FIM MotoGP World Championship Brno, Czech Republic August 16, 2009 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), 43:08.991, 22 laps 2. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), -11.766 seconds 3. Toni ELIAS (Honda), -20.756 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda), -21.418 5. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki), -21.538 6. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati), -25.544 7. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), -25.676 8. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda), -34.109 9. James TOSELAND (Yamaha), -35.617 10. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda), -39.824 11. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), -40.776 12. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati), -50.661 13. Gabor TALMACSI (Honda), -59.188 14. Mika KALLIO (Ducati), -2 laps, DNF, crash 15. Marco MELANDRI (Kawasaki), -2 laps, DNF, crash 16. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha), -5 laps, DNF, crash 17. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati), -16 laps, DNF, retired World Championship Point Standings (After 11 of 17 races): 1. Rossi, 212 points 2. Lorenzo, 162 3. Casey Stoner, 150 4. Pedrosa, 135 5. Edwards, 112 6. Dovizioso, 107 7. De Puniet, 80 8. Melandri, 79 9. Capirossi, 77 10. Vermeulen, 72 11. De Angelis, 68 12. Elias, 63 13. Toseland, 62 14. Hayden, 57 15. Kallio, 34 16. Canepa, 32 17. Sete Gibernau, 12 18. Yuki Takahashi, 9 19. Talmacsi, 8 More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Rossi takes fifth win of season; Bridgestone breaks track records Round 11: Czech Republic GP Race Automotodrom Brno, Sunday 16 August 2009 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front Hard, Extra hard. Rear Medium, Hard Valentino Rossi made the best use of his extra hard front and hard rear Bridgestone slicks to score his fifth victory of the season in convincing fashion. Before his teammate Jorge Lorenzo crashed out five laps from the flag, the Fiat Yamaha duo had recorded a combined total of 29 laps each faster than the previous lap record set in 2008. On Bridgestone’s slicks, the pace was very fast all weekend. In qualifying Rossi set a new pole position best, and using the harder of Bridgestone’s compound options during the race the Italian’s pace was sufficient to set a total race time 20 seconds faster than that of last year. On lap 16, amid the fierce battle for the lead, Jorge Lorenzo claimed a new lap record. Next to cross the line was Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa in second place, collecting 20 all-important points as he closes the championship gap to the absent Casey Stoner who is currently in third position overall. Brno did bring another battle to the flag, but this time it was for third position as three riders, all using Bridgestone’s harder option slicks, fought for the final podium spot. San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Toni Elias led the pack for most of the race to clinch third and his best result of the season. The Spaniard finished just over half a second ahead of Honda stable-mate Andrea Dovizioso, who in turn was just 0.12 seconds clear of a resurgent Loris Capirossi of the Rizla Suzuki Team. Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport Manager Motorcycle Sport Unit “Again we saw some great battles today, particularly for the lead and also for third. The fight between Valentino and Jorge was very exciting to see as it was at such a high level and the pair both broke the previous circuit lap record many times in the process. There was also a good fight for third between Toni, Andrea and Loris. I must congratulate Toni and the San Carlo team for their best result of this season, and it is great to see Loris and the Suzuki Team fighting for a podium again.” Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development “I am pleased with the performance of our slick tyres this weekend because we have seen one new record set using each compound. Valentino set the pole position best on Bridgestone tyres using the softer compound rear, and today in the race Jorge set the lap record using the harder compound slicks. Valentino’s overall race time also shows the good consistency and durability of our harder tyres this weekend so I am happy. The times show that our selected tyre compounds worked well this weekend.” Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team Race Winner “Together with my team we changed something on the bike to provide me a better feeling with the front tyre, so I started a little bit blind. I have to use the fantastic lap of yesterday with the soft tyre and try to start in front. I saw the bike was like I wanted so I say “now I push to the maximum”. Unfortunately for him Jorge made a mistake and from that moment it was a lot more relaxed. It is very good for us because 50 points of advantage is an important advantage.” Top ten classification (Sunday 14:00 GMT+2) Pos. Rider Team Race time Gap Front tyre Rear tyre 1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 43m08.991s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 43m20.757s +11.766s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 3 Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m29.747s +20.756s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 43m30.409s +21.418s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 5 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 43m30.529s +21.538s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 6 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 43m34.535s +25.544s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 7 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech3 43m34.667s +25.676s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 8 Alex de Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m43.100s +34.109s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 9 James Toseland Monster Yamaha Tech3 43m44.608s +35.617s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick 10 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 43m48.815s +39.824s Extra hard Hard Bridgestone slick Weather: Dry. Ambient 27°C; Track 48°C ( Bridgestone measurement) More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Capirossi and Rizla Suzuki narrowly miss Brno podium Rizla Suzuki racer Loris Capirossi missed a podium position at today’s Czech Republic Grand Prix by less than a second as he battled to the line to try and repeat his third place from last year. Capirossi had a fantastic first lap that saw him storm into sixth place from ninth on the grid. He stuck with Toni Elias and Andrea Dovizioso for the whole race and although he made a couple of attempts to get past them he never found the opportunity to make an overtaking manoeuvre stick. When Jorge Lorenzo crashed whilst leading, the trio of riders knew a podium was up for grabs and they all fought to take that third place On the last lap Capirossi used his wealth of experience to try and get through, but narrowly missed out on the line, bringing his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R home in fifth to equal his best result of the season. Team-mate Chris Vermeulen didn’t have such an eventful race. After getting blocked on the first lap and losing a lot of places, he found himself relegated to 15th after starting from 11th. He fought his way past a couple of riders and also benefitted from a crash between two other riders, to bring his bike home in 11th place and score some much needed championship points. Today’s race was held in hot and sunny conditions with temperatures reaching 29ºC. A huge crowd of over 138,000 people baked in the sun as World Champion Valentino Rossi coolly took his fifth win of the season to strengthen his lead in the title race. Rizla Suzuki will now stay in Brno for a day of testing tomorrow, before it heads over the Atlantic to the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday 30th August. Loris Capirossi: “Overall it has been a good day for us, because we have been able to fight the whole weekend and were nearly rewarded with a podium. We had a big problem with chatter and we managed to resolve that for the race. We made the right choice of tyre today, but a couple of times I nearly lost the front which meant I didn’t quite have the right feeling and that caused me to lose a bit of time. I managed to clean off the tyre by riding a bit less aggressive and then I was able to push again right till the end of the race. I lost out a bit to the other guys in front of me on acceleration and it was then difficult to overtake on the brakes because I was never quite close enough – even though I was faster through the corners. I really want to say a huge thank-you to the whole team because their effort this weekend was fantastic. I also want to thank Suzuki for giving us the chance to comeback with a better package; this is a really good thing and will help us for the rest of the season.” Chris Vermeulen: “I got quite a good start, but on turn one I got blocked and was then passed by a few people – that’s what you get I suppose when you start from the fourth row of the grid! I then got pushed very wide on the first lap and lost a few more places. Everybody was going very quickly and it took me quite a few laps to get past the guys in front that I had more speed than and by then the main pack was well away in front. I am a bit disappointed with my own performance, I couldn’t get down to the lap-times I expected to do. I kept pushing till the end and gave it 100% and caught up to De Puniet and Toseland near the end, but there was not enough laps left to get past. We got some points from today, but it hasn’t been a great weekend again for us. We have made a significant step with the bike and I am looking forward to the test tomorrow and then getting to some good tracks for me and Suzuki.” Paul Denning – Team Manager: “We’d hoped that the changes that Suzuki introduced here in Brno would help our performance – and despite a difficult weekend with a number of problems – it was certainly the case for Loris. We have managed to get back to a more competitive situation and that is a positive to take away from here. The gap in pace to the factory Yamahas was far too big, but aside from that Loris’s speed was quite competitive and the result was helped by an awesome first lap by him to force his way into the top-six. The podium was in sight and Loris was apologetic to the team and frustrated that he couldn’t get there, but we now need to keep concentrating on the performance of the GSV-R on this 22-lap run, because it gives us some great data for the rest of the season. “Chris had a difficult race, as he has been unable to find a comfortable rhythm all weekend. The team is now really glad that we have a test tomorrow where Chris and Loris will run through a significant test programme, but more importantly we need to boost Chris’s confidence and give him a positive outlook for the next few races.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI ROMPS TO VICTORY & ALL-TIME PODIUM RECORD, BUT LORENZO CRASHES OUT AT BRNO Valentino Rossi put in a faultless display to claim his fifth win of the season at Brno today, 13 years almost to the day after he took the first of his 102 Grand Prix wins. The Italian’s 160th career podium also moves him ahead of Giacomo Agostini to top the all-time podium list. It was a devastating day for his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, as the Spaniard crashed out with just five laps to go when sparring with Rossi at the front. A stunning day in the Czech Republic saw 130,000 fans make the trip to watch what was expected to be another thrilling duel between the Yamaha pair. Rossi got a great start from pole position but Lorenzo, starting alongside him, dropped a couple of positions and had to battle back to take third first time around. On lap four the Mallorcan moved past Dani Pedrosa to claim second and he and Rossi gradually began to clear a gap from Pedrosa and the chasing pack. The middle part of the race was largely uneventful, with Rossi retaining a more or less consistent gap of about half a second from his team-mate, but just after the half way point Lorenzo improved his rhythm and suddenly started to look threatening. The two were by now pushing each other hard, lapping nearly two seconds faster than the other riders and on lap 17 Lorenzo made his move, passing Rossi early on to claim the lead and set the fastest lap of the race. The crowd was gearing up for a tense finale but on the next lap Lorenzo made a mistake in braking, ran wide and lost the front, sliding into the gravel to leave Rossi 14 seconds clear at the front. All the 30-year-old had to do then was bring his M1 safely home which he duly did, easing up to cross the line 11.766 seconds ahead of Pedrosa, with Toni Elias back in third. Another 25 points for Rossi and zero for Lorenzo means he is now 50 points clear at the top of the championship, whilst Lorenzo stays second, 12 points ahead of the absent Stoner and 27 ahead of Pedrosa. The next stop for the team is the Indianapolis Grand Prix in two weeks time. Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 43’08.991 “This is a very important victory for us! Jorge had shown all weekend that he was very strong and, when we still weren’t feeling perfect after the warm-up, we decided to make one more small modification to improve the feeling with the front and the result was brilliant; my Yamaha really flew today. I got a good start and I was able to ride exactly how I wanted, using all of the track to get the best lines. At the end, when Jorge passed me, I thought that the fight was starting and I was really ready for it, but then he made a mistake and crashed. Of course I’m sorry; it’s really bad for him but I have to say that it’s great for us because now we have an advantage of 50 points with six races to go. However it would be very stupid to relax now because Jorge is very strong and for sure we expect another hard fight with him in Indianapolis. Today I arrived at the top of the all-time podium list and I’m very proud of this, especially here at Brno where I took my first victory 13 years ago! Thanks to Yamaha and my team for today, it was a great win.” Jorge Lorenzo Position: DNF Time: “I got a bad start and had to get by some people, and then I just didn’t have the same pace that I’d had all weekend. I was slower than in the practices and it really wasn’t what I was expecting. Unfortunately for me Valentino was just as strong as he’d been all weekend and I had to push very, very hard to stay with him. Towards the end I began to close the gap and after I passed him I was doing everything to stay in front, but then I made a mistake and crashed. There’s nothing more I can say except that I’m so sorry to the team and to Yamaha and I will do everything I can to make it up in America.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “We’re very sorry for Jorge today, because we were all hoping for another exciting battle in the final laps and I am sure it would have been a great show for the public. Today Valentino rode like a magician and again the Yamaha has been shown to be the best bike on the track. A big thanks to all the team for their work because once again they were able to provide Valentino with a bike that he was very comfortable on and happy with. Now we have a 50-point advantage but we can never stop pushing because I am sure that at the next race Jorge will be out for revenge! We are looking forward to meeting our friends from Yamaha Motor US again this year and we want to continue with the same rhythm and performance in America. Tomorrow we have a day’s testing and we will start on our development for 2010, giving Valentino the chance to try a new chassis and a new engine specification as potential solutions for next year’s bike.” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “Today was a great disappointment because after such good practice sessions we had high hopes for a great race. Of course Jorge’s target today was to try to beat Valentino in order to close the gap in the standings and so he was doing everything he could. He got past him but Valentino was still very close behind, putting a lot of pressure on Jorge and unfortunately he made a mistake and crashed. It will be another important lesson for him and we are confident that he will learn from it continue to be just as fast and to keep improving. He’s got many more races to show his potential so now we will get back to work with a day’s testing tomorrow and make sure we’re in the best shape possible for Indianapolis.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: REPSOL HONDAS SECOND AND FOURTH AT BRNO Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa took a clear second place in the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic today, and his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso fought hard to join him on the podium – eventually finishing in a close fourth position. Pedrosa shot from his third place grid slot into the lead through the first two corners before slipping back to second behind Valentino Rossi. The 23-year-old Spaniard looked capable of taking the fight to Rossi in the initial laps and managed to keep Jorge Lorenzo behind him until lap four when his compatriot snuck past. From then on Pedrosa consolidated third place as the front pair escaped. When Lorenzo fell with five laps to go however, a grateful Pedrosa inherited second place and came home with a comfortable 10s gap to third. Pedrosa’s RC212V was also consistently fastest through the speed traps this weekend, recording a maximum speed of 302.6km/h (188mph). The battle for that third place was intense and involved the Repsol Honda of Dovizioso and the Gresini Honda of Toni Elias. Dovizioso rode with passion and commitment, passing Elias several times in the closing laps as he sought to follow up his win at the last race at Donington Park with a podium at Brno. However, the Italian just lost out to his fellow Honda rider and brought his RC212V home in fourth – a result which saw three Hondas in the top four places. With Lorenzo gone, Valentino Rossi rode to a lonely victory today. The strong result for Repsol Honda cements the team’s second place in the Team World Championship standings. Tomorrow the factory Honda squad will join the rest of the MotoGP field back at Brno for the final day’s testing of the 2009 season. DANI PEDROSA 2nd World Championship position: 4th – 135 points “At the start of the race I pushed really hard to stay with the leaders and for the first few laps I was with them. Then they kept getting faster on every lap and, though I was pushing to the maximum, I couldn’t maintain that sort of pace today. So for the rest of the race I just had to concentrate on not making a mistake because there was a big gap in front of me and also behind me. Second place is a good result for me and the team, though obviously we would have wanted to be closer to front-running pace. It’s great to finish a race on the podium and feel in good physical condition after the problems I had in the first part of the season – especially because it was very hot out there today and this is a demanding track. We have a test tomorrow and it is going to be really important for us to work on the areas we still have to improve so that we can challenge for wins again.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO 4th World Championship position: 6th – 107 points “I was riding really hard out there and I had a tough battle for third place in the last few laps. From the start I tried to stay with Dani and the leaders but it wasn’t possible. The gap to Elias was always small and my pace was very similar to his which made it very difficult to overtake him. I tried really hard in the middle of the race without any success and then in the last few laps the front-end grip dropped off a little and to overtake Toni I had to take some risks. I really wanted that podium finish so I was pushing very hard, and also I had Capirossi behind who was putting a lot of pressure on too. Fourth is not a bad result but I can’t say that I’m satisfied with the result today. Still there is a day of testing tomorrow and this will give us a chance to make improvements to our machine package and prepare for the next races.” KAZUHIKO YAMANO – REPSOL HONDA TEAM MANAGER “Both riders fought hard today and second and fourth places for the team reflects a useful weekend at Brno. We have mixed feelings because it would have been nice to see two Repsol Honda riders on the podium, and for a while it looked like that might happen. In the end though, Andrea just missed out and of course he’s frustrated not to follow up his Donington win with another top-three finish. Tomorrow we will work flat out to close the gap to our rivals. This is the goal the whole team is focused on.” More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Double top ten for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in Brno The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team scored a double top ten finish in today’s Czech Republic MotoGP race in front of nearly 140,000 sun drenched fans at the Brno circuit. Starting from the second row of the grid, Edwards posed a persistent threat for the top six throughout a gruelling 22-lap race that saw temperatures that nudged 30 degrees. Chasing a group in front battling for fourth that included Toni Elias, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi, Edwards lapped nearly a second faster on lap seven to get to within 0.7s of the intense battle. Unable to remain in close contact with the battle ahead, Edwards was left to fend off the determin ed challenge of fellow American Nicky Hayden. Still less than 100 per cent fit after an illness earlier in the weekend, the 35-year-old produced a superb performance, holding Hayden at bay until lap 18. He tried to mount a late counter attack on Hayden to secure his fifth top six finish of the season, but he had to settle for seventh, losing out to Hayden by just 0.1s. British rider James Toseland produced a typically determined ride, the 28-year-old making up two places on the first lap as he set about mounting a top ten challenge from 14th on the grid. Growing in confidence after some early front-end issues, Toseland settled into a consistent pace and he eventually finished in a respectable ninth place, just over 1.5s away from Alex de Angelis in eighth. Colin Edwards 7th 112 points “That was a pretty tough race. Right from the start of the weekend I said I thought my engine felt a bit flat and today I couldn’t do anything. I was getting passed easily and I couldn’t stay in the slipstream at all. I could do the lap time but I couldn’t race them. I couldn’t get within ten bike lengths at the end of the straight but then I’d nearly be running into the back of them at the exit of the corner because I was trying to make up all the time on the brakes and on corner speed. I lost the group with Toni, Andrea and Loris for a bit early on but I only came back at them for a while because I was pushing the front so hard. I got the right side of the front tyre way too hot and after that I kept losing the front. I was nearly running into them in the middle of the corner but I couldn’t get close enough to pass them on the brakes going in. At the end I was locked in a battle with Nicky but I think I could have been behind him all day and not be able to pass him. I got another load of points and I was close to the top six, but I’ve been beating those guys in front of me consistently all year and that’s a pity because maybe I could have got another podium today. I’m back home again for Indianapolis next time out and I’ll be looking for a much better weekend.” James Toseland 9th 62 points “It has been a tough weekend and I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit fortunate to get into the top ten. I rode as hard as I could every lap and never gave up but at the moment I’m struggling with a problem with the front for the first half of the race. I get a hopping sensation on the front and it really hurts my corner speed. We’ve been struggling with it for a while now but after half distance, how the feeling comes better is unbelievable. It’s almost like somebody is tweaking my bike while I’m riding because it improves so much. On lap 20 I did a 58.4, which is only one tenth off my qualifying time, so it shows how good the bike eventually feels. But I lose so much in the first half of the race that it really costs me. My pace in the second half of the race should be getting me in the top six. If we can solve this front-end issue then I know I can be running much higher up the field, which is where the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team deserves to be.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager “You can’t be disappointed when both Colin and James finish inside the top ten having given their maximum again in what was a demanding race. But it was a little bit disappointing, particularly for Colin who was doing very well all weekend. I don’t think he was 100 per cent still after his illness but it was another strong result for him. James again was much better in the race than he was in practice and I’m pleased that he put in a lot of effort in the second half of the race. If he can sol ve some of the problems he’s experiencing I’m convinced we will see him achieving much better results. Now we move to Indianapolis which is an important race for Colin, for Yamaha and for our sponsor Monster, so hopefully we can be fighting back closer to the top five. I’d like to congratulate Valentino because he again proved he is the master. Yamaha was unbelievably strong again today and it was just a shame Jorge crashed because everybody was looking forward to a strong fight for the world championship to the end.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Valentino Rossi got the best of his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo again at the Cardion ab Czech Republic Grand Prix on Sunday with the young Spaniard crashing out with five laps to go, as the pair battled for the race lead, handing Rossi a 50-point title advantage with six races to go. In front of a crowd of nearly 140,000 fans the Fiat Yamaha duo had built up a ten second lead over the rest of the field but with Lorenzo desperate for points after his Donington DNF the 22 year-old from Mallorca pushed too hard again and slid out, with Rossi eventually finishing more than 11 seconds ahead of second placed Dani Pedrosa. Behind Pedrosa, two more Honda riders, Toni Elías and Andrea Dovizioso, dueled for the final podium slot, with San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Elías just outdoing Repsol Honda’s Dovizioso. Repeating his 2008 Brno podium was a perfect reaction from Elías as he learned this weekend that he has lost his current MotoGP ride for next year. Just over a tenth of a second behind his compatriot Dovizioso there was a morale-boosting result for Loris Capirossi in fifth place for the Rizla Suzuki team. Nicky Hayden, meanwhile, bolstered his confidence in sixth, from eighth on the grid. Hayden’s countryman Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) will be disappointed to have ended up seventh after qualifying fifth and both Americans will be looking for top five results at the next round in Indianapolis. The Brno top ten was completed by Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini), James Toseland (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda). Mika Kallio and Marco Melandri were left bickering in the gravel after the pair crashed out when vying for the same piece of asphalt on the penultimate lap and both riders hit the deck. 250cc MotoGP-bound Marco Simoncelli was in great form in the 250cc race as he took a third 2009 win. The Italian produced a World Champion’s performance from pole position, leading for most of the race and eventually crossing the finishing line just over half a second ahead of his compatriot Mattia Pasini (Team Toth Aprilia), who had tried to chase him down from seventh on the grid. Metis Gilera rider Simoncelli managed his tyre durability intelligently as track temperatures reached 51°C, whilst things tightened up in the standings as Álvaro Bautista (Mapfre Aspar Team) and leader Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Racing Team) finished third and fourth respectively. Simoncelli now trails Aoyama by just 32 points and Bautista by 20 points, with six races remaining. In a strange incident on the warm down lap Bautista crashed his Aprilia prototype, causing considerable damage, as he lost control whilst pulling a celebratory wheelie in front of the fans. The top ten also featured Roberto Locatelli (Metis Gilera), Raffaele de Rosa (Scot Racing), Héctor Barberá (Pepe World Team), Jules Cluzel (Matteoni Racing), Mike di Meglio (Mapfre Aspar) and Héctor Faubel (Valencia CF – Honda SAG). 125cc In the 125cc class Nico Terol (Jack & Jones Team) continued his excellent recent form to secure his first 2009 victory ahead of World Championship leader Julián Simón (Bancaja Aspar). Having finished in the top five at the previous five consecutive rounds, Terol deserved the win as he rode brilliantly at the front, from second on the grid. Holding off Simón on the last lap, he crossed the line 0.168s ahead of his Spanish compatriot. The result extended Simón’s championship advantage to 54.5 points, with Terol moving into second place in the standings. Pole man Andrea Iannone (Ongetta Team I.S.P.A.) was not quite able to match the pace of the front two as he rode a lonely race in third place to complete the podium, eight seconds behind Terol. It was a similar case for Bradley Smith (Bancaja Aspar) who survived an early scare to ride a solitary race and pick up fourth place, thus conceding further points to Simón in the title fight. Pol Espargaró (Derbi Racing Team) and Sandro Cortese (Ajo Interwetten) battled for fifth place right at the death with the Spanish rider getting the better of the German by just 0.06s. The FIM MotoGP World Championship’s next event is an exciting visit to the U.S. for the second ever Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time (28th-30th August). More, from a press release issued by Honda: PEDROSA AND ELIAS ON BRNO PODIUM Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) scored a solid second-place finish at Brno this afternoon, the Spaniard joined in the top three by compatriot Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) who visited the podium for the first time this season. The two RC212V riders had very different races, Pedrosa alone for most of the 22 laps, Elias fighting all the way to beat British GP winner Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and Loris Capirossi (Suzuki). For the second race in a row, there were three Hondas in the top four. The 11th round of the 2009 series was won by Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) whose team-mate Jorge Lorenzo slid off while just ahead of the reigning World Champion. Pedrosa made his customary stunning start, roaring past Rossi into the first turn but conceding first place two corners later. When Lorenzo too came past three laps later Pedrosa gradually slipped back to run his own race in third. Then five laps from the chequered flag Lorenzo fell, shortly after taking the lead from Rossi, putting Pedrosa back into second place. Pedrosa was happy that he finished the race in good physical shape only recently has he been able to undertake his full training regime following injuries sustained earlier in the year. Pedrosa and team-mate Dovizioso test at Brno tomorrow, along with the rest of the MotoGP pack, and they know the one-day session will be crucial to help them improve their pace for the final six races of 2009. The factory RC212V certainly has brilliant top-end performance, Pedrosa heading the top-speed charts this weekend at 302.6km/h. Lorenzo’s crash added an extra surge of excitement to the entertaining contest between Elias, Dovizioso and Capirossi who were now fighting for the final slot on the podium. Dovizioso tried everything he could to get past Elias and he did get ahead for a lap in the closing stages, then surviving a major slide that had his left foot off the footpeg. The following lap Elias slipped past the Italian once again and held his advantage to the flag. Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) spent the first half of the race battling for sixth place with Colin Edwards (Yamaha), Nicky Hayden (Ducati) and Mika Kallio (Ducati, subbing for the absent Casey Stoner), but things got complicated for the San Marino rider when a butterfly flew inside his helmet, causing him vision problems and losing him several places. De Angelis crossed the line in eighth place after Kallio and Marco Melandri (Kawasaki) collided and crashed on the last corner of the race. Tenth place went to Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), the Frenchman riding a hero’s race just one week after breaking his left ankle in a motocross fall. De Puniet’s ankle is fixed with six screws and when he’s not on his bike he’s using crutches to get about. His race was the toughest of his career and remarkable too 11th on the first lap, he was in the thick of the pack chasing seventh place until the injury really took its toll. Unable to put the kind of pressure through his left footpeg to steer his RC212V as he normally would, de Puniet had to use more upper body strength to get through the corners. Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) enjoyed a busy first few laps, overtaking several rivals, but his pace dropped when he began to run short of rear grip. Talma and his crew will focus on this issue during tomorrow’s tests. Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Honda) maintained his 250 World Championship lead with a determined ride to fourth place. Aoyama always knew that Brno would be a challenging race, but the Japanese star rode superbly as ever to finish a close fourth, just behind main title rival Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia). The pair are now separated by 12 points with six races remaining. Today’s race was won by reigning World Champion Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) who lies third in the title chase, 32 points behind Aoyama. Aoyama did briefly lead the 20 lap event, getting ahead on lap three, but he didn’t quite have the straight-line speed to stay out front and thus lost places as the race went on. Raffaele De Rosa (Scot Honda) impressed once again with a great ride to sixth place, his third finish inside the top six in his rookie 250 season. The Italian came through from tenth on lap one to chase down the second group. He spent the final laps locked in a duel with former 125 World Champion Roberto Locatelli (Gilera), just losing out to the veteran performer. De Rosa rates the result as his best yet. Hector Faubel (Valencia CF-Honda SAG) and Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT-SAG) both rode excellent races. The Spaniard and the Thai ace were together for much of the 20 laps, chasing Jules Cluzel (Aprilia) for an eighth-place finish. But both men suffered from a lack of speed, Faubel demoted to tenth place three laps from the flag and Wilairot ending the afternoon 11th, just over a tenth behind his team-mate. Today was a great day for Team CIP Honda, the French outfit getting both its riders in the points for the first time, Shoya Tomizawa (Team CIP Honda) in 13th and Valentin Debise (Team CIP Honda) in 15th. Tomizawa showed his talent once more with a spirited ride for his third consecutive points score. The Brno first-timer only had two and a half hours of practice here after losing time yesterday morning following a crash. He made a steady start, slightly unnerved by a first corner crash involving Thomas Luthi (Aprilia) and Karel Abraham (Aprilia). Valentin Debise (Team CIP Honda) scored the last point in 15th place after overcoming Axel Pons (Aprilia) on the final lap. Like Tomizawa, this was Debise’s first race at Brno. The Frenchman also fell yesterday and struggled in the early stages of the race before getting into a good rhythm. This was his third World Championship score of the season. Bastien Chesaux (Racing Team Germany Honda) was in the hunt for his second points score when he crashed out with eight laps to go. Chesaux had been battling with Debise when the rear let go. He suffered a gashed finger on his right hand. HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), second-place finisher, said: “At the start of the race I pushed really hard to stay with the leaders and for the first few laps I was with them. Then they kept getting faster on every lap and, though I was pushing to the maximum, I couldn’t maintain that sort of pace today. So for the rest of the race I just had to concentrate on not making a mistake because there was a big gap in front of me and also behind me. Second place is a good result for me and the team, though obviously we would have wanted to be closer to front-running pace. It’s great to finish a race on the podium and feel in good physical condition after the problems I had in the first part of the season especially because it was very hot out there today and this is a demanding track. We have a test tomorrow and it is going to be really important for us to work on the areas we still have to improve so that we can challenge for wins again.” Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini), third-place finisher, said: “This is a fantastic result for me. The team have done a great job all weekend from the first session on Friday right up to the end of qualifying yesterday we have been improving the bike and we were able to put ourselves in the position to capitalise on Jorge’s crash. It was like a present to me because we never expected to be able to break up the top three riders today they have been at a different level all weekend but we know anything can happen in racing. Everybody knows my future is unclear at the moment but I hope this sends out the right message. I am a rider who finishes on the podium year in year out and I will keep pushing to show my worth at Indianapolis. I know my team will back me up because they have worked so hard for me so far and I want to thank them for that. We want to keep this going until the end of the season.” Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), fourth-place finisher, said: “I was riding really hard out there and I had a tough battle for third place in the last few laps. From the start I tried to stay with Dani and the leaders but it wasn’t possible. The gap to Elias was always small and my pace was very similar to his which made it very difficult to overtake him. I tried really hard in the middle of the race without any success and then in the last few laps the grip dropped off a little and to overtake Toni I had to take some risks. I really wanted that podium finish so I was pushing very hard, and also I had Capirossi behind who was putting a lot of pressure on too. Fourth is not a bad result but I can’t say that I’m satisfied with the result today. Still, there is a day of testing tomorrow and this will give us a chance to make improvements to our machine package and prepare for the next races.” Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini), eighth-place finisher, said: “I set a target of a top eight today so I am satisfied to achieve that but it could have been so much better. I was comfortable running with Edwards, Hayden and the others until I suddenly got a butterfly trapped in my helmet. It was flapping around in front of my eyes and I couldn’t see a thing! When it finally settled down I was able to focus again but my chance had gone. At the moment I’m not feeling too well and I have some pain in my back so I am heading straight to the Clinica Mobile but I’m sure I’ll be fine for the next race, where I hope we can continue to show our potential.” Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), tenth-place finisher, said: “It’s a like a miracle! Fourteen days ago I was in hospital having surgery and now I am seventh in the championship! This has been the hardest race of my life and I want to thank the doctor who made the surgery in my left ankle, the Clinical Mobile Staff and my squad. Honestly, I think nobody could do better than this with six screws in the ankle. At the end of the race I could not breathe anymore and was not able to come back to the garage but I battled with my injury throughout the weekend and we all deserve this unbelievable result. Obviously I won’t stay for the test tomorrow as I will proceed with my rehabilitation programme in readiness for the Indy GP.” Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda), 13th-place finisher, said: “The first laps were not bad I was able to overtake three riders and I enjoyed a good fight. But when the bike began to slide I decided to keep the best possible rhythm to the end. It is still the same problem: we do not possess good rear grip, so that keeping the line out of the corners is not easy. I’m certain we can find a solution we all are working hard to get that target.” HONDA 250cc RIDER QUOTES Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Honda), fourth-place finisher, said: “I made quite a good start and during the first part of the race my pace would have put me on the podium. Then from a certain point of the race my bike seemed to get quite tired.” Raffaele De Rosa (Scot Honda), sixth-place finisher, said: “This is not my best result of the season I was fifth in Qatar but this sixth place, on a dry track and during the daytime, is a bigger success for me. Overtaking was not easy, but the performance of the bike was pretty good and constant. I’m happy not only for the result but also because I was doing lap times that were as fast as the best riders. With a better position on the grid, starting alongside the fastest competitors, I’m certain I could have done even better.” Hector Faubel (Valencia CF-Honda SAG), tenth-place finisher, said: “It is a pity because I leave Brno a little bit unhappy. I made a good start but we had some speed issues today. With this handicap I wasn’t able to be as competitive as I was in qualifying, even though I felt confident in myself. We are looking to fix the problem before the next races, because we need every point we can get if we are to finish the championship in the top ten.” Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT-SAG), 11th-place finisher, said: “That was quite a difficult race for me because we were losing time on the straights. Brno is a circuit with a lot of fast straights which made it tough to keep a good race pace. I pushed as hard as I could and we got some points which we didn’t get in the last two races. Leaving Brno we go now to Indianapolis, aiming to fight for a finish in the top eight.” Shoya Tomizawa (Team CIP Honda), 13th-place finisher, said: “That race was very good for my feeling with the bike. I was able to ride fast all the way to the finish, so I learned a lot today. It was very, very interesting for me. I saw the turn one crash and that scared me a little, so I couldn’t push so hard for the first few laps but after that it was okay.” Valentin Debise (Team CIP Honda), 15th-place finisher, said: “I didn’t know I was fighting with Pons for the final point! I only realised I was 15th after the flag. All I wanted to do was to beat Pons, but to get another point is great. The start was bad for me because the engine seemed to cut for a moment and after that it took a while for me to find my rhythm. I got my fastest lap on the last lap which is a great thing I feel like I am understanding the bike better now.” Bastien Chesaux (Racing Team Germany Honda), DNF, said: “I was fighting with Debise, but losing quite a bit on the straights, so I was having to brake later and later. The first ten laps were okay but maybe we were struggling with the temperature. I was pushing hard and at least it was good that we were in the fight for some points. Now we must keep working to improve the bike.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: HEROIC TOP TEN FINISH FOR DE PUNIET IN CZECH REP. GP Brno, 16 August: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet rode his Honda RC212V no. 14 to 10th place in today’s 22-lap Czech GP at Brno race track. The eleventh round of the season was run under blue skies with ambience temperature of 29°C and the tough Frenchman, who was wearing a special boot on his left ankle, battled bravely with the injury he sustained during a motocross training 14 days ago. De Puniet got a good start and was up into 11th by the end of the first lap from 13th on the grid. The 28-year-old was obviously in severe discomfort despite using painkilling therapy but demonstrated his vein once again climbing up to a sensational top ten finish in a physically demanding race. De Puniet is now holding the 7th place in the world standing with 80 points. The premier class Teams and riders will be back on track tomorrow for one day of testing but De Puniet will fly back home to continue with his recuperation in readiness for the next event at Indianapolis circuit on the 30th of August. De Puniet 10th De Puniet: “It’s a like a miracle! Fourteen days ago I was at the hospital and now I am holding the 7th position in the championship. This has been the hardest race of my life and want to thank the doctor who made the surgery in my left ankle, the Clinica Mobile Staff and my squad. Honestly I think nobody could do better than this with seven screws in the ankle. At the end of the race I could not breathe anymore and was not able to come back to the garage but I battled with my injury throughout the week end and we all deserve this unbelievable result. Obviously I won’t stay for the test tomorrow as I will proceed with my rehabilitation programme in readiness for Indy GP”. More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: UNLUCKY FABRIZIO IN HIS DEBUT WITH THE PRAMAC RACING. CANEPA TWELFTH Unlucky race for the Pramac Racing debutant Michel Fabrizio who after Friday contusion at the right shoulder during free practice has today torn his right shoulder muscle. This didn’t allow him to conclude the Czech Republic Grand Prix as he retired after five laps. His teammate, Niccolò Canepa, made it to conclude in twelfth place not the most exciting race. Niccolò has tried to remain with the other riders in the first part of the race, but in the second half due to the high temperatures the rear tyre didn’t allow him to continue to maintain the same rhythm and he decided to end the race without taking too many risks. The Italian rider will have the chance to do better in two weeks time in the United States of America for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, twelfth round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship. Marco Rigamonti – Niccolò Canepa Track Engineer “On Friday and Saturday things seems to go in the right direction, but during today’s race we have obtained the worst results of the weekend. It’s a pity because Niccolò was doing a great job. In the second half of the race, due to the high temperatures, Niccolò has lost a bit of feeling with the rear and this has limited his performances. We are really sorry about this as we were doing a good race. We hope that his physical condition are not so bad and that he will be able to continue his championship without complications.” Niccolò Canepa – Pramac Racing rider – 12th in the race – 16th in the Championship “I was ready to have a good race but today nothing went in the right direction for us. After Friday and Saturday’s sessions I was trustful and concentrated to have a good race but in the second part of the race I lost some grip with the rear. It was a bit warmer compare to yesterday and this has caused us some problems. We believe to be able to do much better in Indianapolis in fourteen days on a track that I really like.” Michel Fabrizio – Pramac Racing rider – DNF “There isn’t much to say today. After some laps I felt more and more pain on the right shoulder injured on Friday and I couldn’t almost use the brake anymore. I had to stop otherwise I would have risk to fall. I torn the right shoulder muscle and it seem to have a golf ball under the skin. I am sorry for the Pramac Racing that gave me this opportunity.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: ENCOURAGING SIXTH PLACE FOR NICKY HAYDEN AT BRNO AS MIKA KALLIO CRASHES OUT OF EIGHTH Nicky Hayden recorded his second best result of the season so far at Brno today, where he crossed the line in sixth place following a weekend of hard work and continual progress with his team. The American didn’t get the best of starts and was boxed in by the group around him but he fought back to regain positions and kept pace with the riders ahead of him to take the chequered flag less than four seconds behind the final podium finisher. Mika Kallio, making his debut for the Ducati Marlboro Team in place of Casey Stoner, produced a competitive pace but was unable to make it to the end of his first race with the team following a misunderstanding with Marco Melandri, the two riders colliding and crashing out of their battle for eighth place. However, it was a satisfying weekend for the Finn, a rookie in the MotoGP class, who has set competitive lap times all weekend. NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) (6th) “We have higher goals than this but sixth place is my second best result of the season so I have to be satisfied for today. After the disaster at Donington this has been a respectable weekend for us. The team did a great job all weekend getting the front working better for me so we’ve made progress and that is the most important thing. The race certainly wasn’t easy – I lost a couple of positions off the line but had a good first lap and was able to get into that second group. To be honest from that point I was holding on, going as fast as I had all weekend and when we got up behind Colin I was able to make another pass. I could see the group ahead of me and as they made a couple of mistakes I could have maybe got there. I just pushed too hard and ran wide in a couple of places and had to do my best to hold my position. They were breathing all over me during those last couple of laps but I hung on and got sixth. We were only less than four seconds off the podium so we’re obviously making some headway. I want to thank the team because it’s not been an easy time recently but today we have something to be proud of.” MIKA KALLIO (Ducati Marlboro Team) (crashed) “My start was typical of this year – not good but not bad – and I pretty much held my grid position into the first turn. After that the bike was similar to how it’s been all weekend – there is still something missing with the front feeling and even though I could stay with the second group I couldn’t pass anybody because I don’t have that front-end confidence you need to brake late or take a more risky line. The proof of that was when De Angelis had his problem and slowed down, I was able to pass him and improve my lap times by half a second to catch Nicky and Edwards. Then came the crash with Melandri, who tried to pass me where it was impossible to, so that finally our lines crossed! Anyway, it has been an interesting weekend and I think if we can find something that gives me more feel with the front we can make a big step forward.” LIVIO SUPPO MotoGP Project Director “We knew it would be more difficult for us without Casey but all in all I think it has been a reasonably satisfying weekend for us. Both Hayden and Kallio were able to maintain a decent pace throughout the race, which allowed Nicky to finish just a few seconds off the podium and Mika wasn’t far behind him until the crash on the penultimate lap. We have a day of testing tomorrow that will be useful to continue our set-up work with the GP9.” Podium Czech GP 2009 1st Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 2nd Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 3rd Toni Elias (Honda) Fastest lap: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’56.670 – 166.716 Km/h Circuit Record: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’56.670 – 166.716 Km/h Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha-2009), 1’56.145 – 167.469 Km/h Riders World Championship 1st Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 212 points; 2nd Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 162; 3rd Casey Stoner (Ducati) 150; 4th Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 135; 5th Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 112; “¦ 14th Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 57; 15th Mika Kallio 34. Constructors World Championship 1st Yamaha (255 points); 2nd Honda (184); 3rd Ducati (166); 4th Suzuki (100); 5th Kawasaki (79) More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: MotoGP RACE REPORT: GRAND PRIX OF CZECH REPUBLIC Rossi brings 50-point lead to Indy after Lorenzo’s challenge ends with crash INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 In a clear case of how statistics can deceive, Valentino Rossi won the Czech Republic Grand Prix by 11.766 seconds over Dani Pedrosa on Aug. 16 at the Automotodrom Brno. There was nothing easy about this win for Rossi, who heads next to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 28-30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a 50-point lead over Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo. 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Rossi only was able to cruise to the finish of the 22-lap race because Lorenzo fell while leading with five laps to go while locked in a compelling duel with pole sitter Rossi. It was the second consecutive race in which Lorenzo has crashed out of the lead. “Lorenzo has demonstrated all this year that he has fantastic speed, and for sure in two weeks in Indianapolis he will want revenge,” Rossi said. “I know I will have a battle. It would be very stupid to relax now because Jorge is very strong, and for sure we expect another hard fight with him in Indianapolis.” Said Lorenzo, “There’s nothing more I can say except that I’m so sorry to the team and to Yamaha, and I will do everything I can to make it up in America.” Toni Elias finished third, his first podium result of the season for San Carlo Honda Gresini just a day after he officially lost his ride for 2010 with the team. Americans Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards enjoyed solid results heading into their home race. 2006 World Champion Hayden finished sixth on the Ducati Team bike, just .132 of a second ahead of Edwards on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3. It was the second-best finish of the season for Hayden. “I’m back home again for Indianapolis next time out, and I’ll be looking for a much better weekend,” Edwards said. Six-time MotoGP World Champion Rossi and Pedrosa produced great starts, as Lorenzo slipped from second to third at the start. Rossi passed Pedrosa for the lead early in the first lap, and Lorenzo passed Pedrosa on Lap 4 and pursued Rossi. Just past the halfway point of the race, Lorenzo found more speed and closed on Rossi, as the pair started lapping nearly two seconds quicker than any other riders. Lorenzo passed Rossi for the lead on Lap 17 while setting the fastest lap of the race. But Lorenzo ran wide under braking on the next lap and lost the front end, sliding into the gravel and handing Rossi an easy victory. It was the 160th Grand Prix podium finish of Rossi’s illustrious career, setting a record he shared with fellow Italian legend Giacomo Agostini. *** RESULTS BRNO, Czech Republic Results of the 22-lap Grand Prix of Czech Republic MotoGP race, with position, rider, country, motorcycle, time behind winner. All riders on Bridgestone tires: 1. Valentino Rossi Italy Yamaha 2. Dani Pedrosa Spain Honda +11.766 3. Toni Elias Spain Honda +20.756 4. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda +21.418 5. Loris Capirossi Italy Suzuki +21.538 6. Nicky Hayden United States Ducati +25.544 7. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha +25.676 8. Alex de Angelis San Marino Honda +34.109 9. James Toseland Great Britain Yamaha +35.617 10. Randy de Puniet France Honda +39.824 11. Chris Vermeulen Australia Suzuki +40.776 12. Niccolo Canepa Italy Ducati +50.661 13. Gabor Talmacsi Hungary Honda +59.188 NC Mika Kallio Finland Ducati +2 laps NC Marco Melandri Italy Kawasaki +2 laps NC Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha +5 laps NC Michel Fabrizio Italy Ducati +16 laps NC Not classified Fastest lap: Lorenzo, 1:56.670, Lap 16; Pole lap: Rossi, 1:56.145 *** POINTS Riders: Rossi 212, Lorenzo 162, Casey Stoner 150, Pedrosa 135, Edwards 112, Dovizioso 107, de Puniet 80, Melandri 79, Capirossi 77, Vermeulen 72, de Angelis 68, Elias 63, Toseland 62, Hayden 57, Kallio 34, Canepa 32, Sete Gibernau 12, Yuki Takahashi 9, Talmacsi 8. Manufacturers: Yamaha 255, Honda 184, Ducati 166, Suzuki 100, Kawasaki 79. *** PODIUM QUOTES VALENTINO ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, winner): “This is a very important victory for us. Jorge had shown all weekend that he was very strong, and when we still weren’t feeling perfect after the warm-up, we decided to make one more small modification to improve the feeling with the front, and the result was brilliant. My Yamaha really flew today. I got a good start and I was able to ride exactly how I wanted, using all of the track to get the best lines. At the end, when Jorge passed me, I thought that the fight was starting and I was really ready for it, but then he made a mistake and crashed. Of course, I’m sorry; it’s really bad for him, but I have to say that it’s great for us because now we have an advantage of 50 points with six races to go. However, it would be very stupid to relax now because Jorge is very strong, and for sure we expect another hard fight with him in Indianapolis.” DANI PEDROSA (Repsol Honda Team Honda/Bridgestone, second): “At the start of the race, I pushed really hard to stay with the leaders, and for the first few laps I was with them. Then they kept getting faster on every lap, and, though I was pushing to the maximum, I couldn’t maintain that sort of pace today. So for the rest of the race, I just had to concentrate on not making a mistake because there was a big gap in front of me and also behind me. Second place is a good result for me and the team, though obviously we would have wanted to be closer to front-running pace. It’s great to finish a race on the podium and feel in good physical condition after the problems I had in the first part of the season, especially because it was very hot out there today and this is a demanding track.” TONI ELIAS (San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda/Bridgestone, third): “I’m happy because recently I have been getting closer to the top riders, but problems or crashes meant I wasn’t getting the final rewards. But we have kept pushing, and finally it has arrived. We worked well this weekend.” (About searching for ride for 2010): “I’m in a difficult situation because I don’t have a team, and I don’t have a bike. I think this result could help, but I don’t think anyone really wants me, so what can I do? I have to just concentrate on the next few races, like Indianapolis and Misano, which could be good for us also. We are talking with some teams, but at the moment there are not so many options. This podium could change things, so I hope that the teams who haven’t finalized their plans for next year think about me a little bit more.” *** AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone, sixth): “We have higher goals than this, but sixth place is my second-best result of the season so I have to be satisfied for today. After the disaster at Donington, this has been a respectable weekend for us. The team did a great job all weekend getting the front working better for me, so we’ve made progress, and that is the most important thing. The race certainly wasn’t easy. I lost a couple of positions off the line, but had a good first lap and was able to get into that second group. To be honest, from that point I was holding on, going as fast as I had all weekend, and when we got up behind Colin (Edwards), I was able to make another pass. I could see the group ahead of me, and as they made a couple of mistakes, I could have maybe got there. I just pushed too hard and ran wide in a couple of places and had to do my best to hold my position. They were breathing all over me during those last couple of laps, but I hung on and got sixth. We were only less than four seconds off the podium, so we’re obviously making some headway. I want to thank the team because it’s not been an easy time recently, but today we have something to be proud of.” COLIN EDWARDS (Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone, seventh): “That was a pretty tough race. Right from the start of the weekend, I said I thought my engine felt a bit flat, and today I couldn’t do anything. I was getting passed easily, and I couldn’t stay in the slipstream at all. I could do the lap time, but I couldn’t race them. I couldn’t get within 10 bike lengths at the end of the straight, but then I’d nearly be running into the back of them at the exit of the corner because I was trying to make up all the time on the brakes and on corner speed. I lost the group with Toni (Elias), Andrea (Dovizioso) and Loris (Capirossi) for a bit early on, but I only came back at them for a while because I was pushing the front so hard. I got the right side of the front tire way too hot, and after that I kept losing the front. I was nearly running into them in the middle of the corner, but I couldn’t get close enough to pass them on the brakes going in. At the end, I was locked in a battle with Nicky (Hayden), but I think I could have been behind him all day and not be able to pass him. I got another load of points and I was close to the top six, but I’ve been beating those guys in front of me consistently all year and that’s a pity because maybe I could have got another podium today. I’m back home again for Indianapolis next time out, and I’ll be looking for a much better weekend.” *** MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS 250cc: Marco Simoncelli, Italy, Metis Gilera. 125cc: Nicolas Terol, Spain, Jack & Jones Team Aprilia. American Cameron Beaubier did not race after suffering a detached collarbone in a crash during practice Aug. 15. Beaubier, tied for 26th in the World Championship standings, is expected to compete at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 28-30. Red Bull Rookies Cup: American Jacob Gagne finished third and sixth in the championship. Gagne, from Ramona, Calif., won the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race last September during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. *** NEXT RACE Red Bull Indianapolis GP, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Aug. 28-30. Round 12 of 17. *** 2009 IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011. Tickets for the final event of 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 28-30 can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time. Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.