American Nicky Hayden rode a perfect race Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, leading every one of 32 laps on his Michelin-shod Repsol Honda RC211V to take the first MotoGP win of his career, his home Grand Prix, in front of 57,932 fans. “Today was my day,” said Hayden. “I just rode my heart out.” Countryman Colin Edwards was seventh after one lap, worked his way past his Gauloises Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi, second from the early-going, and even started eating into Hayden’s lead slightly at one point, but as the race wore on, the Texan was forced to concentrate in holding off Rossi to finish second. Unthreatened by his Championship rivals, Rossi was content to bring his “less than 100%” YZR-M1 home third, 0.371 second behind Edwards at the checkered flag. Hayden’s teammate Max Biaggi and Telefonica Movistar Honda’s Sete Gibernau raced closely for fourth the entire distance with Biaggi winning the duel and Gibernau getting fifth. Camel Honda’s Troy Bayliss came out on top of a race-long fight for sixth with Konica Minolta’s Makoto Tamada (seventh), Red Bull Suzuki’s John Hopkins (eighth), Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano (ninth) and Marlboro Ducati’s Loris Capirossi (10th). Marco Melandri and Alex Barros both crashed out in turn 11 on the opening lap, and Carlos Checa slid off at turn two while running seventh on lap nine. MotoGP Race Results: 1. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 32 laps, 45:15.374 2. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, -1.941 seconds 3. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, -2.312 seconds 4. Max Biaggi, Honda, -4.216 seconds 5. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -4.478 seconds 6. Troy Bayliss, Honda, -22.381 seconds 7. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -22.493 seconds 8. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -23.148 seconds 9. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, -23.625 seconds 10. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -26.123 seconds 11. Ruben Xaus, Yamaha, -43.512 seconds 12. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -50.957 seconds 13. Toni Elias, Yamaha, -51.343 seconds 14. Kenny Lee Roberts, Suzuki, -73.749 seconds 15. Shane Byrne, Proton, -84.256 seconds 16. James Ellison, Blata, -84.524 seconds 17. Franco Battaini, Blata, -1 lap 18. Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, -2 laps, DNF, mechanical 19. Carlos Checa, Ducati, -24 laps, DNF, crash 20. Marco Melandri, Honda, -32 laps, DNF, crash 21. Alex Barros, Honda, -32 laps, DNF, crash Fastest Lap of the Race: Edwards, 1:23.915, lap 5 MotoGP World Championship Point Standings (After 8 races): 1. Rossi, 186 points 2. Melandri, 107 points 3. Biaggi, 100 points 4. Gibernau, 95 points 5. Edwards, 93 points 6. Hayden, 85 points 7. Barros, 74 points 8. TIE, Nakano/Capirossi, 55 points 10. Bayliss, 47 points 11. Carlos Checa, 40 points 12. Xaus, 33 points 13. TIE, Hopkins/Tamada, 27 points 15. Olivier Jacque, 25 points 16. Elias, 18 points 17. Hofmann, 13 points 18. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, 12 points 19. Roberts, 11 points 20. Rolfo, 7 points 21. TIE, Ellison/David Checa, 4 points 23. TIE, Byrne/Tohru Ukawa, 1 point More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Hayden completes dream weekend with debut win at Laguna Seca Nicky Hayden joined a long list of American racing legends today as he became a MotoGP winner for the first time in his career at the Red Bull US Grand Prix. The 23 year old Honda rider led his home race from start to finish, bolting from pole position and leaving the rest of the 21-rider field trailing in his wake. With celebrities including Brad Pitt, Matt LeBlanc and Michael Jordan amongst the 57,932 sell-out crowd cheering him throughout 32 intense laps, Hayden established a two-second advantage over the chasing Valentino Rossi in the first part of the race and then held strong under late pressure from compatriot Colin Edwards to take a memorable first win. “I can honestly say that this is a dream come true for me,” said Hayden, who admitted climbing over the Laguna Seca fences to witness the last Grand Prix here as a 12-year-old in 1994. “You spend your whole life rehearsing the speech for a day like this but now it has happened I can’t find the words to describe how I feel. It hasn’t been easy for me in MotoGP over the past two seasons but every dog has its day and this was mine. Hopefully it can be the start of bigger things from now on.” With Edwards having snatched second place from Rossi with a daring move in the Corkscrew corner at the halfway stage of the race, the American fans were able to celebrate a memorable home one-two in the first MotoGP race here for over a decade. With Edwards also celebrating consecutive podium finishes for the first time in his Grand Prix career, Rossi was equally delighted with a tenth straight rostrum in third place, which extended his series lead to a massive 79 points over Marco Melandri, who crashed out with Alex Barros at the end of a combative first lap. As well as losing ground on Rossi in the championship Melandri is also coming under pressure for second place from Max Biaggi, who took fourth place today to close the gap to just seven points. Sete Gibernau is also looming a further five points behind Biaggi after a spirited ride today, when he charged from thirteenth on the grid to take fifth place in his first visit to the Californian circuit. After initially fighting with Rossi for second place on the opening lap, Troy Bayliss progressively lost ground until becoming involved in an intense battle in the second half of the race for sixth place. The Australian eventually got the better of Makoto Tamada to record his best result of the season, with the Japanese rider taking an impressive seventh just ten days after undergoing surgery on an arm problem. John Hopkins, Shinya Nakano and Loris Capirossi also joined in the skirmish with Bayliss and Tamada before eventually crossing the line in eighth, ninth and tenth respectively, whilst Rubén Xaus came home in a lonely eleventh. Further back, Toni Elías produced a determined performance on his return from a three-race absence through injury but eventually conceded twelfth place to Alex Hofmann on the line. Kenny Roberts Jr. and Shane Bynre completed the top fifteen, with Byrne picking up an historic first point for the KTM-powered Proton KR machine. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MEN TAKE HOME POINTS ON TOUGH DAY Ducati Team rider Loris Capirossi rode to a tough tenth-place finish in front of 57,000 sun-baked fans at Laguna Seca this afternoon, the Italian still not 100 per cent fit after suffering a nasty attack of gastroenteritis earlier in the weekend. Team-mate Carlos Checa slid out of the race on lap nine while challenging for sixth place. “Congratulations to Loris because he rode a great race considering his physical condition,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “He’s done a good job and he rode well today, getting very close to the group in front of him. Carlos had a very good first few laps, he was fast and aggressive. It’s a pity he fell because he could’ve had a good result here. Our thanks to Bridgestone, they’ve done a good job this weekend, and to all our other technical partners, especially Shell Advance.” CAPIROSSI SCORES GRITTY TOP-TEN FINISH Struck down by gastroenteritis on Friday, Loris Capirossi missed most of that afternoon’s practice session, putting him behind in his efforts to get his Ducati Team Desmosedici set up for this extraordinarily complex racetrack. Starting from 14th on the grid, the former Laguna 250 GP winner completed the first lap in 12th then moved forward steadily, catching the four-man group battling for sixth place. He ended the 32 laps less than four seconds behind sixth-place finisher Troy Bayliss. “I’m pretty happy with this race, considering the fact that I’ve been sick all weekend,” he said. “I was able to chase a good group, although I wasn’t 100 per cent certain about the rear tyre I chose because I didn’t have enough time to test it fully during practice. But the tyre was good until the last few laps when I felt a little vibration and eased off a bit. Considering the whole weekend, the race went okay for me.” CHECA FALLS AFTER STORMING START Carlos Checa rode a storming first few laps at Laguna this afternoon, moving up from eighth place to challenge Bayliss in sixth spot. But on lap nine the Ducati Team rider slid off as he braked for the downhill turn-two hairpin, escaping from the tumble without injury. “My start and my first few laps weren’t so bad,” said the Spaniard who rode the seventh quickest lap of the race. “I was catching Bayliss when I lost the front at turn two. It went away as I flicked into the turn, though it seemed like I was using the same braking point and the same line as usual. It’s a shame, because I thought we could get some good points here.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: KAWASAKI MEN BOTH SCORE POINTS IN AMERICA MotoGP racing made a spectacular return to North America today, with Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano finishing in a strong ninth place in the USGP. Nakano was joined in the World Championship points by teammate Alex Hofmann, who finished twelfth with another determined ride at the warm and sunny Laguna Seca circuit. The double points-scoring finish by Nakano and Hofmann maintains Kawasaki’s third place in the Constructors Championship, ahead of Ducati and Suzuki. The race was another encouraging step in both the development of the Ninja ZX-RR and the progress being made by tyre supplier Bridgestone. Nakano finished the race just 1.3s out of sixth place, in a closely bunched group that included factory Honda riders Troy Bayliss (sixth) and Makoto Tamada (seventh) plus Suzuki’s John Hopkins (eighth) and Loris Capirossi (Ducati) who was tenth. After being tenth in the opening laps Nakano slotted into eighth behind Hopkins on lap eight. By lap 14 the pair had Bayliss in their sights and a close battle unfolded over the remaining 18 laps. Tamada joined the party and on lap 23 just squeezed past Nakano for eighth place. This was Nakano’s first race on the demanding hillside Laguna Seca track, and he learnt a great deal as he pushed track experts Bayliss and Hopkins to the limit. From the fifth row of the grid Hofmann was caught in a bumping battle for track position on the opening lap and lost ground. After moving into 12th on lap ten, Hofmann dropped back to 15th with a momentary gearbox problem. At the final corner on lap 11 Hofmann’s bike dropped into neutral as he downshifted from second to first gear. But the young German rider made a brilliant recovery to charge back past Toni Elias (Yamaha) and Kenny Roberts Jr (Suzuki) to score valuable championship points. This was the first motorcycle Grand Prix in America for 11 years and the race was watched by a capacity crowd of 57,932 who were delighted with the race victory by home race favourite Nicky Hayden. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Ninth “It was a very hard race but over the final 15 laps I was able to race with Bayliss, Hopkins and Tamada, which is very encouraging for Kawasaki. I enjoyed the battle and I was able to learn many things about the track following Troy and John. The main point is we still need more top end power, plus a little more bottom end, to have a chance against these guys. The team did a very good job here and I was able to race with different electronic settings, which helped in the race. And our Bridgestone tyres had consistent grip for the race today.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Twelfth “I was on full lean angle in turn eleven when the gearbox shifted into neutral. I couldn’t click it straight back into first because I would have high-sided. It was a pity because I was ahead of the group that included Roberts and then I had do it all again to pass Elias and Roberts back. Eleventh was possible without that lost time. In the race I was much more comfortable with the track, I now understand the Corkscrew. I was able to run a consistent pace with good grip and I’m happy to get some points. The crowd was amazing today.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “We made the best results we could out of our package today and both riders took points to keep Kawasaki third in the Constructors Championship, which is very important.” MOTOGP RACE RESULT 1. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 45’15.374; 2. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +1.941; 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +2.312; 4. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda +4.216; 5. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +4.478; 6. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Camel Honda +22.381; 7. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda +22.493; 8. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +23.148; 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +23.625; 10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +26.123; 11. Ruben Xaus (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team +43.512; 12. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +50.957 More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: UNLUCKY RACE FOR ALEX, TROY BEATS TAMADA TO SIXTH The race was over practically before it even began for Alex Barros, a blameless victim of an Marco Melandri’s involuntary error, who lost control of his Honda entering the tight corner which brought the riders into the start-finish straight as they finished off the second lap in the US Grand Prix. The Brazilian rider, understandably disappointed, was taken to the Mobile Clinic for an abrasion to his left thigh, and immediately took off for home. Troy Bayliss finished in sixth place after a great duel with Makoto Tamada. Sito Pons Camel Honda “We have been incredibly unlucky in this race, because Alex was caught up in an incident he had nothing to do with, and he didn’t even get the chance to make the most of the competitive edge and pacy rhythm he demonstrated in practice and above all during this morning’s warm-up. Having seen his pace in the race he would almost certainly have been able to fight for victory. Troy got away well, but obviously he had a few difficulties because he was never able to ride as hard as in practice.” Alex Barros Camel Honda crash “We were just in the early stages of the race when Melandri bumped into me and made me crash. We were just at the end of the second lap, and I even left space for him to get into the corner, but he hit me anyway. It’s not something to do after just one lap of the race. It’s a shame, I’m so disappointed, because this was a race that I felt I could win.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda 6th place “Sixth isn’t what I want, or what I expected here at Laguna. In the race I was just unable to find the kind of feeling I had in practice, I didn’t have the confidence on the front and hardly any grip at the back. I picked up some good points and I gained a place a position in the championship standings, but today I wanted more.” Classification – United States GP 1. Hayden (USA-Honda) 45’15.374; 2. Edwards (USA-Yamaha) a 1.941; 3. Rossi (Ita-Yamaha) a 2.312; 4. Biaggi (Ita-Honda) a 4.216; 5. Gibernau (Spa-Honda) a 4.478; 6. Bayliss (Aus-Honda) a 22.381; 7. Tamada (Jap-Honda) a 22. 493; 8. Hopkins (USA-Suzuki) a 23.148; 9. Nakano (Jap-Kawasaki) a 23.625; 10. Capirossi (Ita-Ducati) a 26.123. RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP. 1. Rossi 186; 2. Melandri 107; 3. Biaggi 100; 4. Gibernau 95. 5. Edwards 93; 6. Hayden 85; 7. Barros 74; 8. Capirossi 55; 9. Nakano 55; 10. Bayliss 47. CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP. 1. Yamaha 190; 2. Honda 166; 3. Kawasaki 75; 4. Ducati 64; 5. Suzuki 35. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: United States Grand Prix Laguna Seca, USA Sunday 10th July 2005 DOUBLE PODIUM JOY FOR YAMAHA AT LAGUNA SECA Yamaha Motor Company celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a double podium finish at Laguna Seca today, as Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi took second and third place respectively in the United States Grand Prix. Both riders played a starring role in the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship and enjoyed a thrilling battle for the final two rostrum positions that went to the last lap of a race won by Nicky Hayden (Honda). Whilst Hayden got an electric start from pole position, both Rossi and Edwards were baulked in their attempts to give chase on the opening lap. Having started from second on the grid, Rossi made it back to the same position by the end of the first lap after a battle with Troy Bayliss (Honda), whilst Edwards was forced to fight his way through the pack after being forced back to seventh in a combative first-corner clash. With Hayden clear at the front, Rossi rode alone in second place until he was caught by his American team-mate on the sixteenth lap, when Edwards lined up an inch-perfect pass into the famous Corkscrew corner. After briefly closing down the gap to Hayden, Edwards suffered from tyre wear in the closing stages and was happy to settle for a second consecutive podium finish. Third place for Rossi extends his advantage at the top of the championship to 79 points over Marco Melandri (Honda), who crashed out on the first lap. COLIN EDWARDS (2nd; Race time 45’17.315; Fastest lap 1’23.915) “I made another bad start and ended up with two riders making a sandwich of me into turn one. They had my handlebars on each side and just carried me into the corner so I thought it was going to end in a big mess. Once I got clear of the group I got my head down and pushed as hard as I could to pass Valentino. At that point I still had something left to try and catch Nicky but every time I closed the gap he responded, so hats off to him. When the tyres went off I was just hanging on to finish the race. I knew I had an advantage of around two seconds over Valentino but on the last lap I looked at my board and it said 0.6. I guessed it must be a mistake but I then looked over my shoulder in turn two and he was right there! I thought “oh no, not on the last lap!” I gave everything I had left to hold him off and came close to crashing a few times so second place is really pleasing.” VALENTINO ROSSI (3rd; Race time 45’17.686; Fastest lap 1’24.207) “I lost some time during practice trying to learn the circuit so the bike was not at 100% today, and also our tyre choice was not perfect. Anyway, Nicky rode very hard and it was impossible to catch him today. I knew Colin was coming but I didn’t realise how close he was and he caught me by surprise in the Corkscrew. I lost some time there but at the end he lost some of his rhythm and I tried to catch him. He turned around to look at me and I said: “Hello, I am here!” I thought maybe to attack on the last lap but then I had a vision of both Yamahas in the dirt so decided third place was okay, especially for the championship! Anyway, I am very happy because I expected this to be the hardest race of the season but I am the fastest European rider here and I fought with the Americans. I have learnt a lot to try and beat them next year! “ DAVIDE BRIVIO YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM DIRECTOR “It has been a very good weekend for us and to have both riders together on the podium for the third time this year is a nice way to celebrate Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary. It is great to see the yellow, white and black colours on the podium after so many years, but most importantly we have seen Valentino extend his advantage at the top of the championship and Colin get much closer to the top. It has been a positive Grand Prix in every aspect for us. We have also enjoyed the experience of being in California, and we look forward to coming back next year.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE GETS THE BETTER OF LAGUNA SECA The Spaniard takes fifth place in an impeccable race after starting from the fifth row of the grid. Melandri suffers an unfortunate crash on the first lap. US GRAND PRIX – MOTOGP RACE The Telefónica Movistar Honda team head home from their first ever Grand Prix at Laguna Seca tonight reflecting on a creditable fifth place finish for Sete Gibernau and an unfortunate crash for Marco Melandri. The twice World Championship runner-up finally got the better of the notoriously difficult American circuit in a race which saw him finally put his practice problems behind him. Sete started the race in confident mood after making vital steps forward in the set-up of his machine during the morning warm-up. His excellent pace from the start of the race allowed him to gather confidence and he was soon setting the same lap times as the riders in the lead group. Only his lowly starting position prevented the Spaniard from picking up a better result after 32 long laps, which required maximum concentration. Sete made up seven positions on the first lap and rode like clockwork from then on, setting an unshakeable pace in th! e mid-1’24″ mark. Marco Melandri flipped the opposite side of the coin to his team-mate, with his improved hopes after a positive warm-up turning to dust on the first lap. The Italian remains second in the championship. Sete Gibernau is still two places behind him in fourth place but now lies just five points short of Max Biaggi in third. SETE GIBERNAU (5th): “I think that was one of my best races of the season, if not the best, even though the result might not reflect that. We found a better set-up than we had all weekend in the morning warm-up and I went out to give everything, even though I knew it would be tough starting so far back. We were able to maintain a high rhythm, the same as the guys at the front, and stayed consistent throughout the race. It hasn’t been an ideal weekend. When we go well in qualifying we don’t seem able to finish it off in the race and vice versa. I’m confident that when we manage to put three goo! d days together again we’ll be back to winning races.” MARCO MELANDRI (crashed): “The lead group were really close together in the final corner of the first lap and they braked really hard in front of me. I also had to shut off and lost the front. I crashed and I’m sorry for taking Alex Barros down too. It’s a shame it ended that way because in the warm-up I felt much better on the bike and my objective was to finish the weekend off in the best way possible. I hope we can get back on the right track when we return to Europe over the next few races.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Laguna Seca July 10th, 2005 U.S Grand Prix Hopkins leads Bridgestone challenge in U.S GP return Bridgestone marked a spectacular return for Grand Prix racing to America with hard-fought top ten finishes for home favourite John Hopkins, Shinya Nakano and Loris Capirossi. After an exile of 11 years, the MotoGP world championship returned to the breathtaking Laguna Seca circuit in California today, with a sell-out and sun-drenched 57,000-strong crowd cheering Hopkins home to eighth position. The Suzuki GSV-R rider, who started from the second row of the grid, was running in a challenging fifth position at the end of a frantic first lap. He continued to figure prominently in the early stages, matching the pace of reigning world champion Valentino Rossi in front of him. Roared on by a patriotic home crowd, Hopkins then found himself locked in an epic battle with Troy Bayliss, Makoto Tamada, and Nakano for much of the 32-lap battle. Helped by the consistency of a new construction Bridgestone rear tyre that was shipped from Japan to meet the intricate demands of the Laguna Seca circuit, Hopkins managed to keep Tamada at bay until lap 27 when the Japanese rider dived under him at Turn Two. It was the first time this season that Hopkins has finished top Bridgestone runner, finishing one place ahead of Nakano’s Kawasaki ZX-RR. The Japanese rider faced a steep learning curve having never ridden the Laguna Seca circuit, made famous for the spectacular Corkscrew. Nakano spent most of the race in pursuit of Hopkins, but despite his best efforts he couldn’t find a way past the 21-year-old American. Capirossi, who has been struggling with a nasty stomach virus since the opening day of practice, finished in 10th position to maintain his impressive record of scoring points in each of the opening eight rounds of the 2005 MotoGP world championship. Alex Hofmann claimed a battling 12th place finish while Kenny Roberts Junior was two places further adrift in 14th. Spaniard Carlos Checa was challenging Troy Bayliss when he crashed at Turn Two on lap nine. John Hopkins Suzuki Grand Prix Team 8th position “I’m pretty disappointed to be honest because I was really excited to be racing at home. It’s definitely not where I wanted to finish. I got passed by a few guys at the start of the race and at this track where overtaking is pretty tough, it’s so hard to make the passes back. I ended up having to stick where I was for most of the race. I tried for the longest time to get past Bayliss and it just didn’t happen. With the higher track temperatures today we had to use a harder rear tyre that we hadn’t really got on with over the weekend. I wanted to put on a good show for all the American fans and I’m sure I did as all I was doing was sliding around a lot during the race. It was good to see two American riders one and two at their home GP, but I really wish it was me.” Sugio Fukuoka Vice President and Officer – Bridgestone Corporation “In our first ever-race as the MotoGP class here in America, our teams and riders performed very well. Although we cannot be fully content with the results today, the fact that our tyres performed well here is a positive note. We made several advances here and gathered precious data which will be used in our next steps of development. We now look forward to getting back to the European rounds. Bridgestone Results: 8. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 45.38.522, 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 45.38,999, 10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 45.41.497, 12. Alex Hoffman (GER) Kawasaki, 46.06,331, 14. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki, 46.29,123. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati – DNF Temperature: Track: 52 C Air: 23 C Weather: Sunny More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: NICKY HAYDEN RULES THE ROOST IN CALIFORNIA It was only a matter of time before Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) made his talent felt in the hard-fought arena of MotoGP racing. The young American shone at his home race with a maiden pole and a career-first win. Not only did the American star provide Honda’s President, Mr Takeo Fukui who attended this race, with a victory, but Hayden also gave his father an unscheduled lap of honour on his all-conquering Honda RC211V Grand Prix machine. Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi finished second, and current sixth-place points table position-holder Colin Edwards (both Yamaha) finished third. European riders were at a disadvantage here and even the World Champion had no answer to the local expertise shown by Hayden and Edwards around the twists and turns of this tricky track. Hayden was magnificent at this challenging Laguna Seca circuit. Not only did he dominate qualifying, but the Stateside hero made the race his own too. From the lights, the former AMA Superbike Champion made the race his own as he led from the daunting uphill straight. By lap two Nicky had a one second lead and he made the race belong to Honda with a withering series of laps that his rivals had no answer to over a 32-lap tour of this punishing track. He was the man in control of events and not even the current man of the moment Rossi had the measure of him here in California. Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) made inroads into the World Championship points standings with a powerful ride into fourth place. The Roman gladiator closed the points gap significantly over his second-placed rival Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) at least for now. But the day belonged to Hayden, and few competitors could begrudge the American hero his hour of glory. “This is great,” said Hayden. “At my home Grand Prix, this is my first Premier win and I want to make sure this is the start of something good. Thanks to Honda, thanks to my Team for making this happen.” The ultra-experienced Max Biaggi was typically analytical and, unsurprisingly, characteristically generous in his assessment of the race. “Congratulations to Nicky and his crew,” he said. “He rode a great race. But my hands were full fighting with Sete Gibernau and neither of us could get close to him.” Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V), who finished fifth, said, “I think that was one of my best races of the season, if not the best, even though the result might not reflect that. We found a better set-up than we had all weekend in the morning warm-up and I went out to give everything, even though I knew it would be tough starting so far back. We were able to maintain a high rhythm, the same as the guys at the front, and stayed consistent throughout the race. It hasn’t been an ideal weekend. When we go well in qualifying we don’t seem able to finish it off in the race and vice versa. I’m confident that when we manage to put three good days together again we’ll be back to winning races.” Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V) finished sixth and said: “Sixth isn’t what I want, or what I expected here at Laguna. In the race I was just unable to find the kind of feeling I had in practice, I didn’t have the confidence on the front and hardly any grip at the back. I picked up some good points and I gained a position in the championship standings, but today I wanted more.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished an encouraging seventh, and said: “In the first turn of the race I had to leave the inside of the track to Barros and Nakano who both touched me on the left side of the bike. I thought I’d fall, but somehow I stayed on the bike, even if I lost precious time and some places. My feeling with the bike, in the final part of the race, with the tank almost empty and therefore lighter is getting better. I consider this race for me and for the Team a positive experience, in fact it’s only now that I’m in good shape after a series of injuries.” Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V), who looked good for a result here, crashed out early in the race. He said, “We were just in the early stages of the race when Melandri bumped into me and made me crash. We were just at the end of the first lap, and I even left space for him to get into the corner, but he hit me anyway. It’s not something to do after just one lap of the race. It’s a shame, I’m so disappointed, because this was a race that I felt I could win.” Marco Melandri, who crashed here early on in the race with Barros, now looks forward to the British GP at Donington Park round in two weeks time. The man who still holds second place in the World Championship points standings said: “The lead group were really close together in the final corner of the first lap and they braked really hard in front of me. I had to shut off and lost the front. I crashed and I’m sorry for taking Alex Barros down too. It’s a shame it ended that way because in the warm-up I felt much better on the bike and my objective was to finish the weekend off in the best way possible. I hope we can get back on the right track when we return to Europe over the next few races.” Honda Rider Quotes: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda, 1st: “This is like a fairy tale. To come to your home GP and be fastest in nearly all the sessions and get pole and then win is just a dream come true. It s been a while since I won anything except the dating game TV thing and this feels amazing. For the race I put my head down and just rode my heart out the whole race. In the middle of the race I saw the time gap come down and I thought ‘oh no’. but I kept focussed. Getting Earl on the back at the end is a real dirt track thing. I owe my family everything. My Mum and Dad have given up so much for us all as a family. I remember the roof leaking as a kid when it rained as all the money we had went into racing. This win is for everyone in my team for Honda in believing in me and for all the great fans around this track today who helped me so much . Every dog has its day and today it all just came together. I’m going to enjoy this moment for sure.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda, 4th: “It was a good race. Surely, we could have stepped on the podium this time, but it took me too long to pass Bayliss, who was slowing me down. So I lost the touch with the head of the race. I’m sorry, because I did a good start, from seventh to fourth place. I also liked the duel with Gibernau, tough but always fair. Well, I had fun. Today I really want to congratulate with my team mate Nicky and with his guys. He was simply perfect all over the week-end. Bravo Nicky!” Makoto Tanaka, Repsol Honda Team Manager: “A very special day and one we will all remember for ever. Nicky has been the man to beat all weekend and in the end no one could touch him. His team did a great job and got the bike set-up well right from the start. They hardly changed a thing. We at Honda have always had faith in Nicky and today it all paid off. Mr Takeo Fukui, the President and CEO of Honda Motor Company was here to witness the first Honda win in the top class of GP racing at Laguna Seca ever. I am positive that now Nicky has tasted success we will be seeing more. Max had a quiet race in compassion but with Melandri crashing out, managed to close the gap to second place to only seven points.” Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP, 5th: “I think that was one of my best races of the season, if not the best, even though the result might not reflect that. We found a better set-up than we had all weekend in the morning warm-up and I went out to give everything, even though I knew it would be tough starting so far back. We were able to maintain a high rhythm, the same as the guys at the front, and stayed consistent throughout the race. It hasn’t been an ideal weekend. When we go well in qualifying we don’t seem able to finish it off in the race and vice versa. I’m confident that when we manage to put three good days together again we’ll be back to winning races.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda MotoGP, dnf : “The lead group were really close together in the final corner of the first lap and they braked really hard in front of me. I also had to shut off and lost the front. I crashed and I’m sorry for taking Alex Barros down too. It’s a shame it ended that way because in the warm-up I felt much better on the bike and my objective was to finish the weekend off in the best way possible. I hope we can get back on the right track when we return to Europe over the next few races.” Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda, 6th: “Sixth isn’t what I want, or what I expected here at Laguna. In the race I was just unable to find the kind of feeling I had in practice, I didn’t have the confidence on the front and hardly any grip at the back. I picked up some good points and I gained a place a position in the championship standings, but today I wanted more.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda, dnf: “We were just in the early stages of the race when Melandri bumped into me and made me crash. We were just at the end of the second lap, and I even left space for him to get into the corner, but he hit me anyway. It’s not something to do after just one lap of the race. It’s a shame, I’m so disappointed, because this was a race that I felt I could win.” Sito Pons, Camel Honda: “We have been incredibly unlucky in this race, because Alex was caught up in an incident he had nothing to do with, and he didn’t even get the chance to make the most of the competitive edge and pacy rhythm he demonstrated in practice and above all during this morning’s warm-up. Having seen his pace in the race he would almost certainly have been able to fight for victory. Troy got away well, but obviously he had a few difficulties because he was never able to ride as hard as in practice.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda, 7th: “In the first turn of the race I had to leave the inside of the track to Barros and Nakano that have both touched me on the left side of the bike. I have seriously risked to fall, but somehow I made it to remain on my bike even if I lost precious time and some positions. While I was overtaking Nakano, at the end of the race, I have may cut the turn too much, touching with my left hand the rubber pole which delimit the circuit and this has blocked me for some successive turns. The RC211V and the tyres have been effective, allowing me to recuperate various positions. My feeling with the bike, in the final part of the race, with the tank almost empty and therefore lighter is surely improving. I consider this race for me and for the Team a positive experience, in fact is only from now that I am in good physical conditions after a series of disturbing inconveniences.” Gianluca Montiron, Konica Minolta Honda Director: “All in all a satisfying race for us. A honourable seventh place in a competitive race. Makoto is recovering his physical condition and notwithstanding the last week medical operation to his right forearm he has gone through, he made it to maintain a good rhythm during the all race. This has been for us one of the first races of the season where we have raced in almost optimal conditions and this make us look in a positive way the rest of the season. We consider this the starting base to obtain those results that we all aim.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: XAUS AND ELIAS BATTLE BRAVELY IN LAGUNA SECA The Fortuna Yamaha duo de MotoGP signed off from the United States Grand Prix with 11th and 13th positions. Toni had to have injections and suffered a lot with his wrist, at a circuit which requires a very hard suspension setting, which didn’t help his physical problems. Rubén, meanwhile, promises to return in 2006 and do much better, although his team appreciate his effort and let him know as such. RUBEN XAUS Race: 11th Championship standings: 12th, with 33 points Practice was unsatisfying for Rubén Xaus, who complained of being unable to show his talent and experience at the Californian track. At the end of the race the team congratulated him, “They did so because we keep on picking up points. I got a bad start, but sometimes starting from the back is suicidal. The first corner is really dangerous and I tried to be calm. It’s also true that after the kind of practice I had, to start from behind takes your motivation away a little. Anyway, the bad point was the first five laps yet again. Until I got past Rolfo, who was holding me up a bit, I was unable to go at my rhythm of about a second slower than the lead group. My adaptation to the M1 means I’m slowly working out its secrets. It’s hard work, but everybody’s calm here. Through thick and thin. I’m here and I’m full of determination. For now I’ll have to be content with the Superbikes race I won here in 2003, but I promise I’ll come back and win here. I don’t know how and when, but I promise.” TONI ELIAS Race: 13th Championship standings: 16th, with 18 points The Catalan rider got back on board the M1 after 3 grands prix out injured, and he picked up valuable points. It was important to finish, and despite the pain in his wrist, he managed it. “I’m satisfied. We were faced with a difficult weekend and we will take home 3 points, which could be crucial. The race was so tough. My han was hurting so much. I don’t know why but after 4 laps it began hurting again; I think that we didn’t manage to inject it properly. I was important to finish though, and I hung on behind Hofmann. This is a legendary track, and I’m lucky to ride here, which was one of my dreams, and it’s another reason to be satisfied. However we need to improve. I want to return next year and give it all again, so I can improve on my result.” HERVE PONCHARAL, Fortuna Yamaha Team Manager “It was a very difficult weekend, but we still knew how to get through thanks to the hard work and effort from everyone. Rubén didn’t start the race too well, but after a few laps rode very consistently and had a good rhythm. The points we picked up are of vital importance. As for Toni, it wasn’t at all easy for him with this being such a physical track and him not being at 100%. We hope that in Donington he can ride in better shape and he can show the potential we all know he has.” More, from a press release issued by KTM: 8th round Laguna Seca, USA Hayden with debut win at Laguna Seca. Edwards finished on the second and Rossi on the third place. Shane Byrne completed the top fifteen, with Byrne picking up an historic first point for the KTM-powered Proton KR machine.