RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP NOTEBOOK
VALENTINO ROSSI/Fiat Yamaha Team fell during the MotoGP Warm-Up, his third fall of the weekend.
The graphics on the 2011 MotoGP Ducati for NICKY HAYDEN will change, especially in the rear, due to changing sponsorship. More than that, Ducati will not reveal.
Pole Sitter GARRETT GERLOFF of Trussville Ala won the MD250H race Sunday morning. The race was marred by a crash on the warm-up lap. Rider PETER LENZ of Vancouver WA suffered “traumatic injuries and was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he later succumbed. He was 13. His family said “We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, but know that Peter is racing even faster in the sky.” The young rider had been mentored by MotoGP rider, COLIN EDWARDS/Monster Yamaha Tech 3, and had run Edward’s number – No.45 – on his Moriwaki motorcycle.
NICOLAS TEROL/Bancaja Aspar Team Aprilia won the 125 cc race, after starting second. It was the second consecutive victory for the Spaniard and his second at IMS. Pole Sitter MARC MARQUEZ/Red Bull jAo Motorsport Derbi finished second; however, the Spaniard is leading the standings, four points ahead of Terol. There were no Americans in the race, although KRISTIN LEE TURNER was entered as the Wildcard Rider in Veloce Racing Aprilia. Turner was last in the first practice, of 27 riders, and didn’t participate any further during the weekend.
TONY ELIAS/Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki won the Moto2 race, which was stopped by a Red Flag on the first lap when eight riders crashed. and then shortened to 17 laps. No one was hurt and the race was restarted. Pole sitter SIMON finished second. Wild Card rider, ROGER LEE HAYDEN started twenty-eighth and finished seventeenth in a field of 26, after being one of the unlucky participants in the aforementioned crash.
Brother NICKY HAYDEN was the Honorary Grand Marshal at the AMA dirt bike race Saturday night at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. He also got to run four laps on LARRY PEGRAM’s Ducati dirt bike. His Ducati MotoGP team turned out to watch and support him. A team member told me that it was so sweet to see him ride. The race was the site of the official announcement that Hayden had renewed his Ducati contract for two years. Hayden said “It brought back some good memories, and I got to see my old friends and fans. Obviously to make the announcement (about contract) was the highlight. But the laps weren’t bad either.”
Sunday’s Seen Scene: Some of the ‘celebrities’ seen Sunday included NASCAR driver, JUAN PABLO MONTOYA tightly fit into a set of red leathers to take a ride around the track with RANDY MAMOLA of San Jose CA, considered by some to be the best motorcycle rider never to have won a world championship.
IZOD IndyCar drivers TAKUMA SATO and E.J. VISO, who were in the area after last night’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. Both IRL drivers were there to support friends and fellow countrymen.
MICK DOOHAN, Aussie 500cc World Champion 1994-1998, said “It’s good to have an event here for those who can’t get out to California to see what happens in MotoGP.” Doohan was an early proponent of MotoGP coming to Indy, “so for me it’s good to see that it’s finally arrived.”
Schwantz weighed in on the track surface issue. “The good riders excel whether the surface is slick or bumpy or smooth – still find a way to be the best that they can be and put their motorcycle somewhere near the front.”