Ducati Corse test rider Niccolo Canepa posted the fastest time on Tuesday, the first day of a two-day MotoGP test, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Riding a Bridgestone-shod Ducati Desmosedici GP8, the 20-year-old FIM 1000cc Superstock Cup Champion lapped the 2.62-mile, 16-turn infield road course in 1:44.176 and said, “We don’t know if the lap time is good, but we have six riders so we have a little bit of comparison. But if we have Valentino Rossi and Stoner here maybe they go faster. We don’t know. I think we did a good job today. I just learned the track this morning. It is a little bit difficult to understand the corners and also it was a little bit dirty this morning. It took many, many laps to clean. I think tomorrow it will be better. I like the circuit. It is different from European circuit, but I like it.” Most of the riders said the brand new portion of the circuit, Turns One through Four, was so slippery Tuesday morning they likened it to riding in the wet. The grip from the previously existing asphalt was much better, but riders found it difficult to ride to one level in the slippery section of track and then ride to a much higher level in the grippy section of track. “It was very slippery,” said Canepa, who was the only rider known to have crashed on the day, sliding off without injury in Turn Seven when he got off the clean line. “Now it is still slippery but better. But this is normal. Two weeks ago we were in Czech Republic [Brno] on the new surface on the old track, and we have the same problem. The first time bikes are on the asphalt it is difficult to find good grip. I think when the riders come here for the race and they do laps, laps, laps and it will be no problem.” Canepa, like most riders at the test, focused on testing tires rather than optimizing the set-up of his motorcycle Tuesday. “I work for Bridgestone Ducati test team, so we have to work a lot for the tires,” the Italian said. “We try to find the better compound and construction tires. We can’t work too much with the set-up because we have no time and we have a lot of tires to try. But I think tomorrow we can work a little bit more to go faster.” Second on the day in terms of lap times but first in terms of number of laps recorded was Ben Spies, who turned a 1:44.227 among the 100 laps he did on his Bridgestone-equipped Rizla Suzuki GSV-R. “I stayed out for one extra one so I could have an even 100,” smiled Spies. “This was the most valuable time I’ve had on the bike, and it was good. We got down to an OK time in the end. We had over race distance on tires and was able to stay consistently at it. I didn’t think I wanted to put a new set on and go blazing. I was getting more comfortable with the bike. The bike was good. I think we stepped it up in a department I wasn’t quite comfortable with and made it better. Hopefully, the other guys will like it. And just got used to the track and tried to get as much seat time as I could.” MotoGP testing will conclude Wednesday, and the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies will test on Thursday. Best Test Times: 1. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:44.176, 83 laps 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:44.227, 100 laps 3. Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:45.274, 79 laps 4. Erwan Nigon (Honda), Michelin, 1:45.274, 75 laps 5. Wataru Yoshikawa (Yamaha), Bridgestone, 1:45.591, 76 laps 6. William Costes (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:46.125, 75 laps 7. Nobuatsu Aoki (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:57.969, 4 laps More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: DUCATI RIDER LEADS FIRST DAY OF HISTORIC MotoGP TEST AT INDY INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 A new sound echoed off the grandstands July 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as riders took to the 2.62-mile road course for the first official MotoGP test in track history. Italian Niccolo Canepa was quickest on the first day of the test, pushing the No. 59 Ducati/Bridgestone to a time of 1 minute, 44.1756 seconds. “It is a beautiful track,” Canepa said. “Just this morning, I got to learn the circuit because it’s new for everybody and it was also a little bit dirty, so we have to clean up the circuit. We did many, many laps this morning, but now in the evening the grip was good, and we found a good setup and good tires to do a good lap time.” Two-time defending AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies, from Longview, Texas, was second with a top lap time of 1:44.2269 on the No. 11 Suzuki/Bridgestone. Spies turned the most laps of any rider on the day, with 100. Seven riders combined to turn a total of 492 laps under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s, preparing bikes and tires for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 12-14. Testing continues from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET) Wednesday, July 2 and is free to the public. Frenchmen Erwan Nigon, on the No. 72 Honda/Michelin, and Olivier Jacque on the No. 19 Kawasaki/Bridgestone equaled one another for third quickest, at 1:45.2738. Wataru Yoshikawa of Japan was fifth on the Yamaha/Bridgestone at 1:45.5916 and William Costes of France was sixth on the Yamaha/Michelin at 1:46.1251. Spies is scheduled to be a wildcard rider at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. He made his MotoGP debut on June 22 with the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team at the British Grand Prix, finishing 14th. “I think it’s going to be a good event and I think there’s going to be a lot of fans here, so I’m just looking forward to seeing all of the American fans here rooting us on,” Spies said of racing in September at IMS. “I’d love to be in the top 10, top five, but that’s going to be pretty tough, so if I can get comfortable on the thing, I think we can do reasonably well. But the issue is trying to get comfortable, and that’s why we’re here. I did 100 laps today and I’m probably going to do another 100 tomorrow, so just the more laps, the better for me and try to run with those guys.” Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki of Japan turned only four laps for the day, but he holds the distinction of being the first MotoGP rider to turn an official test lap on the IMS road course, when he took to the track just after the 10 a.m. scheduled start. 2006 MotoGP World Champion and Repsol Honda Team rider Nicky Hayden turned a number of ceremonial laps April 7 at IMS, christening the new course on a 1909 Indian motorcycle and 2008 Honda CBR 1000 production bike. *** MotoGP TEST RESULTS, JULY 1, INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Pos. Rider Country Time Total Laps Manufacturer 1. Niccolo Canepa Italy 1:44.1756 83 Ducati 2. Ben Spies USA 1:44.2269 100 Suzuki 3. Olivier Jacque France 1:45.2738 75 Kawasaki 4. Erwan Nigon France 1:45.2738 79 Honda 5. Wataru Yoshikawa Japan 1:45.5916 76 Yamaha 6. William Costes France 1:46.1251 75 Yamaha 7. Nobuatsu Aoki Japan 1:57.9687 4 Suzuki *** MotoGP TEST RIDER QUOTES: BEN SPIES (No. 11 Suzuki/Bridgestone): (About first visit to IMS and initial impressions of track): “Yeah, it’s good. I think there’s a couple little things they can improve, but I also think the people at the track are definitely going to go for that and make it happen for the race and fix what’s needed to be fixed to make it better. For the first time on the track, I think it’s a pretty good starting point, and we’ll throw some ideas at them and see if they can get it worked out for the race time, and I think everything will be good.” (On the most important things he’s learned today): “Not so much the track for me. It’s just that this is a new motorcycle for me so I’m just trying to do as many laps as I can, and that’s about it. The track, after a few laps you learn it no matter what, so just trying to get more comfortable on the bike. In the end, we’re getting faster and faster so it was a pretty good day.” (On his goals for the MotoGP races in the United States): “I’d love to be in the top 10, top five, but that’s going to be pretty tough so if I can get comfortable on the thing, I think we can do reasonably well but the issue is trying to get comfortable and that’s why we’re here. I did 100 laps today and I’m probably going to do another 100 tomorrow so, just the more laps, the better for me and try to run with those guys.” (On what he’s most looking forward to about coming back and racing at IMS in September): “Just being in America for a GP. I think it’s going to be a good event and I think there’s going to be a lot of fans here, so I’m just looking forward to seeing all of the American fans here rooting us on.” NICCOLO CANEPA (No. 59 Ducati/Bridgestone): “It is a beautiful track. Just this morning, I got to learn the circuit because it’s new for everybody and it was also a little bit dirty, so we have to clean up the circuit. We did many, many laps this morning, but now in the evening the grip was good, and we found a good setup and good tires to do a good lap time. I’m happy also because I’m faster today than Ben Spies, the American, so I’m happy. But we will see tomorrow because we have a lot of work to do, and we will see. I think that the lap times will be better, for sure.” (On being quickest and some things that can be improved on for tomorrow): “I don’t know. We did a little bit of setup. The bike is still not good, but we have to work tomorrow. I don’t know what I did better than the other guys, but I have learned the secret better. I’m younger, so I think I’m ready to be more crazy than the others.” WILLIAM COSTES (Yamaha/Michelin): “The circuit is very well, and it was difficult today because it was hot. The grip improved throughout the day, and we did a lot of testing of the tire and found some solutions. The track is very beautiful and different than anything we know. The banking is unbelievable; I did not know of that before. We are happy to be here, and I think we can do better tomorrow.” (On frontstretch speed): “I don’t know exactly, but I would say around 300 kilometers (188 mph) and maybe more. The straight was very long, but the last corner is very slow. If we got out of the turn better, we could probably go 320 (km) or so.” OLIVIER JACQUE (No. 19 Kawasaki/Bridgestone): “The track was not difficult to get used to. It took maybe 10 laps. The track is quite short, and the biggest problem was getting used to riding against the wall. The frontstretch was very slippery this morning. At the end of the day, it was getting better, not perfect, but it was really tricky in the morning. It’s quite funny to ride against the wall because that would never happen in our circuit. Now, I’m only 1 meter from the wall, so you really appreciate the speed. I was not happy during the day with our setup, so tomorrow we will concentrate more on our chassis setup.” ERWAN NIGON (No. 72 Honda/ Michelin, Honda Racing): “The track is very special. It’s an American track, and it is very interesting for me. The first few corners are very small for me, and it is dirty outside the white line. This is the first time for me to arrive in America, and I like it. This is a dream.” (On seeing the fans out today): “It was very nice to see, and I was happy they were all out there. It was perfect.” WATARU YOSHIKAWA (Yamaha/Bridgestone, Yamaha Factory team): “I was scared a little because there was a low level of grip in the fast section in the first few turns.” (On grip improving throughout the day): “The grip was getting better and better as the day went on and it got hotter.” (On the length of the frontstretch): “I feel good on the long straight, but this straight is longer than any other Grand Prix track. When there is grip in the first corner, it is fast.” (On fans attending the test today): “I saw many fans around the track, and a Grand Prix allows people to see many riders and many motorcycles, so I hope the fans come and see this Grand Prix.” MotoGP TEST FAN QUOTES: Hundreds of MotoGP fans took advantage of perfect weather to get a first taste of 800cc MotoGP bikes at the “Racing Capital of the World.” A sampling of quotes from fans who attended the test: STEVE SEMENICK (Indianapolis): “We just wanted to see what was going on today. We come for the Indianapolis 500, the (Allstate 400 at the) Brickyard and the Formula One race, so we enjoy coming here. We’re going to check out this race at least once. A lot of tracks around us trying to imitate what the Speedway does, and what do they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?” CHAD ANDERSON (Muncie, Ind.): “I have never seen these bikes before. I knew they raced out in California and I’ve watched them on SPEED, but I heard there was going to open practice today, so I thought I would check it out. Watching them is pretty impressive; it’s something I would like to do myself some day. I’ve seen the ‘500’ several times and been to the (Allstate 400 at the) Brickyard, and it’s just a great venue. You can watch the race from so many different perspectives and angles. I just love coming down here.” DAN MOULDER (Speedway, Ind.): “I have had a mini-bike, this was in the third grade, and just got back into riding a year and a half ago. We live three blocks from the track and heard the GP was coming here, so I took the day off today and came over since the public was invited. I used to live out in New Mexico and had a little Ninja 250, and I obviously did not get as good as these guys, but watching them through the turns here, I remember when I used to get my foot on the pavement in the turns. It is kind of amazing how just a couple of square inches of rubber is all that is keeping them from going off the track.” ROBERT WILLIAMS (Columbus, Ohio): “We’ve been thinking about this everyday; we’re just bikers. We are members of the DesmOhio Ducati Club, and we call each other everyday and talk about Indy. It’s exciting stuff. We have a passion for this and a love of the sport, and this is just the pinnacle and the best. Last place is one of the most awesome riders in the world. I also wanted to come to figure out where was the best place to sit. I really appreciate the Speedway letting us in here and not charging, that was great.” BRANT BARLOW (Columbus, Ohio): “We had a van and all rode over together so we could split the fuel costs, but I debated riding over. I own a couple of Ducatis and a Honda sport bike, and it’s somewhat similar to these, but this technology is far and above anything we have.” *** Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: Tickets are on sale for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, 2008. Tickets can be purchased either online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time; on the phone by calling (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; or visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office on the first floor of the IMS Administration Building at 4790 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. All tickets for this event are three-day tickets, with both reserved and general admission seating available.