PressSnoop

Effective 25 July 2009/prior to the MotoGP round in Brno, FIM instituted new 2009 engine rules, to which the manufacturers agreed. For the remainder of the season the teams would be allowed five engines for the seven remaining races. FIM must be notified if the allotment is exceeded, and the Race Director can levy an appropriate penalty. That could include the losing of ten points.

For next year the proposed regulations would allow six engines for 18 races, but they haven’t yet been finalized.

In response to talk around the paddock that riders might be sitting out more during the track sessions, eliminating celebratory burnouts, cutting down revs on cool-off laps, etc, STEVE WESTLAKE, Honda PR Manager, said “Honda is not cutting down on practice time. Honda isn’t particularly worried about saving engines by saving use. It’s not such a big difference from the beginning of the season in terms of engine life. There are no concerns now. Referring to Sunday’s MotoGP pole sitter DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Honda Team, he said “Dani is not a big burn out man anyhow.”

“We need to cut costs and everyone understands this. We all agreed to reduce or limit development costs on extending engine life. There is a development cost in extending new engine specs. But in the long run it will be cost effective. That’s the plan.”

Honda pointed out that even Valentino (VALENTINO ROSSI/Fiat Yamaha Team- who supposedly has been critical of the rule) said in the press conference “You just manage it in a different way.”

Yamaha supports the current engine rules as a cost-cutting measure and supports the rule as it stands now, also reiterating that the manufacturers have agreed. However, COLIN EDWARDS/Monster Yamaha Tech 3 was very vocal Friday about the new rules not being necessary now, that the economy had changed and he really didn’t like the six engines for 18 races next year.

A Ducati spokesperson said Ducati has been working on improving engine life. NICKY HAYDEN/Ducati Team isn’t riding any differently now since the Brno round, when the rule went into effect requiring five engines for the remaining races. “For the moment, it hasn’t had any effect on how Nicky races.”

MotoGP rider JORGE LORENZO/Fiat Team Yamaha validated his contract extension with Yamaha by inheriting the lead by Lap Three; and holding on to it to win the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He took over the lead after the top two riders each low-sided and leaned into solo falls. Lorenzo had gridded second. He turned the fastest race time of 1:40.152/94 mph/151.545 km/h.

Lorenzo said “The championship is more possible, but it still very difficult. Dani and Valentino crashing was bad for them but it helped me.”

ALEX DE ANGELIS/San Carlo Honda Gresini started sixth but worked his way up to finish second, 9.435 second back. Through a translator, De Angelis said “Maybe the team believed in me more than I did.” His last podium was in the 250cc series.

American NICKY HAYDEN/Ducati Team came from fourth to third early on and held on to it to Lap 28 and the checkered flag. He said “It felt great. I drank a little bubbly and am very happy. It was the biggest challenge of my life. I wasn’t sure I could hold off Andrea. It took all I had.”

Hayden held off ANDREA DOVIZIOSO/Repsol Honda Team, who finished fourth. The other American rider, COLIN EDWARDS/Monster Yamaha Tech 3 started and finished fifth. He ran as high as third before being passed by Dovizioso.

First pole sitter DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Team Honda crashed on Lap Four. It was a low and slow fall which saw the diminutive Spaniard slide across course and the grass to a stop. He got up and rejoined the race, to finish tenth, on the lead lap.

After Pedrosa fell, VALENTINO ROSSI/Fiat Yamaha Team took the lead for the next five laps  and then was passed by Lorenzo for the lead. Shortly thereafter, Rossi did almost the same as Pedrosa – low-side it and fall off the motorcycle. Rossi quickly skidded across the track and grass side by side with his motorcycle, which crashed into the fence. He rejoined the race and pitted, for a DNF.

Lorenzo never looked back. The top six riders sorted themselves out and for the most part kept their order to the finish.

Rossi maintains his lead in the Rider Championship, with 212 points, followed by Lorenzo in second with 187. The ailing CASEY STONER/Ducati Team is still in third with 150 points. Pedrosa is fourth-141, Edwards is fifth-123 and Dovizioso is sixth with 120. Hayden moved up from fourteenth to twelfth with 73 points.

Near the end of the race, NICCOLO CANEPA/Pramac Racing Ducati stopped on course and retired. MARCO MELANDRI/Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki crashed, with him separating from his motorcycle, which vaulted end over end into the grass. Canepa appeared unhurt.

The weather was mostly cloudy with some blue skies. The ambient temperature was 68 degrees F/20C, while the ground temperature was 80 degreesF/27C.

The attendance figures came out at the start of the race. This year’s attendance was down all around, despite better weather in 2009.
2009
Friday    26,350*
Saturday    45,200
Sunday    75,130
2008
Friday    30,978*
Saturday    52,010
Sunday    91,064*
*=Rain

The finishing order
Lorenzo
De Angelis
Hayden
Dovizioso
Edwards
JAMES TOSELAND
LORIS CAPIROSSI
MIKKA KALLIO
TONI ELIAS
DANI PEDROSA
CHRIS VERMEULEN
RANDY DE PUNIET
JOSE ESPARGARO
MARC TALMACSI
MARCO  MELANDRI
NICCOLO CANEPA
VALENTINO ROSSI

Bright sunshine, blue skies, breeze blowing away the fluffy white clouds, and no threat of rain. What a way to start the day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. The temperatures started out cool and warmed up a bit, with the ground and air almost the same, 59-62 degrees F/15-17C, while the ground warmed up to 64 degrees F/18C.

All three of the FIM classes had their morning warm-ups.

ALEXIS MASBOU/Loncin Racing high-sided it in Turn One during the 125cc warm-up, and got up, favoring his right leg as he hopped away. In the 250cc session, HIROSHIMA AOYAMA/Scot Racing Team 250cc fell but got up and away all right. Near the end of the MotoGP session, NICCOLO CANEPA/Pramac Racing fell and walked away.

At the checkered flag it looked like today’s MotoGP Pole sitter, DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Honda Team was fastest in the warmup which had all 17 riders on course. However, out of nowhere it seemed came ALEX DE ANGELIS/San Carlo Honda Gresini, who turned a 1:40.446/94 mph/151.102 km/h.

Throughout the twenty-minute session, the lead changed from Fiat Yamaha riders, JORGE LORENZO and VALENTINO ROSSI, and then Pedrosa near the end.

Second through tenth were Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Rossi, TONI ELIAS/San Carlo Honda Gresini, NICKY HAYDEN/Ducati Team, COLIN EDWARDS/Monster Yamaha Tech 3, MARCO Melandri/Hayate Racing Team, ANDREA DOVIZIOSO/Repsol Honda Team, and LORIS CAPIROSSI/Rizla Suzuki MotoGP.

SIMONE CORSI/Fontana Racing Aprilia as fastest in the 125cc, at 1:49.586/86 mph/138.499 km/h.

HECTOR BARBERA/Pepe World Team Aprilia was fastest in the 250cc warm-up at 1:44.857/90 mph/144.745 km/h.

The three races run Sunday afternoon, with the 125cc race starting at 12 noon EDT, 250cc race at 1:15 p.m. EDT, and ending with the MotoGP race live on FOX at 3 p.m. EDT.

By the end of the day Saturday there was more sunshine and blue skies than fluffy white clouds with temperatures in the mid-seventies at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Three pole positions had been set for Sunday’s Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix and it had been an all-around safe and sane day.

MIKE DI MEGLIO/Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc Aprilia had the pole for the 250cc race, setting a time of 1:44.341/90.3 mph/145.461 km/h on his last flying lap. This is the first-ever 250cc pole for the 2008 125cc champion.

Second through fifth in the 250 category were HIROSHIMA AOYAMA/Scot Racing Team 250cc Honda, MARCO SIMONCELLI/Metis Gilera, HECTOR BARBERA/Pepe World Team Aprilia, and JULES CLUZEL/Matteoni Racing.

Twenty-four of the 25 entrants will start the race. Wild Card rider, BARRRETT LONG of the US failed to qualify his Longevity Racing Yamaha, after being outside the 107 percent time of the fastest rider, at 1:52.154.

JULIAN SIMON/Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia took the 125cc pole position at 1:49.337/86.2 mph/138.814 km/h. It was his fifth pole this season, and especially pleasing since he suffered Aprilia rear-end problems Friday.

Second through fifth were SANDRO CORTESE/Ajo Interwetten Derbi; NICOLAS TEROL/Jack & Jones Team Aprilia; POL ESPARGARO/Derbi Racing Team Derbi; and BRADLEY SMITH/Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia, who turned the fastest 250cc race lap last year.

All thirty-two 250 riders will start the race.

DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Honda Team’s 2009 MotoGP qualifying lap time was a full second faster than Rossi’s 2008 pole time, and his morning practice lap was a second faster than second-placed JORGE LORENZO/Fiat Yamaha Team. Pedrosa and others agreed that there are bumps in Turn Six which cause problems. Pedrosa said he “must concentrate to avoid them.”

Pedrosa is on a roll on American soil. He won the MotoGP round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last month.  He said “It’s nice to be in the USA, a big and nice country. It is an important country for MotoGP.”

The top four MotoGP qualifiers ran Bridgestone harder option front slicks and softer option rears, and all were faster than last’s year pole time. Bridgestone was able to use some of its Formula One experience to better understand the track for MotoGP.

MotoGP rider, DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Honda Team, has been the man to beat so far this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. He has the pole position for Sunday’s race with a 1:39.739, faster than last’s year pole position of 1:40.776, set by VALENTINO ROSSI/Fiat Yamaha Team. Pedrosa, the only rider to get below a 1:40, set his fastest time on Lap 28 of 30 laps.

Pedrosa said “For sure the pole position here is important to start. I did good in the wet yesterday and in the dry today. But we need to improve more for the race.”

Second was JORGE LORENZO/Fiat Yamaha Team, who ran the most laps – 31. Current points leader Rossi was third fastest. “The Doctor” holds all MotoGP records set last/first year – best lap, fastest race lap, pole position and top speed.

Fourth through sixth were ALEX DE ANGELIS/San Carlos Honda Gresini; and Americans COLIN EDWARDS/Monster Yamaha Tech 3 and NICKY HAYDEN/Ducati Team.

Saturday’s qualifying session saw the fastest ever MotoGP trap speed of 197.8 mph/318.3 km/h, set by both Pedrosa and MARCO MELANDRI/Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki. The speed trap is just past Start-Finish, part way towards Turn One. The long front straight is 0.542 miles/872 meters long.

MIKA KALLIO of Finland is substituting for the ailing CASEY STONER on the Ducati Team. He was fifteenth fastest and turned the fewest laps – 24. He was, however, the fastest in the speed trap in morning practice at 196.9 mph/317 km/h.

Last year’s top trap speed of 194.4 mph was set by Melandri on a Ducati during qualifying.

The sun was out, the clouds were white and fluffy and the breeze was stiff for qualifying. It was 80F/27C, while the track was 98.6F/37C. Humidity was 40 percent, but no signs of precipitation. Some of the grandstands and viewing mounds around the course were crammed chocka-blocka, while the front straight grandstands had fewer fans.

To correct my previous information on BEN SPIES, who is currently a Rookie in the World Superbike Series: He won the AMA Superbike championship title three years straight, 2006-2008. Spies has made a spectacular debut in SBK, with nine poles, 11 wins, 13 podiums including a second and a third, and six fastest laps. He is second in the standings, just seven points out of first place behind NORIYUKI HAGA of Japan.

The Grand Prix Commission announced some changes Saturday to MotoGP tyre restrictions, and defined season and breaks for practice restrictions.

The qualifying order for Sunday’s MotoGP was Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Rossi, De Angelis, Edwards, Hayden, TONI ELIAS, ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, MARCO MELANDRI, JAMES TOSELAND, LORIS CAPIROSSI, RANDY DE PUNIET, NICCOLO CANEPA, CHRIS VERMEULEN, Kallio, ALEIX ESPARGARO, and GABOR TALMACSI.

Sunday’s race is 3 PM EDT and will be telecast live on FOX.

More people are streaming into Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the weather warms up for the second day of the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. The sun is playing hide and seek with the fluffy clouds. While the grandstands are mostly empty, the ground is filling up with fans enjoying the attractions, racing and dry weather.

The fastest 250cc rider in Saturday morning practice was MARCO SIMONCELLI/Metis Gilera at 1:45.001. His time was fastest of the two sessions run so far.

Simoncelli traded the top spot with HECTOR BARBERA/Pepe World Team Aprilia  and MIKE DI MEGLIO/Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc Aprilia, who ended up second and third. Fourth was RATTHAPARK WILAIROT/Thai Honda PTT SAG, followed by ALVARO BAUTISTA/Mapfre Aspar Team Aprilia.

There is no circuit lap record from last year as the 250cc race was cancelled due to the hurricane rains. Simoncelli had the 2008 pole with a time of 1:45.168

Wild Card rider ADAM ROBERTS/Rat Racing Yamaha was outside the 107 percent, as was Rookie SHOYA TOMIZAWA/CIP Moto-GP250 Honda. They still have qualifying to get faster.

The track temperature warmed up to 71+ F/22C, and the ambient temperature was 82F/28C.

Fourteen riders were on Aprilias with the remaining ten riders on motorcycles representing other manufacturers including Gilera, Honda, and Yamaha.

The 250cc riders qualify at 3:10 EDT, after MotoGP qualifying.

Saturday morning’s top practice times were ten seconds faster than Friday’s in the rain. Quelle Suprise. It was grey and overcast for most of the hour-long session, but the sun did come out for the later moments. The ambient temperature was 72 degreesF/22C, and the track temperature was 68 degreesF/20C.

Many riders went out early on, and then waited in the garage and held detailed briefings with their teams. At the half-way point, only six riders were on track. Near the end all were on track.

DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Honda Team was fastest most of the practice, with a brief pip by JORGE LORENZO/Fiat Yamaha Team. Pedrosa kept laying down faster and faster laps. Pedrosa’s best was 1:40.271 – the only rider to get below 1:41. The circuit lap record of 1:49.668/62+ mph/138.395 km/h was turned last year by VALENTINO ROSSI.

Lorenzo ran in second place much of the time. Third fastest ended up ALEX de ANGELIS/San Carlo Honda Gresini, who charged up at the end, to pass Rossi, COLIN EDWARDS/Monster Yamaha Tech 3, and NICKY HAYDEN/Ducati Team who had been running in that order most of the session.

Fourth and fifth ended up being Rossi and Edwards, with ANDREAS DOVIZIOSO/Repsol Team Honda edging Hayden for fifth.

MIKA KALLIO, substituting for the recuperating CASEY STONER/Ducati Team, finished ninth. ALEIX ESPARGARO/Pramac Racing was fourteenth in only his second MotoGP session. He’s filling in for Kallio until Stoner returns.

All 17 MotoGP riders were on track. The most laps turned were 28 run by Dovizioso and Hayden, and the fewest  was 22 by Toseland.

British rider JAMES TOSELAND/Monster Yamaha Tech 3 was sixteenth fastest. If he’s replaced on the team, say by (as rumored) BEN SPIES, the American who could be headed for his third World Superbike championship, MotoGP will not only lose its only Brit rider, but its band. Toseland and his band Crash play at MotoGP functions. This weekend he/they are playing Saturday afternoon at the track after qualifying.

MotoGP qualifying is 1:55 EDT.

The sun broke through the overcast before the finish of the 125cc forty-minute practice session early Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The ambient temperatures was 64 degrees F/18C, track temperature 68 degreesF/20C and no forecast of rain so far. The track was dry, no doubt helped by the stiff breeze. The traffic was light coming into the track.

At the end of the session, with the sun in hiding, BRADLEY SMITH/Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia was the first rider to break the 1:50 mark and was the fastest 125cc rider with a time of 1:49.251. Three other riders were below 1:50:  POL ESPARGARO/Derbi Racing Team Derbi at 1:49.577 in second position; NICOLAS TEROL/Jack & Jones Team Aprilia and Bradley’s teammate and Points leader JULIAN SIMON in fourth place at 1:49.983. Fifth was STEFAN BRADL/Vietnam Kiefer Racing Aprilia.

Bradl holds the circuit lap record of 1:50.460 mph/137.403 km/h set last year.

SCOTT REDDING/Blueness Aprilia fell off his motorcycle while leading the session, but he was not hurt. He ended up ninth.

Thirty-two riders were on track. Wild Card rider, BEN YOUNG/Veloce Racing Aprilia was outside the 107 per cent. The young American still has a chance to qualify Saturday afternoon.

Twenty-three of the thirty-three 125cc entries run Aprilia motorcycles. The other manufacturers are Derbi, Honda, Loncin and KTM.

The MotoGP fans in town for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix come from all over, perhaps more from out of the area, state or country than locals. In my lodgings, there is a 250cc team, visitors from Hungary and five Brazilians who rode their motorcycles all the way from home – 42 days on the road. Now that’s dedication!

NICKY HAYDEN/Ducati Team was all smiles after his Friday MotoGP practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. He was only 0.155 seconds off the fastest time of DANI PEDROSA/Repsol Honda Team. “It’s cool to be up front, but I don’t learn much in the rain. I lost a lot in the session today with it being in the wet. It was raining pretty hard. Obviously, I need dry setup time”

All the riders ran Bridgestone wets hard compound, the only available compound. For this race, Bridgestone has brought asymmetric (dual compound) rear slicks, which are hard and extra hard, “because of the imbalance between the ten left hand corners and the six right hand corners, most of which are slow and short, unlike the generally long and fast lefts.” Basically the inside of the tire wears out faster than the right on a single compound tire at Indy. Hayden likes the dual compound tires (as do many riders) and wishes MotoGP had them for more races.

Hayden said he told himself he had to learn how to race in the rain. He’s been getting better and improving all year. Among the reasons he cited: setup (suspension) – important in the rain; his tires have gotten better; and “we’ve made changes.”

Hayden changed tires halfway through the session. He wore down his first set but didn’t want to destroy them. “I knew I was going to go for it. We only get four sets, unless it rains every session.”

The track surface was not consistent around the 2.621-mile circuit. Turn One had drainage problems, holding water. Hayden had to ‘tiptoe’ through it. Another part of the course was really grippy. “It must have had cracks for draining water.” Other parts of the track were bumpy.

Hayden said FIM got everything it asked the track to do. At some point Hayden said they need to do some resurfacing as it’s bumpy in some spots. The kerbs were fine but he didn’t run much on them. The grippiest spot was the oval, where it was dry.

Hayden acknowledges that it’s been a tough year. “Everybody knows I’ve had big crashes and not a lot of great results and my job is on the line. So it is good to come here and man up with it. But I’ve got to do it Sunday. Ain’t nobody goIng to remember Friday afternoon, so that’s what I’ve got to do Sunday.”

One thing Hayden misses being an American racing for an overseas team is the time at home in Kentucky. He grew up being close with his two brothers – older TOMMY and younger ROGER LEE, both AMA riders. Hayden misses the holidays, and doing everything together with them – including going to the principal’s office.

JULES CLUZEL/Mattoon Racing Aprilia pipped HECTOR BARBERA/Pepe World Team Aprilia as the fastest 250cc rider Friday afternoon in the third and last practice of the day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Clauzel’s best time of 1:51.512 came on Lap 15 of 17. Up to that point, Barbera had led most of the session. Much of the session was run on a drying track while the showers briefly abated, but near the end of the hour-long session the rain returned. The session ended to a thunderous clap.

KAREL ABRAHAM/Cardion AB Motoracing Aprilia took a long, slow graceful spill off his motorcycle with three minutes to go. No harm, no foul, and he got back up and running. He was fourth at the time and had just turned his fastest lap. His time held.

Running for the checkered flag, SHOYA TOMIZAWA/CIP Moto – GP250 Honda took a spill, and his motorcycle made it hard into the barrier, with Tomizawa running after. He ended up seventeenth.

Neither rider appeared hurt.

Twenty-five riders are entered. Two are North American Wild Card riders: BARRETT LONG, 25, of Miami FL, USA/Longevity Racing Yamaha and ADAM ROBERTS, 24, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada/Rat Racing Yamaha. Both were outside 107 per cent, and “not qualified.” Basically, this puts them on notice that their speeds are more than 10 per cent of the leader; that they have to pick it up or show they’re capable of running the race. They have a practice session Saturday morning before afternoon qualifying.

Five riders each are from Italy and Spain, three from France, two each from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Japan and Switzerland, and one each from Canada, Russia, Thailand and USA.