Bridgestone MotoGP Preview – Round 11: Indianapolis Tuesday 24 August 2010 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Hard, Extra Hard (Asymmetric) The Brickyard plays host to the second American grand prix of the season as MotoGP travels to Indianapolis, five weeks after the last North American visit to Laguna Seca. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a relatively new venue for motorcycling’s premier class, with the inaugural event being held in only 2008, but it was a motorcycle race that provided the circuit’s first competition proper back in 1909. Since then much has changed, and again this year Bridgestone will provide tyres to machines that will reach over 200mph around the 2.6 mile course. Indianapolis is one of the circuit’s at which Bridgestone has the largest breadth of tyre information having been involved in MotoGP, Formula One and IndyCar competition there over the years. The track is formed of three distinct component parts; the famous oval, the infield road circuit built for Formula One in 1999, and the complex built specifically for MotoGP in 2007. This mix of parts presents the challenge of different surface types each with differing levels of abrasion and grip, making it tricky to attain a consistent balance and feeling throughout a lap. Indianapolis’ asymmetric layout places much higher demands on the left shoulders of the tyres as it is run anti-clockwise, in the same direction as the circuit’s oval races. T here is a big difference in tyre temperature between each shoulder of the rear tyres, so Bridgestone’s asymmetric rear slicks aim to provide durability in the left shoulder by using the hard and extra hard compound options alongside good warm-up performance in the right shoulders by using soft compound rubber. Indy is one of the four hardest circuits of the season for the left shoulders of the rear tyres because of the number, length and speed of the left-handers and the abrasiveness of the tarmac. It is on a par with Catalunya (although here the greater stress is on the right shoulder), Sachsenring and Phillip Island. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Indianapolis is an historic place and one that we look forward to going back to, even if just to marvel at the scale of it! In the middle of their centennial era celebrations, I would like to say congratulations for this milestone and I’m happy that we can be involved in marking the history of such a famous circuit. America is an important market for Bridgestone therefore many people will visit Indianapolis during the GP from Bridgestone USA including some top management. We have a lot of experience at Indianapolis, even though only two years in MotoGP, because of our past Formula One activities there and especially our continuing IndyCar involvement through our Firestone brand.” Tohru Ubukata Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “Indianapolis is quite unique in that it features three kinds of track surface during a lap, from the oval track to the Formula One section and the MotoGP complex. The characteristics of these surfaces range from grippy and abrasive to quite slippery, so the diversity of track conditions makes it difficult for riders and tyres. “The circuit is very hard on the left side of the rear tyres, which require good performance at high temperature and high wear resistance through the high speed left corners especially around the section of oval banking. The right side by contrast needs good warm-up performance to rapidly generate tyre temperature and provide riders with a good consistent feeling through the fewer right-hand corners. The rear tyres we have selected are the inverse of those we brought to Catalunya; that is to say the same asymmetric compounds but with the harder compound on the left side.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: TEAM DUCATI RETURN TO HISTORIC INDIANAPOLIS Team Ducati returns to the United States of America this week for the eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship, which takes place at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is the second home race of the season for Nicky Hayden, who was born, raised and still lives in Owensboro, Kentucky, not far from the border with the neighboring State of Indiana. Hayden finished third at Indy last year, his best result of the season, and he would love to repeat it this Sunday. His left wrist, injured during qualifying at Brno, is in better shape and should not hinder him this weekend. Casey Stoner is also looking forward to racing at Indy for the first time since he took fourth place in the rain-interrupted inaugural race in 2008. The Australian is also keen to confirm whether technical updates introduced at the post-race test at Brno have a positive effect at the famous old circuit. CASEY STONER, Ducati Team “I’m really looking forward to going back to Indy because it’s a circuit where we were in good shape in 2008 despite the crazy weather. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to race last year but hopefully this time around we can make the most of the work we did in the Brno test, even though we didn’t have much time. We’ll start out on Friday with the new front fork because our first impressions of it were good although we still have to decide whether we’ll use it for the race. We’ll also try some settings on the rear that we managed to get a few laps on at Brno but that also need checking out.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team “I really can not wait to get to Indy for the race. It’s such a famous track with so much history and being so close to my home I got a big crew making the trip to support me and my brother. The event has really grown a lot in just a few years with the Indy mile dirt track, enduro cross, the stunt shows and all the downtown events, which really gives the fans a chance to make the trip worthwhile. My broken wrist is better than last week in Brno, which I am very happy about, so we’ll see on Friday just how much better. The weather looks good so I hope to come out strong from the gun on Friday and have a weekend worth remembering. Let’s get it!” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “We go to Indy with some things to try that we hope can give Casey those two tenths he’s missing. Over the past few months he’s been happy with the engine and the handling of the GP10 but never really able to get a good feeling for the front. The new fork we tried in the Czech Republic seems to have given him a little confidence so we’ll fit it to one of his two bikes on Friday afternoon. If his feeling is as good as it was at Brno we’ll use it in the race. Also Nicky, of course, can use it if he wants to. This is one of the most important races of the year for him and definitely the one he looks forward to the most. He finished third last year and considering the big steps forward he has made this season, coming close to the podium on several occasions, we hope he can be celebrating a similar result.” THE TRACK The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was added to the MotoGP calendar in 2008 but the circuit used for the event features only a part of the famous Nascar track, namely a large section of the start-finish straight and part of the south-eastern corner of the oval. The rest of the track is on the infield, a tight and twisty anti-clockwise layout. The most demanding aspect of Indy is not the layout, however, but the surface, which the riders find to be a challenge. With three different kinds of ashpalt offering different levels of grip, the riders and their teams have to work hard to find a set-up to cope. Extreme weather conditions that are commonplace in this part of the USA can also be a factor, as was seen in the first visit for MotoGP to Indianapolis, and also make grip even more critical on the three different sections of track. INDIANAPOLIS CIRCUIT FACTS Circuit Record: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2009), 1’40.152 151.545 km/h Best Pole: Dani Pedrosa ( Honda 2009), 1’39.730 152.186 km/h Circuit Length: 4.216 km MotoGP Race 2010: 20 laps (84.32 km) MotoGP Timetable 2010: 15:00 Local Time Number laps: 28 Race distance: 118.048 PODIUM 2009: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Alex De Angelis, 3rd Nicky Hayden POLE 2009: Dani Pedrosa ( Honda 2009), 1’39.730 152.186 km/h DUCATI MOTOGP TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT INDIANAPOLIS 2009: 3rd (Hayden) 2008: 4th (Stoner) More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: The 2010 season continues its march towards the decisive part of the season with round 11 of 18 taking place at Indianapolis this weekend, and all eyes will once more be on Jorge Lorenzo as the Fiat Yamaha rider aims to maintain his phenomenal form this season. Victory last time out at Brno made the Spaniard only the third premier class rider in history to have placed inside the top two in all ten opening races of a season, and few would bet against him extending his win count this season to eight at a track he was victorious on last season. With a 77-point advantage over Dani Pedrosa in the standings the Repsol Honda man will be eager not only to halt his rival’s run, but also to make up for last year’s Indy outing. Pedrosa dominated the weekend and started from pole, but crashed early in the race and eventually placed tenth. Fresh from second place in the Czech Republic he will be targeting a third win of the season, which would be a first treble of premier class wins in one year for the 24 year-old. Casey Stoner’s consistent podium finishing over the past five rounds has lifted the Ducati Team rider to third overall, and still in search of a first win of the season the Australian will also be looking to make up for last year’s absence from this race due to illness. He will also be expecting a front-end improvement on his Desmosedici after testing new forks at Brno. Just four points behind him in the standings is Andrea Dovizioso, and the Repsol Honda man will want a solid result after his first DNF of 2010 in the last round. The Italian has finished fifth and fourth in his two rides at Indy, and will expect to go one better in the battle for third with Stoner. Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi continues to go from strength to strength as he regains full fitness, and has winning form on the track from 2008. Two points off the Italian in the standings is his prospective team-mate for 2011, Ducati’s Nicky Hayden. The American still in search of a first podium of the campaign will be desperate for a strong home display and will hope the injured left hand he sustained in Brno does not hinder those aspirations. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rookie Ben Spies will have identical aims to compatriot Hayden on home soil, whilst Randy de Puniet’s incredible return to action at Brno just four weeks after a broken leg will take its next step as the LCR Honda rider attempts to regain the highest privateer honour. Italian Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and another proud American Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) complete the top ten as it stands. Rookies Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar) and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) will all want positive first premier class runs at the circuit, whilst those with previous Indy experience in Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and Pramac Racing pair Aleix Espargaró and Mika Kallio will look to pull on their knowledge in search of good results. Having ridden at the Brno test for the first time in two months Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team) could make his return to action, but is waiting to make a decision. In the case the Japanese rookie does not Alex de Angelis will continue as his stand-in on the satellite RC212V. Moto2 After a fourth win of the campaign at Brno stretched his lead at the top of the Moto2 standings to 55 points, Toni Elías will attempt to make it three victories in a row for the first time in his World Championship career at Indianapolis this weekend. The Spaniard of the Gresini Racing team is well placed at the summit of the Championship, but has a rider more than capable of closing the gap on his tail in the shape of Andrea Iannone. The Italian of the Fimmco Speed Up team has displayed his blistering pace on numerous occasions this season and finished third behind Elías in the previous round, a result that pushed him into second position in the overall standings. Iannone will however have to consider the threat of Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) who will be determined to regain second spot having finished 11th at Brno. The Swiss rider had a top-ten finish at Indianapolis last year in the 250cc class, but will want a return to the podium having experienced it four times already this year. Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) and Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP) have their sights locked on Lüthi and third spot, whilst just two points separate Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing), Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) and Yuki Takahashi (Tech 3 Racing) from positions six to eight. The American presence on the grid will be trebled as joining regular rider Kenny Noyes (Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas) will be Jason di Salvo (GP Tech) riding an FTR chassis. Roger Lee Hayden (American Honda) will also be riding as a wild card on a Moriwaki, having competed in the premier class at Laguna Seca just five weeks earlier as a stand-in for Randy de Puniet. 125cc The race for the 2010 125cc title took another twist at Brno where Marc Márquez dislocated a shoulder in practice and then bravely rode to seventh, whilst Nico Terol announced his return to action and the Championship fight with a win in his first race back from injury. Red Bull Ajo Motorsport rider Márquez saw his title lead cut to 15 points as Pol Espargaró (Tuenti Racing) placed second in the Czech Republic, and the Spaniard will have his sights firmly set on victory at Indianapolis, especially at it is the track where he secured his first ever World Championship win last year. Terol’s win at Brno pulled him back into the contest and the Bancaja Aspar rider looked very strong in his first race back after fracturing vertebrae at Catalunya. The Spaniard placed fourth at Indy last year and will also be aiming to capitalise on Márquez’s reduced physical condition. Bradley Smith is still maintaining contact with the leading group, but the British rider knows he needs a first win of 2010 to ensure his title hopes stay alive he placed second at Indy last season. Smith is in fourth in the overall standings, 28 points behind team-mate Terol and 31 ahead of fifth-placed Tomoyoshi Koyama (Racing Team Germany). Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) and Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo) are separated by only three points, and will also fancy their chances of podium finishes at the U.S. circuit. There will be a single wild card entry as American youngster Kris Turner rides an Aprilia machine for Veloce Racing. More, from a press release issued by Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Moto2 Team: Heading Home: Kenny Noyes Hits The Brickyard For The Indianapolis GP With the season just past its halfway point, Kenny Noyes heads to Indianapolis for what promises to be a very special Grand Prix for the American. Alongside the excitement of racing at his first US Grand Prix for the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Moto2 team, Noyes will have a chance to meet his home fans at a host of events surrounding the Indianapolis GP. On Friday, Kenny will be appearing on stage at the Cycle World Seminar alongside famed technical guru Kevin Cameron, American wildcard entry Roger Lee Hayden and former 500 World Champion Kevin Schwantz. Noyes will also be putting in an appearance over the weekend at the SPEED Pit Party, where he will be signing autographs and answering questions. None of this off-track action will be distracting Kenny Noyes from his primary task of scoring points for the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Moto2 team during Sunday’s race. To prepare for the event, the American was given the opportunity to spend two days learning the circuit at the invitation of Mel Harder, director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Also taking part in the Indy tests were American wildcard riders Roger Lee Hayden and Jason Disalvo, both riding their Moto2 prototypes, and Venezuelan Robertino Pietri. As Moto2 regulars, neither Noyes and Pietri were allowed to ride their Moto2 machines under FIM rules, and so Kenny used a Kawasaki 600 Superstock bike kindly loaned to him by local racer Gene Burcham. With three hours of track time under his belt, Noyes is eager to get back to action at the legendary Brickyard. The upgrades that the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas team received to their Promoharris machine started to pay off at Brno, and at Indy, Noyes is hoping that improvements in qualifying will pay dividends in the race. “Almost all the Moto2 riders have ridden here the last two years either in 125 or in 250 so I was really grateful that Mel invited me to get some miles in. The hard thing this year has been circuit learning. I like the track and the facility is awesome. Just running down that Brickyard home straight with those huge grandstands is exciting. As an American who has spent the last nine years racing in Spain, it is great to have two “home” countries and, I guess, five “home” tracks, although I’ll still have a lot of learning to do at Indy. Looking over the balance of the season, Noyes said: “We have done nine races and have eight to go. This has been tough but fun. We were fast in Jerez, Le Mans and Catalunya, but the big, fast tracks have been harder for me and for the team as we worked to get up to speed. We made a step with the new swing-arm in Brno but from here on out we have to qualify better and stay on those front two or three rows. The next three tracks look good for us: Indy, Misano and Alcañiz, but then comes those three new tracks, Motegi, Sepang and Phillip Island, before we get back to Estoril and Valencia.” More, from a press release issued by Fogi Racing: Fogi Racing at Indy MotoGP in Moto2 & MD250GP. Fogi racing are delighted to announce the team riders for the up and coming Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP at the famous brickyard circuit. Jason DiSalvo will be piloting the GP Tech-Fogi Racing FTR machine in the ultra competitive Moto2 class. GPTech (USA FTR distributor) and FTR will be looking after DiSalvo over the weekend in ensuring the bike is set up and fully prepped for him to race. Along with the Moto2 class, Fogi Racing is competing in the Moriwaki MD250GP class double header. The team will have 4 riders on the grid with Scottish/Canadian Ben Young, America’s Nick Hansen and Xavier Zayat and the young US/Englishman Max Flinders, who recently moved over to the States from the UK. All the riders are under 17 yrs old and are the riders of the future. Crew Chief Scott Young was asked about the high profiled weekend ahead. “The whole Fogi team are very excited about the weekend. It is a great opportunity for our young riders to shine and for Jason DiSalvo to be riding our Moto2 machine caps off the event for us”. Team owner Angus Borland added, “with Jason onboard and our 4 young riders on the Moriwaki’s, the Fogi team must have the most machines entered in the MotoGP this weekend”. This will be an excellent event for the team and we are looking to draw attention from the fans and proposed sponsors as we have a busy 2011 season in front of us covering USGPRU, AMA, CEV (Spanish) and MotoGP. For more information, please visit www.fogi.us