Lorenzo. Jorge, first time you’ve been on the podium in the wet your whole career. JORGE LORENZO: Yeah, it is true. It is true because also in the Spanish Championship I haven’t got any podium, European Championship, also, no podium in the rain. And I think in the Balioto Championship, also, no podium. (Laughter) I was so, personally I didn’t want to race before the race because I was so safe in my motor home and so hot with Hector that I thought I prefer not to race. The organization has done a big work, and the track was quite good at the first sector. I was surprised all the race because in the start I got a good start, so I thought, ‘OK, I know how to start, no?’ Is good. And after in the second lap, I pass Dani and I know I can go fast in the rain, and also in the third I passed Dovizioso, and I thought, ‘Good, no?’ After I passed Valentino, it’s amazing in the rain. (Laughter) But then Valentino passed me again, and I wanted to follow him, was impossible. Also, Nicky was fast. And the race has been complicated at the middle. The wind has come and the rain, also, raining more. And was OK. Was not perfect because I wanted to finish second, but it’s OK because Yamaha is, again, have two people on the podium and we are leading the World Championship constructor. And I’m fine. MODERATOR: Michelin tires, they’ve taken a real bashing this year, haven’t they? But Nicky second, you third, they did very well, didn’t they, in the rain? LORENZO: Yes, I said yesterday Michelin is a good tire. But the problem is that Bridgestone is a very good tire in this moment. So to be at the same level or to pass them, we have to work, Michelin have to work harder. I know they are working hard, but harder, more harder. So I don’t know, at the end of the season if we can do more podiums or even better. But come on, Michelin. (Laughter) MODERATOR: Motegi coming up, after what has happened today, you may want a wet race in Motegi over a dry race. LORENZO: What? (Laughter) MODERATOR: You may want a wet race in Motegi now you’ve done so well in the rain. LORENZO: In Motegi, I hope not to rain. Rains is better now because I have the one podium. MODERATOR: Congratulations, Jorge, on the podium second week in succession. Ladies and gentlemen, questions from the floor. Put your hand up and we can get a mike over to you. Q: Nicky, I wonder if you could talk about what went through your mind as Valentino was catching you, and did you know how close he was? And did you know that he was pressuring you for that long? HAYDEN: Well, yeah, I have a pit board that tells me that information. So, I mean, I knew who it was. But I was on the limit pretty good, but also I knew I had a little bit soft — actually, I changed tires after the sighting lap. I had on a little bit harder. I mean, I knew the rain was supposed to stop, but in a lot of places on the oval, the water was still draining across the track. I mean, we last minute put in one a little bit softer. I have too many times in my life thought, ‘I’ll wait and let it come in,’ and the rain is so important to just get your position early and then go for it. So I knew he was coming, but I tried to be smooth and not just destroy my tire. You know, there’s a few places on this track you can hear quite easy when somebody is behind you. And, you know, I mean Vale, he likes to put that pressure on, but I held my line. Once he closed up on me a little bit, I changed a few things to try to make sure I was getting all the corners good and at least m aking him work for it. Q: Valentino, what does it mean to you now to be the winningest rider in MotoGP history? ROSSI: So I’m the first one in 100 years. It is quite special, yes. This track, the real track, the real oval is for other type of race, but racing in the, in this track with MotoGP, I hear that Indianapolis have just the top class of all the motorsports. So from Indy to NASCAR and now in motorcycle we have MotoGP. So it’s important. It is something right on the history. But especially I’m so happy because I like the track, and I think in the next years we can make, we come back, so is important to have another good track instead of a bad track. I learn the track during the weekend very early, so especially I’m so happy for this. Q: The question for Jorge. I am from Argentina. Did you find something special or you have an inspiration today? Because in the last laps you was following Nicky very hard but very solid riding, no crazy riding. So you find something in the setup or was it a good day on the bike? LORENZO: Yeah, special day, I think. (Laughter) I don’t know, you think it’s a special day? Q: No, I am asking you if you find the setup — LORENZO: For sure, it’s close to a special day because it is my first podium in the rain in all my career. Q: OK, because, you know, it’s — LORENZO: No, I think I was getting closer to Nicky because he was — increase his pace very much, no, Nicky? Because the tire — HAYDEN: Don’t remind me. (Laughter) Q: OK, thank you. LORENZO: Thank you. Q: How about the record? ROSSI: Is a lot better than equal for sure. (Laughter) But yes, anyway, 69 is a great number. (Laughter) Because he (Hayden) have it. (Laughter) No, no, just for it means a long time at the top level, but I want to try to make a bit better, make a better number, yes. Q: Valentino, can you talk about racing with Nicky that was kind of a special thing, especially here under these circumstances? ROSSI: It is great. I always enjoy with Nicky and looks like we do good times. Like three, four years ago we did a lot of great battle. So Nicky, growing up very close to me because the first year he was my teammate at HRC Honda, and I remember him coming first time from U.S., and he was very desperate. I say Nicky, Nicky, quiet, quiet. (Laughter) It is like this, it is a bit different compared to U.S. But he is always strong and a great battle guy and for overtaking — I mean a lot of lap, I say already to him the brake was very strong because everybody want to stay in front, so we stayed together very close and for I think 50 meters and is possible because anyway Nicky is very wide, very aggressive but also very clean. So I enjoy. Q: Valentino, Agostini’s record held for a very long time, more than 30 years. Was he an influence or hero of yours growing up? ROSSI: I don’t want to say my hero because I don’t remember Ago race, so I never seen, just 20 years later in television. But he was the No. 1, somebody say is Agostini, somebody say Mike Hailwood. But anyway, about numbers, Ago is the greatest and have some other record of Ago like 122 victory and especially 15 championship that for me maybe is impossible, but beat him in the number of race in the premier class is great. I hope this record remain for another 30 years, yes. (Laughter) MODERATOR: Anybody else, ladies and gentlemen? One here. Q: Nicky, did your heel give you any trouble on the bike today at all? HAYDEN: No, zero. I mean in the rain in front of that crowd and here at home, I mean, honestly I never felt it. And even here qualifying, I can’t say it really, I mean slowed me down one bit. Sure, it’s probably going to feel pretty good in the morning, but for now no problem. Q: Do you have any sort of prognosis in terms of how long you’re going to be with a cane or crutches? HAYDEN: You know, I’m a rider, so I’m about over the crutches. So as long as my trainer is not around, crutches are getting pretty old. Really, I could put pressure on it but when you put pressure on it, like I explained the other day, it pushes right into where the brake is and it’s just going to take longer and longer. So I feel like a fool walking around like I’m trying to make a big show because normally you see people — yeah, I’m sure it looks kind of silly, but as long as I hurry up and heal and be done with it, I’ll be happy. But I don’t want to use it as an excuse or nothing because in the rain I had plenty of strength and it’s not an issue. Q: Valentino — ROSSI: Sorry. Q: That’s all right. I don’t want to interrupt if you guys want to talk. Even though the race ended early, eight laps early, did you feel like you still earned it based on the conditions? ROSSI: I don’t understand, sir. Q: Even though the race ended early, eight laps, because of all you had to deal with, did you feel like it was a grueling 20 laps to have to get what you got? ROSSI: Yes, I think I deserve because I was very fast in the normal conditions. Like I say, it was a great battle with Nicky, but maybe was a bit faster than him in the normal wet. Anyway, I growing up my advantage, also, when the condition become very, very strong. So for sure, I think for me it’s possible to make another eight laps without a problem but become very, very dangerous. Q: Nicky, can you talk about what it was like to race in front of another home crowd and also what you think this race, having a second GP race in the United States means for MotoGP’s success in this country? HAYDEN: You know, I’ve really enjoyed racing in front of the crowds, people think extra pressure and it’s hard. But I always try the maximum. It’s not like you can give more at other races, but it seems like at home it’s always something special. And I really through my career felt like I’ve done better under a lot of pressure. Laguna has always been good to me, Daytona, some of the bigger races. I feel like I can rise up to the challenge, not always, but I enjoy racing in front of my crowd. I’ve got family here I don’t think ever seen me road race. So that’s pretty cool, and I think it’s huge for MotoGP in America. This is a big market. I mean, California and Laguna Seca is kind of cool, but we’re in the heartland here. There’s a big audience around this area even though Indianapolis is not so big, there’s a lot of major cities in the area. Yeah, I mean, I think it’s a big, big opportunity for our sport, and I think it’s important. There is a lot of bike fans in America but also a lot of sponsorship dollars here in America that I think we need to get into. So hopefully it will help attract some of the sponsors. Q: Question for Valentino. There’s been very many disappointed girls because you said if you won the race you were going to run naked down the home straight. HAYDEN: Yes, yes, I do remember, also. (Laughter) Q: I just wonder what happened after that Thursday comment. ROSSI: The idea was from Colin (Edwards), I remember. (Laughter) And Friday night they say to me, and they say maybe it’s better for everybody that if I win my umbrella girl get naked on the straight. (Laughter) MODERATOR: Another one here. HAYDEN: Or all of them. Q: Nicky, you’ve all talked about the danger of the win but could you just describe a little bit more what you feel on the bike in those kind of gusty conditions? HAYDEN: The gusty is certainly the problem. I mean, one time through Turn 5 I was right online pretty good, and I hit a big gust and it blew me out just immediately into the deep spots. So, I mean, we’re riders, we’ve all ridden in the rain before. I mean, you just couldn’t use the edge of the track. Like braking at the end of the back straightaway, you had to leave a little bit of extra room because when we would go past the guardrail, it would get you in a little bit of room. More I was looking out of the corner of my eye for the air fence, you can deal with the beer cans and the bags, but there’s a lot of stuff out there that was moving and flags and trees. I was just keeping an eye up and make sure nothing too big came up there. Because, I mean, it probably felt stronger than it was, I don’t know. I thought at times it was blowing pretty good. Q: Nicky, yesterday night you were enjoying the mile dirt track. How did it feel to return to the place that you grew up as a rider? HAYDEN: Yeah, I’ve ridden a lot more — I’ve never ridden Indianapolis road race; this is the first time for us. So yeah, I enjoyed the dirt track last night. That was the first Grand National I’ve seen in a lot of years. It was a good show. I didn’t — yeah, I enjoyed it, you know. But I’m a racer, I don’t like to be at a race watching even though they were getting it on pretty good last night. But I would have liked to have rid own but with this whole X Games things, it’s probably not a good time to ask. (Laughter) Asking for extra riding right now is probably not going to go over real well. So I better just focus on my job. MODERATOR: Any more, ladies and gentlemen? No? Everybody is happy? OK, hit the road. Want to get those leathers off and get in the dry. Congratulations, everybody. See you in Japan. Thank you. (Applause) More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP wildcard racer Ben Spies rode to a superb sixth place in atrocious conditions during the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix today. Spies pushed hard all race as he was involved in a battle for fourth place with reigning World Champion Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso. The new AMA Superbike Champion looked set to make an attack on both riders towards the end of the race, but conditions deteriorated so dramatically after 20 laps the race was stopped, and the result was declared as it stood at that time. Chris Vermeulen looked like he was again going to show his skill in the rain after being baulked from the start – as he made his way from 16th up to 10th during the first three laps, but even Suzuki’s rain-master couldn’t overcome the extreme conditions and although he made it up to ninth by the time the race was stopped, he couldn’t make any further impact on the riders in front of him. Loris Capirossi had a weekend that he will want to forget as he never got to grips with the set-up of his Suzuki GSV-R around the Indianapolis circuit. He got a good start, but was pushed wide on the first corner and was relegated to last position. Capirossi did try to fight back, but was never in a strong enough position to challenge further up the field. He did manage to pass three riders, but finished just outside the points in 16th place. The first motorcycle race to be held at Indianapolis since 1909 was attended by a large and enthusiastic crowd, who had to endure the remnants of Hurricane Ike that swept over the circuit before and during the race, eventually causing the race to be brought to an early end due to safety issues. Valentino Rossi won his fourth race in succession and now looks certain to be crowned World Champion. Rizla Suzuki now makes the trip to the home of Suzuki for the next round of the championship at Motegi in Japan on Sunday 28th September, when regulars Vermeulen and Capirossi will again have the support of a wildcard rider, this time in the shape of Test Team Rider Kousuke Akiyoshi. Ben Spies: “It was a good race today for me because my goal was to better my result at Laguna and I did that. I know that I had a fourth place bike today though because the crew had got it working great, but after 10 laps I couldn’t see anything through my visor and that was why I never made an attack because I had to follow the other guys around me to see where I was going I think if I had lost them I would have got caught by everybody! I rode as hard as I could and ended the race with a good sixth place. I wish we could have done a bit better, but every time I’m getting on a GP bike I’m getting better results so who knows what’s to come!” Chris Vermeulen: “It was very difficult out there today and starting from 15th didn’t help. There was a lot of spray and a quicker line soon formed so it was very tricky when you moved off that to try and pass. I got through into the top-10 and felt like I had a bit more, but when I tried to push there was no more lap-time to come. I was then kind of stagnant with the guys from fourth place on and just couldn’t catch them. At the end the conditions got really bad and the wind was so strong things were blowing all over the place and it was getting a bit dangerous, so it was a good idea to stop the race even though it was a pity we didn’t go the full distance. So here’s to coming back here next year and doing a lot better!” Loris Capirossi: “The whole weekend has been hard for me as I never found the best solution on the bike. During this morning’s warm-up the bike felt a bit better in the dry and we hoped the conditions would stay like that for the race – unfortunately the conditions were not only worse they were the worst I have ever ridden in! In the first corner someone pushed me wide and I was last and although I tried to fight back it was so difficult out there that I couldn’t really make any difference. I want to forget about this weekend, the race has now gone and I want to concentrate on the next event and make a good result for Suzuki and the team in Japan!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “The first Indianapolis GP was a great event with superb organisation and a very enthusiastic atmosphere it was just a shame that the weather had such a big hand in today’s proceedings because the circuit deserved better than that today. Ben did an extremely good job all weekend and wet or dry he was able to be very competitive – he thoroughly deserved his top-six finish. “We really wanted to be at the sharp end with Chris and Loris, but it just didn’t happen. We know that we can be a lot better than where we finished this weekend and we will now re-group and head off to Japan. We need to step it up a gear and improve on our performance as we begin the run-in to the end of the season.” More, from a press release issued by JiR Team Scot Honda: Andrea Dovizioso takes magnificent fifth place in the Indianapolis storm The weekend of the Indianapolis Grand Prix was marked by uncertain weather conditions, which were continuously changing, leading to the race being stopped with eight laps to go. The race, which started in the rain, saw Andrea Dovizioso battling for the lead in the early laps. After an excellent start, he led the race and took on the World’s best. Then, the increasingly intense rain and wind, which increased in strength, influenced the outcome of the race, leading to the premature end of the race with Andrea in fifth position. This was followed by a few minutes where it was not clear whether or not Race Control was going to run a further race over the remaining eight laps. Eventually this was not the case, and the JiR Team Scot rider has gained more important points for the championship standings, which sees him safely in fifth place. Gianluca Montiron – Director JiR Team Scot “We have witnessed an amazing race. Andrea, who started very well, led in the first turns and was fighting for a result, which was important for the championship standings, which currently sees him in fifth position. In such difficult conditions he has always been known to do well, and the final standings of the race reflect the effort the riders put in.” Andrea Dovizioso – Pilot JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA RC212V 5th position, 4th-best lap time: 1’50 “926 “I am very pleased with the outcome of today, obtained under conditions that were quite simply incredible. We had intense rain and then a strong wind, which then led to the early conclusion of the race. It was very easy to make mistakes and ruin the race, but I started fast, as often happens with me, and I was quick to take the lead. In fact, in the beginning I wanted to stay in front of everyone. I gave the maximum today to earn the most points possible. The tyres worked well, but today the choice was difficult and we opted for a solution that gave us sufficient confidence. We must further improve with our tyres, and Michelin are working hard to be more efficient. I believe that in different climatic conditions, we could have also fought for the podium.” Cirano Mularoni – Team Manager JiR Team Scot “It was a very interesting race, with a high level of competitiveness in the leading group. Andrea as usual was able to quickly identify the limit of adhesion on the track, and was able to lead from the start. Under these conditions, to fight for the 4th and 5th spot is a great result. It is a pity that the race was terminated prematurely, but for the safety of the riders, this is the right decision.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: WEST ELEVENTH AT WET AND WINDY INDY Kawasaki’s Anthony West battled the elements today to bring his Ninja ZX-RR race machine home in 11th position at the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix, which was red-flagged eight laps early due to treacherous weather conditions. Following heavy rainfall after this morning’s dry warm-up, the 28-lap race got underway at the Indiana circuit and John Hopkins made a determined start into 10th place from 16th on the grid, while West moved up into 16th from the back row of the grid. The Kawasaki duo both made up a place in the opening two laps, but it was West who impressively fought his way up to 13th position behind teammate Hopkins, who had lost out to Chris Vermeulen and Sylvain Guintoli by lap four. West continued his surge through the field and by lap eight the 27-year-old Australian had managed to pass three of his rivals, including teammate Hopkins, to take 10th position aboard his Ninja ZX-RR. The wet weather expert then focussed his attentions on closing down the gap to fellow countryman, Chris Vermeulen, who had a four second advantage over the Kawasaki pilot. However, by lap 13 the weather rapidly deteriorated, as heavy gusts of wind and rain descended on the 4.216km track. West fought to hold onto his top-ten place, but with a lack of visibility and reduced grip around the circuit, he lost a position to Alex De Angelis shortly before the race was red-flagged on lap 20 for safety reasons. Hopkins suffered similar difficulties in the tricky conditions, with the heavy wind making it difficult for the 25-year-old Anglo-American to change direction aboard his Bridgestone shod machine. The Kawasaki racer, despite looking to re-catch Tony Elias who was just over a second ahead, dropped back in the last few laps of the race to cross the line in 14th position. Soon after the Kawasaki pair entered pit-lane, it was declared that the race wouldn’t be restarted on safety grounds. Anthony West #13 – 11th Position “I’m actually really disappointed because I was sure we could have achieved a much better result in the wet today. The track was cleared of standing water before the beginning of the race, and because I was so far back I had to really push hard to make up positions in the opening few laps. We got up to 10th place and I really felt we were capable of catching the riders ahead, but as the weather deteriorated so did the grip level left in my tyre, as I’d worked it so hard in the beginning, and we couldn’t push any harder towards the end. From dead last on the grid eleventh isn’t so bad, and given the weather we were up against, at least we were able to fight for what nearly was a top ten place.” John Hopkins #21 14th Position “Warm-up this morning was dry and then the weather deteriorated not long before the race. We got a really good start, and we ran a fairly hard compound rear tyre as we thought a dry line might appear before the end of the race. This took a while to get up to temperature, so I rode quite steadily in the opening laps and unfortunately lost a few places. We got into a good rhythm and our lap times were good, but then the weather rapidly got worse. The rain we could deal with, but the wind was unbelievable, which made it hard to get the bike to change direction. There was a lot of debris all over the track and then the race was red-flagged. Overall 14th is certainly not where we wanted to finish, but in the dry we definitely made some improvements during qualifying and I hope we can put these to good use next time out in Japan.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “We made a really promising start to the weekend in Friday practice, with both of our riders nearing the top of the time sheets. The weather then changed for Saturday and it was dry at the circuit, which is new to MotoGP and we came across some difficulties. Although we didn’t qualify so well, we were hoping for good results in today’s wet race. Conditions were very tough out on circuit, and Anthony managed to get up to the top ten, but after working his tyre so hard at the beginning of the race he dropped off a little towards the end. John also made a really good start, but the heavy wind really affected him before the race was red-flagged. We do have some positives to take away from this weekend, but we certainly have a lot more work to do, and we really have to make improvements to put us in good stead for the team’s second home race in Japan in a few weeks time.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Rossi wins chaotic debut Indianapolis MotoGP Round 14: Indianapolis Race Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday 14 September 2008 Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi has claimed victory in today’s inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix in a chaotic race which was stopped prematurely due to torrential weather conditions. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) filled the remaining podium positions. Heavy rain poured onto the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over lunchtime, but excellent work from the circuit staff enabled the track to be in a good enough state, albeit still wet, for the MotoGP event to take place on time. The rain started again one-third of the way through the scheduled 28-lap event and increased in intensity thereafter. Subsequent concerns over safety caused by the worsening weather ultimately prompted race control to red flag the race after 20 laps. Rossi was in hot pursuit of long time race leader Hayden and passed him for the lead on lap 14 before building up an eventual 6 second advantage. Ducati’s Casey Stoner was the next best placed Bridgestone-shod rider in fourth place having won a close battle with Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot). Rizla Suzuki wildcard Ben Spies took an excellent sixth place in just his third ever MotoGP race, finishing right on the tail of the battle for fourth place. An additional four Bridgestone riders completed the event in the top ten with a strong performance from Alice Team rider Sylvain Guintoli in seventh, Dani Pedrosa completing his first ever race on Bridgestone tyres in eighth, Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen in ninth and San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alex De Angelis rounding out the top ten. Rossi now leads the championship by a massive 87 points with four races left and a maximum 100 points obtainable. Stoner further cemented his second place in the series classification and has taken his overall points total to 200. The next event is Bridgestone’s home grand prix at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan in two weeks’ time. Hiroshi Yamada Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit “It has certainly been a hectic race day for everyone with the changing weather conditions, and it is a testament to the high class riding skill of the 19-strong MotoGP field that all riders completed the race in spite of the torrential conditions. It is a great result for Valentino to win here today and helps him nicely on to the final straight for the championship. For Bridgestone, we have a successful record at the Speedway and we can now add a two-wheeled victory to the achievements on four wheels. This entire weekend has been very special and the Speedway must be commended for a fantastic organisation. The fans have also been great and it was great to see so many people brave the rain and wind to see MotoGP for the first time in Indianapolis.” Tohru Ubukata Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development “I am pleased with the result of today’s race but it was not a straight-forward afternoon. Most of our riders opted to use medium specification front and rear wet tyres based on the track conditions at the beginning of the race, which were still very wet after the lunchtime rain. Generally the performance level of these tyres in the changing conditions was quite good, but some of our riders did experience problems during the race which prevented them from making their way through the field. Our competitors have once again shown a good competitiveness in wet conditions and it was another relatively balanced result overall. We now look forward to Motegi where we expect another closely-fought battle in our home race.” Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team Race Winner and Championship Leader “I think that those are the worst conditions in which I have raced in my career. Together with the new track and the new surface, there was also a lot of water and at the end the bigger problem of the wind. It wasn’t consistent and was very strong, so you never knew what was going to happen in the straight. I was in front and didn’t want to put my hand up, because I was leading the race, but I was looking for the red flag on every lap and when it came I think it was a good decision. Good work was done on the track to prepare for the race because the rain was coming down strong. I don’t remember when I last won four races in a row, but it means that I am in good shape and now waiting for Motegi.” Bridgestone-shod Riders’ Race Results and Tyre Choices Pos. Rider Team Race Time Gap Front Tyre (all 16.5”) Rear Tyre (all 16.5”) P1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 37m20.095s Winner Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P4 Casey Stoner Ducati Corse 37m48.257s +28.162s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P6 Ben Spies Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 37m49.740s +29.645s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P7 Sylvain Guintoli Alice Team 37m56.318s +36.223s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P8 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 37m57,353s +37.258s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P9 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 37m58.537s +38.442s Wet-Soft Wet-Medium P10 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 38m02.532s +42.437s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P11 Anthony West Kawasaki Racing Team 38m07.274s +47.179s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P12 Toni Elias Alice Team 38m16.057s +55.962s Wet-Soft Wet-Soft P14 John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team 38m18.448s +58.353s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P16 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 38m25.715s +1m05.620s Wet-Soft Wet-Soft P17 Shinya Nakano San Carlo Honda Gresini 38m25.949s +1m05.854s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium P19 Marco Melandri Ducati Corse 38m41.118s +1m21.023s Wet-Medium Wet-Medium Weather: Wet Air 21°C, Track 20°C (Bridgestone measurement) More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI COMES THROUGH THE DELUGE TO MAKE HISTORY AT INDIANAPOLIS Valentino Rossi wrote another chapter in his ever-expanding history book at Indianapolis today, claiming his 69th premier-class win and becoming the most successful rider in premier-class history in the process. His hat trick of pole position, fastest lap and race victory made for a perfect first Indianapolis Grand Prix for the Italian and a third place for Jorge Lorenzo rounded off an exceptional weekend for the Fiat Yamaha Team. More bad weather in the early afternoon led to the 250cc race being abandoned and the early part of the MotoGP race was run on a very wet track. Rossi dropped to fourth at the start and then surrendered another place to Lorenzo on the next lap, but he soon found his rhythm and made his way back past Casey Stoner, Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso into second behind Nicky Hayden by lap six. Passing Hayden was no mean feat and it took the seven-time world champion another eight laps to finally get by the American, at which point he quickly began to pull away. Hurricane Ike was not finished with Indianapolis however and on lap 16 of 28 it started to rain heavily once again, accompanied by strong gusts of wind which became very dangerous. The race was eventually red-flagged after 20 laps and, after a few minutes confusion as to whether there would be a restart, Rossi was confirmed as the first ever MotoGP winner at the Brickyard. Rossi’s 69th win takes him ahead of his fellow countryman Giacomo Agostini to the top of the all-time premier class winners list, a record which has stood for more than 30 years. Agostini claimed the 1975 500cc title with Yamaha and won six of his 68 victories with the Japanese factory. Rossi is now 87 points clear of Stoner, who finished fourth today, which means he is able to win the championship at the next round in Motegi by finishing fourth or above. Valentino Rossi Position: 1 Time: 37’20.095 “This is fantastic because it’s been a long time since I won in the rain and even longer since I won four in a row! To win the first race here at Indianapolis is a great emotion and to beat Agostini’s record is also incredible, now I hope my record will stand for 30 years like his! It was an amazing race and, once I was able to pass Stoner, I knew I had the chance to win so I pushed very hard. I had a great race with Nicky; he was really hard to pass so congratulations to him. When the wind and rain came it became very hard, I think I could have kept going for another eight laps okay but there were things flying through the air beer cans, plastic glasses so really I think it was the right decision to stop the race! Sincerely I don’t think I’ve ever ridden in conditions like these and I was lucky because I was far in front and therefore didn’t have to take any big risks. It’s been a perfect weekend for us despite the weather because we made the pole position, the fastest lap and we won, so I want to congratulate my team once again for a fantastic job, today and all year. Also thanks to Bridgestone because my tyres were very good today. I’ve really enjoyed racing here in Indy and I am looking forward to coming back next year. Now we have a big advantage and it would be great to win the championship in Motegi, but it’s not over yet so we will keep our concentration and keep working! Finally I want to dedicate this victory to my Grandfather Dario, who sadly died today aged 82.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “We’re very happy that we were able to race at this historic track, despite the terrible weather! This is very important for the championship and now we have the chance to try to win in Motegi in two week’s time. Valentino was fantastic today and he showed once again how strong he is this season; he has won seven times in many different conditions so we’re in good shape. Well done to the team for their hard work and congratulations to Jorge and his crew as well, Yamaha is very strong!” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: FIRST EVER WET PODIUM FOR LORENZO IN INDIANAPOLIS DOWNPOUR Jorge Lorenzo made the podium in a wet race for the very first time in his entire career today, claiming third place at the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix at the famous ‘Brickyard’. The 21-year-old Spaniard has now finished on the podium on each of the five occasions he has qualified on the front row in his rookie season and he was joined once again by his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi, who took his seventh victory of the season with a masterful display of wet-weather riding. Lorenzo has always been uncomfortable riding in the wet but he got a good start and was quickly able to settle into his rhythm, passing Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner in the first three laps. Rossi passed him back soon after but the Spaniard kept pushing and he soon got past Andrea Dovizioso to claim third place. He then rode most of the race out on his own until heavy rain and high winds began to batter the field with 12 laps remaining and he gradually began to close the gap to Nicky Hayden, who was in second. It looked like he might pass the American before the end but the race was eventually red-flagged with eight laps remaining, after part of the safety fence blew down and conditions became too dangerous. A second podium in a row for the leading rookie consolidates fourth place in the championship for him, 37 points adrift of Dani Pedrosa with four races remaining. Rossi, who surpassed Agostini’s 30-year record of 68 premier class wins today, is now 87 points clear of Casey Stoner and can win the championship in Motegi by finishing fourth or better. Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3 Time: +7.858 “This is the first wet podium in my career, including the European, Spanish and even Mallorcan Championships! To be honest, I really didn’t want to leave my motorhome before the race because I was so warm and comfortable and I really don’t like to race in the rain, but today I think things have changed! I got a good start, which surprised me, and then I was able to pass Dani and then Valentino, which surprised me even more! I am so happy to finally discover that I can be fast in the rain as well. After Valentino passed me back I tried to follow him but he was a bit too fast so I concentrated on keeping my pace consistent, then the rain and especially the wind came and it was quite crazy! I was still fast though I closed the gap to Nicky, who I think had some problems by then, and maybe I could have passed him with some more laps but it was very dangerous and so better to stop the race. We are still not perfect but our bike and Michelin tyres were very good today so I want to thank Yamaha and Michelin again, and my team for their hard work. Well done to Valentino and I hope we can continue like this for the last four races.” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “This is a great result; a first podium in the wet for Jorge and at such a famous track. He rode very well today in difficult conditions, not only the rain but with high winds as well. He also had a very good pace at the end of the race when the conditions were at their worst so he did a great job, as did the team for finding the right set-up and Michelin for giving us the right tyres. It’s great to be on the first MotoGP podium at Indianapolis and great for Yamaha to have two riders on the podium for the second race in a row. Congratulations once again to Jorge for a fantastic ride, well done to the team and of course well done to the other side of the garage and to Valentino for another great win.” More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: TEROL TAKES 125cc WIN AT RED BULL INDY GP, 250cc RACE CANCELED Fagerhaug wins Red Bull Riders Cup race as European team dominates INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 Nicolas Terol, a 19-year-old from Alcoy, Spain, took advantage of an early end to the 125cc World Championship race at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP to earn his first career victory in that class. Rain showers persisted throughout the day, and following the 16-lap 125cc race, high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ike, forcing race officials to also shorten the MotoGP World Championship race and cancel the 250cc class race. Terol, on the No. 18 Jack & Jones WRB Aprilia/Dunlop, was leading fellow Spaniard and polesitter Pol Espargaro when light rain began to fall about halfway through what was to be a 23-lap race. On Lap 17, Espargaro, riding the No. 44 Belson Derbi, made an inside pass exiting Turn 16 to take the lead as heavy rain began to fall. The race was red-flagged since the riders were on slick tires and Terol was declared winner because FIM rules state the running order at the time of a red flag is based on the last full lap for all riders, which was Lap 16. “It’s been a really difficult weekend, new circuit, surface as well, problem with the rain as across lots of the sessions,” Terol said. “I had a problem this morning, my bike wouldn’t go over 13,000 revs, but the team seemed to have sorted that before the race. I’m just delighted.” Stefan Bradl of Germany scored the final podium spot in 125cc by running aggressively in the final laps to take third on the No. 17 Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing Aprilia. Stevie Bonsey, the lone American competing in the 125cc World Championship this season, finished ninth on the No. 51 DeGraaf Grand Prix Aprilia. It was his first top-10 finish in six races and a welcome finish to the weekend. “I’m happy with it for how much I’ve been struggling with it this weekend,” said Bonsey, 18, from Salinas, Calif. “I had a hard start this weekend, from missing flights to just rain, and this morning I had a real good warm-up, so I felt real confident in the dry. So I was just praying that it would stay dry.” The 14-lap Red Bull Riders Cup race, which pitted the top-10 riders from the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup against 10 of their European counterparts in the MotoGP Rookies Cup, saw Norwegian rider Sturla Fagerhaug win by 3.478 seconds on the No. 33 Red Bull KTM. Finishing second to Fagerhaug was Mathew Scholtz of South Africa, and Matthew Hoyle of Great Britain was third. The top-finishing rider from the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup was No. 32 Jacob Gagne of Ramona, Calif., in eighth. Gagne won the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race Saturday. Polesitter Scholtz had a poor start but recovered to retake the lead on Lap 3. But he was passed by No. 69 Hayden Gillim of Owensboro, Ky., on Lap 5. Fagerhaug took the lead from Gillim on Lap 10 as rain showers covered the track. Gillim passed Scholtz for second in Turn 6 on Lap 13 but crashed in Turn 9 on the same lap. “I got a good start and stayed second for a lap or so, and then I got up to first and later on I dropped many positions back because the track was almost dry and every corner the tires were sliding,” Fagerhaug said. “When it started to rain quite bad, I closed the gap to (Gillim) in one lap or something and after when he crashed, Mathew dropped back, so then I got a gap. Then last lap was just to drive to the finish and take the checkered flag.” More, from a press release issued by Michelin: TWO MICHELIN MEN ON INDY PODIUM Michelin riders Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) took superb second- and third-place finishes in this afternoon’s inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix, run in extremely wet and windy conditions. The result was extra special for Lorenzo, who had never finished a wet race on the podium at any stage of his career. Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) also had an excellent race, leading the first lap, then battling with Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici). The Italian eventually finished fifth, less than a second behind the reigning World Champion. Hayden led the first half, then slipped to second behind Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1). The rain increased after half-distance and then the red flags came out at two-thirds distance when a large section of track signage was blown from its moorings. The race had got underway despite the lingering effects of Hurricane Ike, which brought heavy rain and strong winds to Indianapolis around lunchtime. The track quickly became flooded, the organizers deploying special jet-engined equipment to clear the worst of the surface water. Conditions were further complicated by the nature of the track surface, which features two distinctly different types of tarmac. The tarmac in the first section offers minimal grip and very low wear, while the rest of the track offers excellent grip and is very aggressive on tires. Tire technicians thus have to make a major compromise, choosing tires that will deliver enough grip on the slippery tarmac and hold together on the grippy tarmac. “We chose quite hard tires because the major part of the track is grippy and aggressive,” said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “I think we made the right choice because Nicky, Jorge and Andrea all had excellent races, though Nicky and Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) chose slightly softer rears than the others. We are happy that our riders were able to perform well today. This is a tricky track and conditions were incredibly difficult, the wind and the rain changing all the time. Then when it started raining heavily later on we knew it would get difficult for all the riders because their tires were already quite worn. We are happy it all went off okay. Our congratulations to Nicky and Jorge for their podium finishes, also to Andrea who had a great battle with Stoner.” Hayden led from lap two to halfway through lap 14. “Man, it felt really good to be in the lead and I felt quite comfortable,” said the local hero, who was aiming for his first victory of the season. “When Valentino came past and then touched the line onto the back straightaway I was able to make up a little more ground and I thought maybe I was okay. I had changed to a slightly softer tire after the sighting lap, because I know that wet races can often be about how good you get away in the first laps.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Cummunications: Valentino Rossi extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship with victory at the first ever Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, cut short with just seven laps remaining owing to safety concerns caused by high winds and a wet track. Run at 3pm local time, the race got underway on soaking asphalt, the 125cc race having already been amended by the meteorological conditions. Rossi was targeting 69 in two different forms in the early stages of the race, looking to claim the new record for premier class wins by chasing down the rider assigned to that same number. Local hero Nicky Hayden, the man who had inaugurated the Indianapolis circuit back in April and who debuted the other American track on the calendar Laguna Seca- with a victory back in 2005, was giving no quarter as he set a fearsome pace at the front. The Repsol Honda rider took the lead on the second lap, and set the fastest laps of the race in a continuous attempt at breaking free from Rossi. The MotoGP series leader was, however, able to follow the 2006 World Champion all the way, and made the almost inevitable overtaking maneuver on lap 14. From then on it was a case of holding his nerve to take his fourth consecutive victory, the premier class milestone, the first Indianapolis MotoGP win and, most importantly, an almost insurmountable 87 point lead at the head of the standings. Hayden returned to the podium on his comeback race after missing two Grands Prix with a foot injury. He held his nerve in spite of some wobbly moments to come home second and make his rostrum comeback a first of the year for the `Kentucky Kid´. The American had lost almost all of a five second advantage to second Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo on the twentieth lap of the race, in which the decision was made to bring the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix to an early conclusion. Lorenzo took a podium for the second consecutive race, having been untroubled by the chasing pack during the middle stages. Almost nineteen seconds behind, reigning titlist Casey Stoner came home in fourth place, albeit now with only the smallest of chances to retain his crown in 2008. After leading a MotoGP race for the first time in his career, Andrea Dovizioso brought his JiR Team Scot Honda home less than a second behind Stoner, with home rider and AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies rounding off the top six. Sylvain Guintoli, Dani Pedrosa, Chris Vermeulen and Alex de Angelis were the final riders in the top ten. Valentino Rossi Race Winner “I think that those are the worst conditions in which I have raced in my career. Together with the new track and the new surface, there was also a lot of water and at the end the bigger problem of the wind. I was in front, and all the bags and beer cans were getting thrown onto the track by the wind. It wasn´t consistent and was very strong, so you never knew what was going to happen in the straight. I was in front and didn´t want to put my hand up, because I was leading the race, but I was looking for the red flag on every lap and when it came I think it was a good decision. Good work was done on the track to prepare for the race because the rain was coming down strong. I don´t remember when I last won four races in a row, but it means that I am in good shape and now waiting for Motegi.” 125cc An early conclusion to the 125cc opener at Indianapolis gave Jack&Jones WRB´s Nico Terol a first World Championship victory of his career, the Spaniard benefitting from the appearance of rain and a red flag on lap seventeen. Despite having crossed the line after rival Pol Espargaro on that lap, with FIM rules stating that results be based on the last full lap for all riders it was Terol who would be placed on the top step of the podium, an incredible achievement for the teenager in a revelatory season. Espargaro´s pit crew had been celebrating his draft to the line, but the youngest ever podium finisher would have to content himself with second place. The race quickly became a battle of Spanish starlets, as Espargaro´s early breakaway was halted by a small mistake on lap ten. Running slightly wide, the Belson Derbi rider´s fault allowed Terol to catch up and pass his fellow countryman, beginning a duel between two riders hungry for their first ever World Championship glory. After spots of rain fell on the Indianapolis asphalt, it became clear that every lap could potentially be the final time around the track for the 125cc competitors. Well aware of this was Stefan Bradl, who took the necessary risks to ensure that it was he who emerged on top of the closing pack and on the podium for a fourth time. Scott Redding, Marc Marquez, Simone Corsi, Bradley Smith, home rider Stevie Bonsey and series leader Mike di Melgio rounded off the first ten past the line in the abbreviated race. 250cc There was no 250cc Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix at the IMS circuit in 2008, with the scheduled race cancelled due to safety concerns. The contest had previously been rescheduled for after the MotoGP race but, with that event red flagged, the decision was made not to run the quarter-litre bikes in any capacity. The remnants of Hurricane Ike hit raceday at the new Indianapolis circuit on Sunday afternoon, after a difficult weekend of mixed conditions. Standings leader Marco Simoncelli had placed on pole for the latest race in the World Championship, in one of the only dry sessions undertaken by the riders at The Brickyard. The next round of the 250cc series will be held at Motegi, on September 28th. More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WIND HIT INDIAPOLIS INAUGURAL GP Indianapolis, 14 September 2008: after yesterdays good qualifying session result on the dry, LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet started from the 6th place for the 28-lap race at the spectacular Indianapolis circuit that has been hit by heavy rain and strong speed because of the path of Hurricane Ike. The race was red-flagged at 7 laps to go with Rossi in first place and after the Race Direction’s decision the American GP was stopped because of some damaged airfences and slippery conditions of the track surface. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V started from the second row but he lost five places ending the first lap in 11th position. After that Randy struggled with lack of grip for the whole race and managed to finish the race safely. Today’s winner is Rossi followed by Hayden and Lorenzo. De Puniet 13th: “It was a tough day today. We started with a quite good warm up in the dry and we were optimistic for a dry race. But the conditions were very diffiicult before the start and I did not get a good start loosing five places in the first lap. I struggled from the beginning with lack of grip both front and rear but I tried the best I could, trying not to make any mistake. Overall I tried to survive the race and it’s not very clear why we had such a poor grip but we must find a solution for next race in Japan which can potentially be wet”. More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Yamaha: Difficult day for Tech 3 Yamaha in stormy Indianapolis The Tech 3 Yamaha team had a difficult day in atrocious conditions during a weather-hit inaugural Indianapolis MotoGP race today. Texan Colin Edwards battled driving rain and fierce and unpredictable winds to claim 15th place, while British team-mate James Toseland couldn’t convert a promising early part of the 28-lap race into a point-scoring finish. Edwards recovered several positions as his confidence grew in the tricky conditions to keep his place in the top seven in the world championship standings. Toseland had a strong start and found himself eighth for the opening laps, fighting hard to remain in contention with the group battling for fifth place. But as rain abated and parts of the new circuit started to dry, he was unable to sustain his impressive early speed with the changing conditions not suited to the set-up of his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. He finished 18th in the shortened race, which was halted with eight laps remaining with conditions rapidly deteriorating from lap 15 onwards. A planned eight-lap restart was abandoned because of the high winds. Colin Edwards 15th 109 points “We spent too much time trying to make a new setting work, and because we’d had so much time on it we went for it in the race. But I couldn’t get the bike to turn. My tyres felt great and I didn’t have a problem with them at all, but I couldn’t carry any corner speed. I’d get into the corner and I kept running wide. The only way to fix that is to go slower so you can hold the line and it wasn’t really fun out there. I thought I’d got a good start and I got behind a couple of guys but everybody seemed to check up. They were right in front of me and the next thing I know, six guys are flying around the inside and outside of me. I was almost last by the second corner and I just put my head down to try and make some progress but I couldn’t do anything. It is disappointing because I’m not out there not trying and running around in fifteenth. I’m out there trying my absolute hardest. The conditions were unbelievable. There was all kinds of debris at the end and you didn’t know if it was gong to hit you because the wind was so unpredictable. It was a smart decision to stop it and maybe it could have come a lap or two earlier.” James Toseland 18th 85 points “I didn’t get off the line very well but I was a bit aggressive into the first turn and went round the outside and passed a few people. I felt pretty good but when it wasn’t raining and the track started to dry out, my lap times just stayed the same. And as it dried out everybody else got quicker and I couldn’t go any faster. It was spinning and obviously I was a bit too soft with the rear setting. I had the same tyre as Andrea Dovizioso, so it was obviously the setting. I know I was running a softer setting than Colin and Jorge. When it was quite wet at the start it was obviously pretty good, but as it dried out it was just spinning. When it rained again I found a bit of pace again and could so similar times to the people in front, but by that time I’d lost a lot of places. At the end the wind was unbelievable. And the problem was it wasn’t always in the same direction. It was totally unpredictable and it was gusting to the point where you had to anticipate something happening. They ran it for as long as they could but it was getting a bit hairy out there. It is a disappointing result but we’ll move onto Japan for the next race, where I am obviously hoping to give Yamaha a positive result.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager “I am very disappointed with the race. We saw that a rider with our package has done really, really well. James started quite well but he started to lose a lot of ground while, Colin was again very cautious in the first laps like in Misano. When we remember what we were doing in the first part of the season and we see what we are doing now, I am not happy. We have to find some solutions because we shouldn’t be finishing where we are. “Looking at the race it was run in incredibly difficult conditions. There will be some debate about whether the race should have been restarted but with safety the prime concern, I think it was the right decision because the wind was playing a big part. It is a shame that the 250 race wasn’t run because the fans came to see all the races. But I’d like to thank everyone associated with the Indianapolis circuit. All the people who have worked with us have been trying tremendously hard to make this a fantastic weekend. Unfortunately the weather has played a big part and nobody deserved this. Finally, congratulations to Valentino for breaking the all-time winning record in MotoGP. It is an incredible achievement and great to see him do it riding for Yamaha.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: STONER FOURTH AT HURRICANE-HIT INDY, MELANDRI 19TH Casey Stoner came home a solid fourth in a treacherously difficult Indianapolis Grand Prix, which was hit by severely adverse weather that led to the race being interrupted by red flags with eight of the scheduled laps still remaining. Stoner battled throughout the race with Andrea Dovizioso despite losing rear grip in the early stages and was relieved merely to come out of it in one piece and with a decent points haul. Marco Melandri was unable to rediscover the positive feeling he’d found for the wet conditions on Friday and he struggled home in 19th place. CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team) 4th “I think it was the right decision to stop the race because the conditions were really dangerous – more for the strong wind than the heavy rain, which made it difficult to keep the bike upright. I’m never going to be satisfied with fourth place but it would have been foolish to push harder in those conditions and I made the right decision not to do so. I got a good start but I quickly lost confidence because the rear tyre was tearing up quickly and by the time they stopped the race I was struggling to hold my lap times.” MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati MotoGP Team) 19th “I’m really disappointed because after riding in the wet on Friday I was expecting a pretty good race today. As it happened I struggled to rediscover the same feeling, especially with the engine braking. I never had a good feel for the bike and there was no grip on the front or the rear. I couldn’t ride it from the first lap and in conditions like that it is incredibly difficult.” LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Director) “It was a tough race for Casey but he showed grit and determination to bring home a decent result. It maybe to do with the power delivery of our engine or the set-up of the bike but the rear tyre went off quicker than expected and Casey couldn’t ride on the attack, as we’re used to seeing. It’s a shame it wasn’t a dry race because in the warm-up we saw Casey was in good shape for those conditions. It was another tough weekend for Marco. Hopefully things go better in Japan at a circuit he like a lot.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: HAYDEN WEATHERS STORM TO FINISH FINE SECOND Torrential rain truncated a turbulent Grand Prix in which Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was declared victor after the 28-lap race was abandoned after 20-laps. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) was awarded second and Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) third. Weather played the ace hand here in rain-lashed Indianapolis. The 125cc Grand Prix was foreshortened, the 250cc race abandoned altogether and this, the main event, brought to a close when the prevailing conditions furious rain and wind proved too much for both riders and track furniture. Forecasters knew, and race organisers too, that the weather systems surrounding the rampaging Hurricane Ike might play havoc with the first ever motorcycle event staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the turn of the century. And they surely did. The race was declared ‘wet’ before it got underway and right enough the declaration proved appropriate. Conditions were manageable for the first 11 laps until the rain fell harder, the wind got up with a vengeance, and then a howling gale blew the conclusion of this contest into the hands of the race organisers. A halt was called after lap 20 when conditions had deteriorated to such an extent that debris was blowing onto the track and rider safety became more of an issue than even the 2008 World Championship. After extensive rider consultation the decision was reached to call a result. It had been an absorbing contest up until then though. Casey Stoner (Ducati) headed the pack into turn one from the line and homeboy Hayden was on his tail with Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V) in his wheel-tracks. Rossi too had launched well and was at the business end of proceedings. Hayden then moved past Dovi and by lap six Rossi was working on Hayden having gone past Dovi while Lorenzo was keeping himself in touch. On lap seven Hayden held a one second lead over Rossi while Dovi fended off Lorenzo’s advances. Then the rain, already heavy, began to worsen. Hayden and Rossi rode neck and neck for 13 laps. Rossi moved into the lead and then, improbably, it got even wetter. This, however, did not stop the Italian from recording a fastest race lap on lap 15 with a one and a half second advantage over Nicky who was nearly seven seconds ahead of Lorenzo. From now on it was as much riders against the elements as against each other. The mercy of the red flag soon brought further suffering to an end. There was some debate as to whether a further eight lap race would be required but this fantasy was sensibly quashed. Nicky, runner-up today, said: “Man, it felt really good to be in the lead and I felt quite comfortable. I was able to stay focused but Valentino came past and he had a little more speed, especially in section three. But when it started raining heavy I was in trouble because when it had dried I’d used up a lot of the left side of the tyre, so it got pretty gnarly with all the water. I’m not leading the World Championship, so I’ve got nothing to worry about. A big thanks to the fans too, we only had to be out in the wet for an hour, they’ve been out there since Thursday.” Fifth-placed Dovi said: “I’m very pleased with the outcome of today, obtained under conditions that were incredible. We had intense rain and then a strong wind, which then led to the early conclusion of the race. It was very easy to make mistakes and ruin the race, but I started fast, as often happens with me, and I was quick to take the lead. In fact, in the beginning I wanted to stay in front of everyone. I gave the maximum today to earn the most points possible. I believe that in different climatic conditions, we could have also fought for the podium.” Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) made it to eighth and said: “That was a very tough race. I started quite cautiously and then I began to push harder, but in the mid-stages I wasn’t enough fast and I lost some time. Towards the end I found a good pace. Four or five laps before Race Direction stopped the race, the wind got really strong and there was a lot of dirt and debris getting blown on to the track. Finishing eighth is not a good result for me, but considering the conditions I couldn’t do any better.” Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) was tenth and said: “Frankly I’m a little disappointed I expected to be very good in the wet today but my rear tyre went off very quickly. Maybe it was too hard for the conditions today because the rear end was sliding a lot. After Friday’s wet practice I was very confident, but today I could not go forward.” Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V), who signed up again for the LCR Team this week, finished 13th. He said: “It was a tough day today. We started with a quite good warm up in the dry and we were optimistic for a dry race. But the conditions were very difficult before the start and I did not get a good start loosing five places in the first lap. I struggled from the beginning with lack of grip both front and rear but I tried the best I could. We must find a solution for next race in Japan which is potentially wet.” Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) finished 17th. He said: “It was a very difficult race today because I started from the back of the grid and the conditions were terrible. I managed to pass a few riders in the first laps but I could not find a consistent pace. Towards the end I began to understand the conditions better and started to catch the others in front of me but they red flagged the race, it was the right decision. I’m disappointed because in the dry warm up this morning I was fourth fastest so I will keep that positive in mind as I prepare for my home race at Motegi in two weeks.” Rossi now has 287 points to Stoner’s 200 with four rounds to run. Dani sits third with 193 points. 250cc Grand Prix: cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. 125cc Grand Prix (preceding MotoGP race) Rain, as unwelcome as it was predicted, played a part in the result of what was scheduled to be 23-lap race. The contest was halted on lap 16 and the winner was Nicolas Terol (Aprilia), Pol Espargaro (Derbi) was second and Stefan Bradl (Aprilia) was credited with third. Espargaro sped off the line into turn one and immediately established a comfortable lead of nearly two seconds by lap two. Terol was on his tail and Scott Redding (Aprilia) held third as the pack tried to close on the men who had made the early running. Terol and Espargaro were locked in combat as the first drops of rain fell. Both riders knew they had to cross the line first waiting for race control to decree a result as two thirds race distance was passed. The verdict went to Terol, for his first Grand Prix win, when lap 16 was declared the final completed lap. Championship leader Mike Di Meglio (Derbi) finished tenth, his nearest challenger Simone Corsi (Aprilia) seventh and title longshot Gabor Talmacsi (Aprilia) was 14th. The title race now looks thus: Di Meglio 192, Corsi 167, Talmacsi 149, Bradl 142 and Terol 138 with four rounds to run. Cyril Carrillo (FFM Racing Honda RS125R), replacement rider for Louis Rossi, who qualified 35th finished 28th, said: “We had a good warm up on a dry track and I am all the more disappointed with my race. I didn¹t manage to be fast enough in the qualifying and I paid the price in the race. At the start I found myself in a bad pack and didn’t manage to break away. We made a mistake in our setting for the gearbox and the bike wasn’t working very well, but that’s my fault.” Honda rider quotes. GP Indy race September 14, 2008. MotoGP: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2nd. “Man, it felt really good to be in the lead and I felt quite comfortable. It’s been a long time. I was thinking ‘this only happens in the movies’: your home race, missing the last two and coming back to win. I was able to stay focused but Valentino came past and he had a little more speed, especially in section three. Then when he touched the line onto the back straightaway I was able to make up a little more ground and I thought maybe I was okay. But when it started raining heavy I was in trouble because when it had dried I’d used up a lot of the left side of the tyre, so it got pretty gnarly with all the water. “Sure, you dream about winning your home race, but honestly I shouldn’t be too greedy with how things have been. I’ll take this second and enjoy it. I’d just like to say a big thanks to my team, all my guys, my friends, my family, everyone who’s stuck with me through tough times. Also, thanks to Indy and everyone for making this race happen. It’s a great feeling to be able to race so close to home, I enjoyed it. “I gave the maximum today, I can’t say I left much on the table and that’s how it’s supposed to be. When they stopped the race it was pretty treacherous. It was the right thing to do. Conditions were really tough, especially with the winds because you’d be on a dry line and all of a sudden it’d blow you onto the wet. When they said we were going to do another eight laps, part of me thought ‘hey, let’s line back up and try again’. But I’m not leading the championship, so I’ve got nothing to worry about. A big thanks to the fans too, we only had to be out in the wet for an hour, they’ve been out there since Thursday.” Andrea Dovizioso, JiR Scot Honda: 5th. “I am very pleased with the outcome of today, obtained under conditions that were quite simply incredible. We had intense rain and then a strong wind, which then led to the early conclusion of the race. It was very easy to make mistakes and ruin the race, but I started fast, as often happens with me, and I was quick to take the lead. In fact, in the beginning I wanted to stay in front of everyone. I gave the maximum today to earn the most points possible. The tyres worked well, but today the choice was difficult and we opted for a solution that gave us sufficient confidence. We must further improve with our tyres, and Michelin are working hard to be more efficient. I believe that in different climatic conditions, we could have also fought for the podium.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 8th. “That was a very tough race. I started quite cautiously and then I began to push harder, but in the mid-stages I wasn’t enough fast and I lost some time. Towards the end I found a good pace. Four or five laps before Race Direction stopped the race, the wind got really strong and there was a lot of dirt and debris getting blown on to the track. Finishing eighth is not a good result for me, but considering the conditions I couldn’t do any better. All in all, it has been an important weekend for us. We have gained a lot of experience in both wet and dry conditions which will help in the future, so we will keep working hard. The tyres worked well today and I’m feeling confident for the next race at Motegi in two weeks time.” Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 10th. “Frankly I’m a little disappointed I expected to be very good in the wet today but my rear tyre went off very quickly. Maybe it was too hard for the conditions because the rear end was sliding a lot. After Friday’s wet practice I was very confident but today I could not go forward.” Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 13th. “It was a tough day today. We started with a quite good warm up in the dry and we were optimistic for a dry race. But the conditions were very difficult before the start and I did not get a good start losing five places in the first lap. I struggled from the beginning with lack of grip both front and rear but I tried the best I could trying not to make any mistake. Overall I tried to survive the race and it’s not very clear why we had such a poor grip but we must find a solution for next race in Japan which can potentially be wet.” Shinya Nakano, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 17th. “It was a very difficult race today because I started from the back of the grid and the conditions were terrible. I managed to pass a few riders in the first laps but I could not find a consistent pace. Towards the end I began to understand the conditions better and started to catch the others in front of me but they red flagged the race, it was the right decision. I’m disappointed because in the dry warm up this morning I was fourth fastest so I will keep that positive in mind as I prepare for my home race at Motegi in two weeks.” 125cc: Cyril Carrillo, FFM Honda: 28th. “We had a good warm up on a dry track and I am all the more disappointed with my race. I didn’t manage to be fast enough in the qualifying and I paid the price in the race. At the start I found myself in a bad pack and didn¹t manage to break away. We made a mistake in our setting for the gearbox and the bike wasn’t working very well, but that¹s my fault.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: PEDROSA TAKES EIGHTH IN HURRICANE IKE GP Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Race day, Sunday September 14 2008 Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa was classified eighth in today’s first-ever Indy MotoGP event, run in atrociously wet and windy conditions, due to the arrival of Hurricane Ike. The Spaniard had the toughest-possible conditions for his first race with a totally new technical package: new machine and new tyres. What he needed to accustom himself to his new technical package was consistent conditions that would allow to him to get a feel for his pneumatic-valve RC212V and Bridgestone tyres. But track conditions changed constantly during the weekend with unsettled weather caused by the fast-approaching Hurricane Ike. After heavy rain on Friday and then bright, sunny weather yesterday, the hurricane finally arrived at lunchtime today with strong winds and heavy rain. The race got underway on a wet track, Pedrosa running in sixth place during the opening few laps. In the treacherous conditions he enjoyed a close battle for sixth with Sylvain Guintoli and Chris Vermeulen. As the wind and rain increased during the second half of the race a massive section of trackside signage came adrift, forcing the race to be red flagged. Race Direction briefly considered restarting the race but finally the result was called. Dani Pedrosa, finished 8th, 3rd in World Championship “That was a very tough race. I started quite cautiously and then I began to push harder, but in the mid-stages I wasn’t fast enough and I lost some time. Towards the end I found a good pace. Four or five laps before Race Direction stopped the race, the wind got really strong and there was a lot of dirt and debris getting blown on to the track. Indy and the Race Direction did a good job getting the track ready before the race. Finishing eighth is not a good result for me, but considering the conditions I couldn’t do any better. All in all, it has been an important weekend for us. We have gained a lot of experience in both wet and dry conditions which will help in the future, so we will keep working hard. The tyres worked well today and I’m feeling confident for the next race at Motegi in two weeks time.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “This was a difficult weekend for Dani but he worked incredibly hard and gave his best. He is just starting out with his package of new machine and tyres, so this was a learning weekend, with weather and track conditions changing all the time. I am sure he will be ready to push towards the podium at the next races, starting with Motegi in two weeks time.” More, from another press release issued by Repsol Honda: HURRICANE HAYDEN SECOND IN INDY THRILLER Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Race day, Sunday September 14 2008 Repsol Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden rode a brave race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this afternoon, leading in treacherously wet and windy conditions and finally finishing second. This was Hayden’s first top-three result of the year and he walked to the podium using a walking stick, still suffering from the broken right heel he sustained six weeks ago. Hayden and his RC212V took the lead on lap two from Andrea Dovizioso and then enjoyed a tense duel with Valentino Rossi, who slipped ahead at half distance. For much of the race the pair were comfortably the fastest two riders on the track, then shortly after half-distance conditions deteriorated. The remnants of Hurricane Ike had been battering the circuit since lunch time, when heavy rain and winds hit the Indiana venue, forcing Race Direction to postpone the 250 race. As the wind and rain increased during the second half of the MotoGP race a massive section of trackside signage came adrift, forcing the race to be red flagged. Race Direction briefly considered restarting the race but finally the result was called. Nicky Hayden, finished 2nd, 8th in World Championship “Man, it felt really good to be in the lead and I felt quite comfortable. It’s been a long time. I was thinking ‘this only happens in the movies’: your home race, missing the last two and coming back to win. I was able to stay focused but Valentino came past and he had a little more speed, especially in section three. Then when he touched the line onto the back straightaway I was able to make up a little more ground and I thought maybe I was okay. But when it started raining heavy I was in trouble because when it had dried I’d used up a lot of the left side of the tyre, so it got pretty gnarly with all the water. “Sure, you dream about winning your home race, but honestly I shouldn’t be too greedy with how things have been. I’ll take this second and enjoy it. I’d just like to say a big thanks to my team, all my guys, my friends, my family, everyone who’s stuck with me through tough times. Also, thanks to Indy and everyone for making this race happen. It’s a great feeling to be able to race so close to home, I enjoyed it. “I gave the maximum today, I can’t say I left much on the table and that’s how it’s supposed to be. When they stopped the race it was pretty treacherous. It was the right thing to do. Conditions were really tough, especially with the winds because you’d be on a dry line and all of a sudden it’d blow you onto the wet. When they said we were going to do another eight laps, part of me thought ‘hey, let’s line back up and try again’. But I’m not leading the championship, so I’ve got nothing to worry about. A big thanks to the fans too, we only had to be out in the wet for an hour, they’ve been out there since Thursday.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “That was an excellent race from Nicky in very difficult conditions. He did such a good job, so did his crew and also Michelin. It was great to see him climb the podium at his home race with so many of his fans here. I am sure this result will give him some extra power for the final four races of the year.”