The second ever World Championship visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway takes place this weekend following 2008’s historic inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, with last year’s race-winner Valentino Rossi looking for another victory to augment his standings lead at the twelfth round of the season. It is another special occasion for MotoGP as the event coincides with Indy’s 100th anniversary, the circuit having been constructed in 1909. In the first ever premier class MotoGP World Championship contest at the famous ‘Brickyard’ last year Rossi took maximum points as he was awarded the win, leading by six seconds when the scheduled 28 lap race was curtailed on the 20th lap, with Nicky Hayden and Jorge Lorenzo placing second and third respectively. Rossi and his MotoGP rivals will hope for good weather this time out – following last year’s event when the remnants of Hurricane Ike hit raceday at the iconic American venue with the Italian star hoping to increase his current 50 point championship advantage, on the back of yet another success story in the Czech Republic at the last round. Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo finished just in front of him on the timesheet in the second and final post-race test of the year on the Monday after the Czech race and the Spaniard will aim to bounce back from his two DNFs at Brno and Donington Park, as he attempts to claw his way back into the title battle with six Grands Prix remaining. Lorenzo is to compete at Indianapolis with his 2010 ride already sorted, following the news that he is to continue with Yamaha for another year. In the continued absence of the recuperating Casey Stoner, who remains in Australia and is expected back on track at Estoril early in October, the bookies’ favourite to feature on the podium with Rossi and Lorenzo is Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa who was second in the Brno race and sits fourth in the general classification, 77 points adrift of Rossi. For Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards the second U.S. visit of the year gives him the chance to consolidate his top five championship position as he attempts to improve on a disappointing 15th place finish in last year’s Indy race. Edwards’ fellow American Hayden – 14th in the championship at present – would love to repeat his 2008 Indianapolis result and get on the podium for the first time with Ducati. Also aiming for the same goal is Pedrosa’s team-mate and Hayden’s replacement at Honda, Andrea Dovizioso, who just missed out on the rostrum again at Brno and was fifth in the inaugural MotoGP Indianapolis contest last September. Dovizioso lies sixth in the standings, just ahead of Honda satellite counterpart Randy de Puniet who has ridden consistently in 2009 and is due to make a decision soon on where he will ride next year. Eighth placed Marco Melandri will compete at Indianapolis safe in the knowledge that a ride with San Carlo Honda Gresini has been confirmed for next year, whilst his fellow top ten representatives Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen, of the Rizla Suzuki team, are also likely to confirm their future plans in due course, with both hoping for strong Indy performances. The weekend will see Finnish rider Mika Kallio continue in the factory Ducati team as Stoner’s temporary replacement, whilst young Spaniard Aleix Espargaró gets an exciting chance to ride for the Pramac Racing team on the satellite Ducati Desmosedici GP9 vacated by Kallio. 250cc For 250cc standings leader Hiroshi Aoyama and the majority of his World Championship rivals this Sunday’s race will be their first ever at The Brickyard, after last year’s cancellation of the intermediate category’s racing due to the intervention of the aforementioned Hurricane Ike. With six rounds remaining Aoyama’s closest threat for the championship lead comes from Álvaro Bautista, who has just announced that he will move into MotoGP with Suzuki in 2010. Japanese rider Aoyama could be making the move up to the premier class too, but first comes the business of this year’s World title, with Indianapolis next up. Scot Racing’s Aoyama, who was fourth at Brno in the last round, holds a 12 point lead over Spaniard Bautista, with the Mapfre Apsar rider having closed the gap slightly with his third place finish in the Czech Republic. World Champion Marco Simoncelli re-emerged in the title race at Brno with his third victory of the year, as he seeks to defend his crown before joining San Carlo Honda Gresini in MotoGP next year. Simoncelli would have started last year’s 250cc Indy race in pole position had it not been cancelled and he will aim for another high level performance as he seeks to chase down a 32 point deficit against Aoyama. Héctor Barberá trails Simoncelli by a further 17 points in fourth place in the standings and he qualified in second place last year at Indianapolis, before a serious back injury ended his season prematurely at the subsequent round in Japan. The Spaniard has bravely returned to action this year and earned himself a MotoGP ride with the new Ducati-Aspar team for 2010. In fifth place in the championship, Italian rider Mattia Pasini has just had a first ever taste of MotoGP himself, riding for Pramac Racing in the Monday test in the Czech Republic having crossed the line just 0.684s behind compatriot Simoncelli in second position in the 250cc Brno race. The category’s current top ten also comprises Raffaele de Rosa, Alex Debon, Héctor Faubel, Roberto Locatelli and Thomas Luthi. 125cc Julián Simón will also make his Indianapolis race debut on Sunday in the 125cc class, having been part of the 2008 250cc field which was unable to race due to the weather conditions. Nonetheless, the clear title favourite will go into the weekend in a confident mood, having secured his eighth podium of the season last time out in second place in the Czech Republic which gave him a 54.5 point standings lead with six races remaining. Simón had qualified in tenth place last year at Indy on a 250cc machine, but the Spaniard has proved to be far more effective on 125cc machinery this season. Nico Terol sits second in the championship behind his countryman and he too will be brimming with self-belief as he heads across the Atlantic Ocean to Indiana. Terol was last year’s 125cc winner in the historic first ever Indianapolis race (a contest also shortened due to the weather) and was victorious in the Czech Republic just over one week ago. Below Terol in the standings are Simón’s Aspar team-mates Bradley Smith and Sergio Gadea, with Smith eight points behind Terol and Gadea just half a point adrift of the Englishman. Ongetta Team ISPA’s Andrea Iannone – who is fifth in the championship – saw his rollercoaster season continue with third place in Brno, whilst Pol Espargaró (Derbi Racing Team) was fifth in the Czech Republic and will look to repeat or better his 2008 result of second place at Indianapolis. Completing the present 125cc top ten are Sandro Cortese, Marc Márquez, Jonas Folger and Stefan Bradl. The 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix takes place from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th August, with free practice commencing on Friday afternoon. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Bridgestone MotoGP Preview Round 12: Indianapolis, USA Tuesday 25 August 2009 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Hard, Extra hard (asymmetric). This weekend MotoGP travels to the United States of America again, this time for the Indianapolis Grand Prix on 30 August. Fewer than two months after the race in Laguna Seca, this is only the second MotoGP visit to the Brickyard, so-called because in late 1909 it was rebuilt using 3.2 million bricks. Bridgestone have chosen to bring asymmetric rear tyres to Indianapolis because of the imbalance between the ten left- and six right-handed corners, most of which are slow and short unlike the generally long and fast lefts. The circuit is abrasive and durability is the key challenge for tyres so the hard and extra hard compound rears have been selected for the job. Braking stability is also essential due to the multitude of first and second gear corners, meaning that the medium and hard compound front Bridgestone slicks are the two available options. In the past 100 years, since its first race in August 1909, the circuit has played host to numerous events including Formula One, IndyCar and Nascar, and the track layout reflects this. The MotoGP machines will compete on a mixture of the famous oval, the infield developed for Formula One and a MotoGP-specific first section comprising turns one to four that was laid for last year’s race. The hastily shortened 2008 race marked Rossi’s seventh win of the season on Bridgestone tyres. It was also the first race on the Japanese manufacturer’s rubber for Dani Pedrosa and the Repsol Honda Team after his sensational mid-season switch. Indianapolis felt the fallout of Hurricane Ike last year as riders battled mixed weather and extreme winds that reached over 60mph. In the end it was these gusts that forced the race to be red flagged on the 21st of the scheduled 28 laps, giving Bridgestone their 11th win from the first 14 races of 2008. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Bridgestone has a great deal of experience at the Indianapolis circuit because of our involvement with the IndyCar Series and the Formula One World Championship, and Valentino won on our tyres last season in the first MotoGP race at the venue, so we have a good track record there. Last year was also an important race for us because it was the first Grand Prix for which we supplied Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa. “Conditions for the first race at Indianapolis were very hard because of the strong winds and rain from Hurricane Ike, so everyone will be hoping for an exciting race with more normal weather this year. The American market is important for Bridgestone Corporation so it will be a key weekend for us, and one in which I am confident we can play our part in another close and exciting battle.” Tohru Ubukata Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “Indianapolis is like three tracks in one with the opening section designed for MotoGP bikes, the Formula One infield and the traditional oval course, and there are several surface changes because of this during a lap. The circuit is generally very abrasive although the level of abrasion changes with the surface meaning that our tyres will have to cope with a wide range of track conditions during each lap. “The infield offers a succession of slow corners followed by hard acceleration and the circuit is also quite demanding on the front tyre due to some very hard braking points. We have chosen our asymmetric rear tyres for this race because the circuit uses the left side of the tyres much harder than the right sides there are more left-handers and generally the fastest corners are lefts.” More, from a press release issued by Miles Thornton Racing: Miles Thornton would like to thank his sponsors Arai Helmets and Motonation/Sidi for their help in the task of reaching Indy for the 125cc wild card seat in the Moto GP 125cc class. Miles will be wearing Sidi Vortice Air boots and an Arai Colin Edwards replica helmet in red, riding with Veloce Aprilia. More, from a press release issued by Impact Safe-T Armor: YOUNG GUNS “ARMORED” FOR INDY MOTOGP DEBUT Impact Safe-T Armor of Citrus Heights, California welcomes Veloce Racing’s 125cc wild card entries, Miles Thornton (age 15) and Ben Young (age 16) to MotoGP. Ben and Miles wear Impact Armor’s competition chest and back protectors. Both are beneficiaries of the Ethan Gillim “Chasin’ a Dream” Foundation’s Chest Protectors For Kids program. This ambitious safety initative, a cooperative effort of Chasin’ a Dream, Impact Armor and the USGPRU race series, saw to it that 30 children received made-to-measure chest protectors at no charge. Impact Armor’s chest and back protectors debuted in MotoGP with the arrival of Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden in 2003, Roger Hayden in 2007 and continues today with Ben and Miles. For further information contact: Michael Braxton Impact Safe-T Armor [email protected] www.impactarmor.com 916 725 2936 phone/fax More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: MotoGP PREVIEW: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP EVENT: Red Bull Indianapolis GP WHERE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Circuit is 2.621 miles (4.218 km), with 16 turns (left turns 10, right turns 6). MotoGP race is 28 laps, 250cc race is 26 laps, 125cc race is 23 laps. WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 30. MotoGP race: 3 p.m. (ET); 250cc race: 1:15 p.m.; 125cc race: Noon. It is the 12th of 17 events this season for MotoGP, the 11th of 16 events this season for 125cc and 250cc. 2008 RACE WINNERS: MotoGP: Valentino Rossi, by 5.972 seconds over Nicky Hayden; 250cc: Not contested due to adverse weather conditions; 125cc: Nicolas Terol, by 1.708 seconds over Pol Espargaro 2008 POLE WINNERS: MotoGP: Valentino Rossi, 1 minute, 40.776 seconds; 250cc: Marco Simoncelli, 1 minute, 45.168 seconds; 125cc: Pol Espargaro, 1 minute, 50.475 seconds U.S. TV: MotoGP race: 3-4 p.m. (ET), Sunday, Aug. 30, FOX; 250cc race: 6-7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 30, SPEED; 125cc race: Noon-1 p.m., Sept. 8, SPEED. MotoGP qualifying: 7-8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, SPEED. THE AMERICANS: U.S. riders Colin Edwards (Houston, Yamaha Tech 3) and Nicky Hayden (Owensboro, Ky., Ducati Team) will compete in the MotoGP race. Edwards is fifth and Hayden is 14th in the MotoGP standings after 11 races this season. Cameron Beaubier (Roseville, Calif., Red Bull KTM Moto Sport) is expected to race in the 125cc race despite suffering a collarbone injury Aug. 15 during the Czech Republic Grand Prix weekend. Beaubier is tied for 26th in the 125cc standings after 10 races this season. Americans Barrett Long (Miami) and Miles Thornton (Columbus, Ga.) are competing as wild-card entries in the 250cc and 125cc classes at this event. “¢Colin Edwards: “It’s Indianapolis. All the memories I have as a kid growing up and watching the Indy 500, and now to be able to go there and ride on that track. Just to ride on it, much less race on it, I think is pretty special in itself. OK, we’re not doing the full four corners (of the oval), but we’re using part of the track, running over the bricks. Just being in that area is quite special.” (About first impressions of IMS circuit in 2008): “I was quite impressed. It’s actually a track that you don’t feel like you’re running around an infield. Of course, we know Indy’s huge. The track itself is just massive. But there’s plenty of real estate there so you don’t feel confined. That’s the main thing.” “¢Nicky Hayden: “Indianapolis is probably the race I look forward to most. It’s just three hours from my house, and MotoGP now is becoming very popular. Last year it was a great weekend for me, the crowd was great, and Indy did a great job in organizing their first race and made us proud of it. I would love to have another good weekend like that one. So far we have had a tough season, and I would like to go there in a more confident mood. But it is what it is, and for sure we’ll go there and just do the absolute maximum. I like the track itself even though it’s quite flat. The most challenging thing is that it has different kinds of asphalt on different parts of the track, so it will be a challenge to find out where there is grip, where not, and to find the best setup. Hopefully we won’t have another hurricane. The weather should be fine, so we will see how it goes. Last but not least, at Indy I will wear a special helmet, but this time it really is “special.” It will carry the “Make-A-Wish” logo and other special designs, and after the race we will auction it off. All the money will go toward the (Make-A-Wish) Foundation, which helps kids’ dreams come true. There will be pictures up on my Web site to see it at nickyhayden.com. I have worked with this charity for five years now, and it always feels good to help out such a solid cause. And yes, I have already made my wish for the weekend.” THEY SAID IT: “Last year I had a great win, but like everyone, I really hope that was the only hurricane we ever have to race in and that this time the conditions are more ‘normal!'” Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi, about racing to victory in the remnants of Hurricane Ike in the 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP FAST FACTS: 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner will not compete at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 28-30 or the Grand Prix of San Marino on Sept. 4-6 due to illness. Stoner has been plagued by severe fatigue since early June. Pramac Racing Team rider Mika Kallio will replace Stoner, while former 125cc and 250cc Aleix Espargaro of Spain is taking Kallio’s place at Pramac “¦ World Championship contender Jorge Lorenzo re-signed for 2010 with the Fiat Yamaha Team on Aug. 25 as teammate to six-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi. Lorenzo considered a move to the Ducati Team before deciding to stay with Yamaha “¦ Defending Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Valentino Rossi has finished in the top three in 18 of his last 20 starts, including 11 victories. That hot streak includes his victory last September at Indianapolis “¦ When Jorge Lorenzo finished third last year at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, it was his first wet-weather podium finish in any of the three classes of Grand Prix motorcycle racing “¦ American Colin Edwards has scored points by finishing in the top 15 in 19 consecutive races, dating back to last season “¦ American Nicky Hayden has reason to be optimistic entering this event, as his second-place finish last year at Indianapolis was his best result since winning two races in 2006, when he also won the World Championship “¦ American riders have earned 153 Grand Prix victories in the premier class, second only to Italy’s 216. Ten Americans have earned race victories. 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. RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP PRE-RACE QUOTES INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 Pre-race quotes from selected MotoGP riders for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 28-30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (listed by 2008 podium finishers, then alphabetical): VALENTINO ROSSI (No. 46 Fiat Yamaha Team, Italy, six-time MotoGP World Champion, 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner): “2008 in Indy was something special because it was the first time we had been there, and it is definitely the most famous racetrack in the world. We didn’t really know what to expect, but our bike worked very well and we were fast from the start, in the wet and the dry. Every year is a different story, however, so we won’t know where we are until we start our work on Friday afternoon. Last year I had a great win, but like everyone, I really hope that was the only hurricane we ever have to race in and that this time the conditions are more ‘normal!’ As I said in Brno, it would be stupid for us to relax and consider the championship won. Anything can happen, and we know that (Jorge) Lorenzo will be very strong this weekend and determined to make up for the last two races. We must keep focused.” NICKY HAYDEN (No. 69 Ducati Team, Owensboro, Ky., 2006 MotoGP World Champion, second in 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP): “Indianapolis is probably the race I look forward to most. It’s just three hours from my house, and MotoGP now is becoming very popular. Last year it was a great weekend for me, the crowd was great, and Indy did a great job in organizing their first race and made us proud of it. I would love to have another good weekend like that one. So far we have had a tough season, and I would like to go there in a more confident mood. But it is what it is, and for sure we’ll go there and just do the absolute maximum. I like the track itself even though it’s quite flat. The most challenging thing is that it has different kinds of asphalt on different parts of the track, so it will be a challenge to find out where there is grip, where not, and to find the best setup. Hopefully we won’t have another hurricane. The weather should be fine, so we will see how it goes. Last but not least, at Indy I will wear a special helmet, but this time it really is “special.” It will carry the “Make-A-Wish” logo and other special designs, and after the race we will auction it off. All the money will go toward the (Make-A-Wish) Foundation, which helps kids’ dreams come true. There will be pictures up on my Web site to see it at nickyhayden.com. I have worked with this charity for five years now, and it always feels good to help out such a solid cause. And yes, I have already made my wish for the weekend.” JORGE LORENZO (No. 99 Fiat Yamaha Team, Spain, third in 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP): “Indy is very special for me because it’s the first track where I got a podium in wet conditions, in my very first year in MotoGP! Last year was strange. Maybe we should have finished earlier because Hurricane Ike was pretty strong. This time I hope everything will be a little bit easier. I am feeling confident because I’ve felt good in the last races, riding very fast since the beginning of the weekend, despite what’s happened on Sunday (crashing out of lead in last two races). I am not thinking about the championship anymore, but I would like to win a race again after more than three months, especially here in Indy when it’s the centenary of the track. It’s a busy two weeks, with Misano (San Marino GP) straight after, but we’re ready.” NICCOLO CANEPA (No. 88 Pramac Racing Ducati, Italy): “It is for me a true pleasure to come back on this track where last year I spent two days of testing. It is a really nice circuit, fast and technical, where there are some points where you can overtake. Last year I made it to be the fastest against much more experienced riders, and I hope my results are competitive also in this occasion. During the Brno test, we found some really interesting solutions, and they should give us some help for this race, which is so important for my season and my future.” LORIS CAPIROSSI (No. 65 Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, Italy): “Last year at Indianapolis was the worst conditions I have ever raced in, and I hope we don’t have that to contend with again. I didn’t really get on the pace there last year, and I was very disappointed about that and will be looking to put that right this year. We had an encouraging performance at Brno and also discovered a few things during the test on Monday that will improve things for the rest of the season. I am going to America in a very positive frame of mind and determined to fight for everything we can for the rest of the year.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (No. 4 Repsol Honda Team, Italy): “This is the second time that we race at Indianapolis, and I have to say that last year I immediately found a good feeling with this new track. It’s a typical American venue with great facilities and huge grandstands, so the experience of riding there is special. I like this racetrack, and it will be important for me and the team to have a good result here. I was fourth in the last race at Brno, but that was actually a little disappointing because I was so close to the podium again, so I look forward to getting back on track and putting that right. It won’t be easy, especially during the first practice session because it’s a different type of circuit and it’s not so easy to dial into the layout at the beginning. However, I expect us to be closer to the front at this race because the track is quite slow, and I think that we will have fewer problems than in Brno where the track amplified our issues. So I’m really looking forward to a good result at Indy.” COLIN EDWARDS (No. 5 Monster Yamaha Tech 3, Houston): “It’s Indianapolis. All the memories I have as a kid growing up and watching the Indy 500, and now to be able to go there and ride on that track. Just to ride on it, much less race on it, I think is pretty special in itself. OK, we’re not doing the full four corners (of the oval), but we’re using part of the track, running over the bricks. Just being in that area is quite special. Generally, any time you try to put a road course into the middle of an oval, usually 90 percent of the time it doesn’t work out. And I don’t know why that is. You’ve got to account for runoffs. You’ve got to account for “What if this happens; what if that happens?” Plus with Dorna and FIM, you’ve got to have enough safety to get the track to pass safety standards. And I was quite impressed (with Indianapolis). It’s actually a track that you don’t feel like you’re running around an infield. Of course, we know Indy’s huge. The track itself is just massive. But there’s plenty of real estate there so you don’t feel confined. That’s the main thing.” ALEIX ESPARGARO (Pramac Racing Ducati, Spain, making MotoGP debut at this event): “I have trained a lot during this period waiting for a call, but I would have never thought about racing in the top class. It will be for me a true honor ride for such a prestigious company as Ducati. I have to thank Pramac Racing, who have chosen me believing in my qualities. This season, after the unlucky events of the beginning of the season, I made it to race in the 250cc class in two occasions, Assen and Sachsenring, conquering respectively the fourth and the seventh position. Of course, I cannot expect similar results in MotoGP, but I will do my best to pay back the trust that the team has given me.” MIKA KALLIO (No. 36 Ducati Team, Finland): “Sunday will be my first race at Indy because even though I came here last year, the (250cc) race itself was canceled because of the weather. Anyway, I can’t say I don’t know the track because we did contest every practice session, including warm-up. It’s not exactly my favorite kind of track, but it’s OK other than the surface. There are three different kinds of asphalt, and that makes it really tricky to get a setup. Anyway, we’ll do our best, and I’ll like to be competing within the top five or six.” DANI PEDROSA (No. 3 Repsol Honda Team, Spain): “I’m really looking forward to riding in America again because the last time we were in the States, at Laguna Seca in July, we won the race. A result like that would be great for me and the team, and that’s what we’ll be aiming for, though we know we’ll have to work hard for it because our rivals have proved they are very strong in the last few races. I don’t think the gap they had at the last race in Brno was a true reflection of our pace compared to theirs, though, so I expect we’re going to be closer to them at Indy. The circuit itself is largely made up of second- and third-gear corners so it’s not one of my favorites to ride, but the venue itself is very impressive. I really hope the weather is going to be better than last year because the conditions in the race were pretty terrible, and the organizers were forced to stop it early because it was so dangerous. The team is motivated for Indy. We made some progress in the test after Brno, so we’re looking for another strong weekend.” CHRIS VERMEULEN (No. 7 Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, Australia): “I’m looking forward to going to Indianapolis, as it is such an amazing venue and a really well-organized event. We didn’t really get the best out of the place last year, as the race was hit by a hurricane and had to be stopped early, so I hope the weather is a lot better this year. We made a big step with the bike at Brno in the last GP, and although the result wasn’t what we wanted, we certainly have a clear indication of how the new engine will work in the remaining races. We need to be on the pace as quick as possible at Indy and see what we can do.”