MotoGP 2009 - Round Eight - Laguna Seca

MotoGP 2009 - Round Eight - Laguna Seca - Preview

This weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca is the first of two FIM World Championship visits to America this year and is the second of four GPs in a five week period, as the 2009 season really begins to gather pace.

With Indianapolis to come in August the MotoGP riders will this weekend enjoy their first Stateside trip of the campaign as they head to California, with visits to Sachsenring and Donington Park still to come on the busy schedule before the summer break.

After seven rounds so far this year things are tight at the top, with three main protagonists emerging as the title candidates. Heading to Assen in the Netherlands last weekend, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner were all square on points at the head of the standings and even though Rossi has pushed ahead with the superb 100th GP victory of his career at the Dutch track his young rivals are still snapping at his heels.

Last year at Laguna Rossi took a hugely important win over Stoner, passing him brilliantly on infamous Corkscrew corner and scoring a significant psychological blow against the Australian. This year, however, he has two key rivals to contend with.

World Champion Rossi goes into round eight in great from, with a five point lead over Lorenzo in the general classification, having relegated his Fiat Yamaha team-mate to second place in the last two races at Catalunya and Assen. The Italian looks as strong as ever, with his Yamaha M1 machine working brilliantly as he looks to turn up the heat on his rivals.

Lorenzo, meanwhile, has never completed a race at Laguna having crashed out on the first lap on his debut at the Californian track last year. He insists however that this year he is finding things more comfortable at tracks which did not favour him in the past and can be expected to be pushing Rossi hard at the front again this weekend.

Fitness doubts for Stoner could be the major factor hindering the Ducati star following another grueling race in The Netherlands, where for the second round in succession he finished third, but was totally exhausted on the podium. If he can recover full strength he will be confident of another good performance on Sunday, at a track where he won in 2007 and finished second in 2008.

Behind the leading three in the championship, the Repsol Honda duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa will be desperate to bounce straight back from their Assen disappointments having both crashed out of the Dutch contest, in separate incidents at the same corner, when well positioned to earn some decent points. Dovizioso is currently fourth in the standings, some distance behind the top three, but with just a two point advantage over Pedrosa and Colin Edwards.

Texan rider Edwards arrives for his home race in good form following his fourth place at Assen and is hoping for another strong result as he seeks to extend his MotoGP career. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider was on the podium at Laguna Seca in 2005 but since then has struggled for good results there and will aim to correct that pattern on Sunday.

His compatriot Nicky Hayden, the only other American rider in the premier class at present, boasts two of his three MotoGP career wins at Laguna and would love nothing more than to get his first top five result of 2009 on his Stateside debut for Ducati this weekend.

Ahead of the weekend’s Californian spectacular Randy de Puniet, Toni Elías and the aforementioned Stoner have already been soaking up the American atmosphere with a visit to the famous Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Los Angeles, on Tuesday afternoon.

Taking a chance to relax before they head up the coast along Route 101 to Laguna, the trio of premier class competitors were given a tour of the Universal Studios Hollywood attractions, including film and TV sets and rollercoasters, getting up close and personal with ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Jaws’, ‘The Mummy’ and ‘The Simpsons’.

The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix promises to be a memorable event, coinciding with the American 4th July celebrations and commencing this Friday, 3rd July, with Free Practice 1 at 1.55pm local time, (9.55pm GMT, 10.55pm CET). The 250cc and 125cc classes do not compete at Laguna and will be back in action at Sachsenring on the 17th-19th July weekend.

-- Ducati Preview

One of the most eagerly-anticipated and important events on the MotoGP calendar for Ducati and its riders arrives this weekend, with the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. It is one of two home races for Nicky Hayden and the scene of his debut victory in motorcycle racing’s elite competition, which came in 2005 and was followed up by identical success on his way to the world title in 2006. Casey Stoner picked up the baton with victory in 2007 and the Australian was one half of an epic battle with Valentino Rossi last year. The pair fought elbow to elbow around the rollercoaster circuit but the fans were denied a grandstand finale when Stoner ran off track and crashed, returning to claim second place, such was the gap they had built up over the rest of the field.

Whilst the Ducati MotoGP Team riders both have great pedigree at the Californian circuit, the event also has special significance for the Borgo Panigale factory, with the US market one of their most important. On the opposite side of the Atlantic to its home, the Ducati brand has become a symbol of quality, high technology and exclusivity – the distinctive characteristics of a product bearing the “Made in Italy” stamp.

Determination, dedication and hard work are the hallmarks of the Ducati MotoGP Team, which is ready to give full support to its two riders as they prepare to tackle the next challenge. Hayden is desperate to perform in front of his home fans and following a gritty and combative performance in Holland he is looking to continue with the progress he has made over the last few weeks. Stoner, meanwhile, is hoping to overcome the physical problems that have prevented him from challenging for victory in the last two races at Assen and Catalunya, although on both occasions he was able to stay in the championship hunt thanks to podium finishes achieved with the hard work and support of his team.

LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director
“It is always great to race at Laguna and particularly so this year, with Nicky in our team! We’ll do everything we can to make sure Casey is in the best physical condition possible and to give Nicky the opportunity to ride at the level we all know he is capable of at his favourite circuits, where he has scored two wonderful victories in the past. The bike is improving all the time and we’re confident we can do well with both our riders this weekend.”

CASEY STONER, Ducati MotoGP Team (3rd in the championship on 122 points)
“We have had some setbacks over the past couple of races that have prevented us from showing our full potential. We have done a lot of work on the bike and found a great set-up for the race on both occasions but I have not been in good shape when it was the moment to take advantage of that work. We have come straight to America from Assen and there hasn’t been much time to recover, although I do feel better already. What we learned from last weekend is not to underestimate the symptoms. I have always liked Laguna, with its natural elevation changes, I love racing in America and the Ducati has always gone well here. We have the potential to challenge for a good result again but we’ll wait until we get out on track and see how things shape up.”

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati MotoGP Team (15th in the championship on 26 points)
“We still have a lot of work to do but it has been nice to see a little progress over the last few weeks and at Laguna I really need to take another big step. I don’t have any big plan or anything – it’s not that easy! All I know to do is keep trying and working at it and hope it will come. Laguna is a great track and very challenging. There are a few points that stick out but in general it is different to most tracks, which usually have a few different sections, whereas Laguna is basically just one section and you have to put it all together to make a good lap. This year we’re racing in America on the 4th of July weekend and it’s perfect - I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than at the US Grand Prix! Also the fact my brothers will be racing on the same weekend in the AMA championship helps make it special for me. This will be the first time my American fans get to see me on a Ducati so that will be cool because there are a lot of strong Ducati fans in the states. No predictions or anything but we’ll go full gas and see what happens.”

THE TRACK
Laguna Seca played host to the US Grand Prix on six occasions between 1988 and 1994 before being removed from the calendar. A series of major structural improvements to the facility saw the World Championship return in 2005, although only for the MotoGP class. The track, which flows around the undulating hills on the outskirts of Monterey, is most famous for the Corkscrew, a tight and spectacular left-right downhill chicane. In fact, the entire circuit is a rollercoaster ride, with a few short straights and a series of fast corners and elevation changes that often leave the front wheel pawing at the air. The 3.610km track is the perfect amphitheatre for the fans and is surprisingly straightforward in terms of machine set-up, with little opportunity to maximise full throttle. Frequent downhill braking zones put extra stress on the front end and make tyre wear a crucial factor.

-- HRC Preview

The 2009 MotoGP World Championship continues its most concentrated stretch with its most vivid study in contrast. From last week’s Dutch TT, at the historic Circuit van Drenthe near the North Sea, the championship flies halfway across the globe to the California cool of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, within sight of the Pacific Ocean, for the first of two Grands Prix in America. The United States Grand Prix is the second of four races in five weeks that span the midpoint of the 17-race championship and the only event on the calendar to feature only the MotoGP class.

With so much attention paid to Laguna Seca, it’s a little known fact that the first two U.S GPs took place at Daytona International Speedway in 1964 and ’65. Both were won by the legendary Mike Hailwood on an MV Agusta. Then followed a 24-year absence after which the U.S GP returned to the calendar at Laguna Seca for six years, ending with the 1994 running. Eleven years on, when MotoGP came to Laguna for the first time, the race was won by a Honda, as was the 2006 edition. Repsol Honda RC212V riders Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa lead the six-strong Honda contingent into the 2009 U.S GP.

Dovizioso and Pedrosa currently sit fourth and fifth places in the championship, behind series leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Ducati).

The short interval between Assen and Laguna gives both Dovizioso and Pedrosa a chance for quick redemption. With limited set-up time for their Honda RC212V machines equipped with revised chassis, both men slid off in the Assen race. That followed a promising start to the weekend when Pedrosa missed out on pole position by a scant 0.085 seconds.

Dovizioso was one spot off his possible first podium with the Repsol Honda squad when the 23-year-old Italian fell, ending a string of fourth-place finishes in the previous three GPs. In his first visit to Monterey last July, Dovizioso was the highest placing Honda rider in fourth place. With a year’s further experience on the RC212V, and on a circuit he finds fascinating and challenging, Dovizioso is certain that all the pieces are in place to secure him a place on the podium.

Pedrosa has recently shown improvement after hitting a rough patch that began at the Italian GP at Mugello. Following a promising start to the season – with three consecutive podium finishes – Pedrosa injured his right hip in an incident during Italian GP practice. Since then he has been fighting to regain fitness and was encouraged in Holland, where he was able to complete the weekend without the help of pain-killers. And he did himself no further damage with the crash, which came while he was in the thick of the battle for second place. Despite having to fly some 9000kms, Pedrosa is in better shape than he has been in more than a month and anxious to get back to work at Laguna Seca. This will be only his second race at Laguna. Pedrosa skipped last year’s race after injuring himself in the previous weekend’s German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring.

The Honda MotoGP satellite squads arrive in Monterey with varying fortunes. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) is coming off a promising weekend in Assen. The Frenchman led the 18-strong MotoGP field in Thursday practice and followed it up with his second top ten finish of the year. He is the most consistent Honda rider at Laguna Seca, with sixth place finishes in his last two visits.

San Carlo Honda Gresini riders Alex De Angelis and Toni Elias are hopeful of better luck when they arrive in California. Elias was in position to take sixth place in Assen when a mistake in the final chicane sent him off the track. Because he’d cut the course, race direction applied a 20-second penalty, which dropped him from his eighth place finish to 12th.

From Laguna onwards, the Scot Racing Team will continue with Gabor Talmacsi in the MotoGP class. Due to unavoidable circumstances Yuki Takahashi will no longer ride with the team. This decision was reached after exhaustive attempts to find a way to continue with two riders, but the economic realities facing the team, combined with the increased cost involved in running two riders, has led to this regrettable outcome.

“For Honda as well as the Scot Racing Team, this is a sad announcement,” said HRC vice president Shuhei Nakamoto. “But we understand that the extremely challenging financial circumstances facing the team left them with no choice. Takahashi was the only Japanese rider in the MotoGP championship and of course Honda wanted to see him continue. But in the end the team made it clear that this outcome was impossible and we respect their decision. Honda will continue to support the Scot Racing Team in MotoGP with Gabor Talmacsi riding.”

Talmacsi will have his hands full this weekend. Laguna doesn’t host the 250cc and 125cc classes so the Hungarian hasn’t previously seen the track, which isn’t easy to learn, especially for a rider with only two previous races on a MotoGP bike. On the plus side, Talmacsi will now have two RC212Vs at his disposal.

In a championship that features 17 of the best racetracks in the world, Laguna Seca stands out for its uniqueness. Set in the natural terrain of the foothills east of Monterey, California, the track has undergone a number of changes over the course of its life, which began in 1957. The biggest changes came in 1988 when it was lengthened from 3.1kms to its current 3.61kms to conform to the World Championship minimum. Prior to the change, the track had nine corners, seven lefts and two rights.

It was on that layout that Freddie Spencer rode the oval-piston Honda NR500 to victory over Kenny Roberts in a heat race in 1981, a victory that former Honda Motor Company CEO Takeo Fukui calls his favorite win in all of racing. To meet the minimum length, the track turns back on itself at turn two, incorporating the right hand turns three and four before rejoining the old circuit with a left at turn five. The most recent change came in 2006 with the flattening of the run-up to turns 8-8A, the legendary Corkscrew.

The Corkscrew is the track’s signature turn, a blind left-right downhill that some riders love, some don’t. A number of races have been decided in the Corkscrew, including last year’s classic when Valentino Rossi rode up the inside and through the dirt to re-pass Casey Stoner en route to what is considered the turning point of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. The Corkscrew is the track’s highest point, after which it begins a 91 meter drop, through the daunting turn nine Rainey Curve downhill left, into the dip that is the difficult right-hand turn ten, and to the track’s lowest point, the near dead stop turn 11 left-hander that leads onto the 996 meter front straight. Out of turn 11, riders accelerate out of first gear up the straight to a quick rise and into the formidable turn one, a high speed drop-away left-hand kink taken by the bravest wide open, but by most at partial throttle.

Honda has won two of the four MotoGP classes at Laguna Seca, with the last victory coming in 2006 by Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda).

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) says: “I really look forward to the race in Laguna Seca. The track itself and the whole atmosphere makes coming to Laguna a fascinating experience. Last year was the first time that I had raced in the United States and I was impressed by this track. Some parts are quite dangerous and very different from the European standard of racetracks we are used to, but the whole atmosphere is incredible and I like it a lot. I’m confident that we can have a good race here. Last year I had a good battle and finished 4th, which I was pleased with. I feel as though I’ve come fourth enough times this year though, so I hope to make the step up. At each race we’re getting closer to the leading riders but we’re still not close enough yet. So we need to work hard to get the speed and consistency we need.”

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) says: “I’m actually really looking forward to getting to Laguna and I’m feeling confident going into the weekend - as I was before Assen. The result there wasn’t great, but there’s no reason why we can’t have a strong race in the US. I felt much better on the bike in Assen than I did in Barcelona and, although my physical fitness is not at 100 per cent because I haven’t been training as usual for quite a while, the injury is getting better and isn’t giving me any problems on the machine. The Laguna track itself is unique and it can be a lot of fun to ride - as long as you’re going quickly. When you’re struggling it obviously isn’t quite as much fun! As a team we’ve got to continue working hard and bring the whole machine package up to a level where we can compete for wins again. We’re making progress and with luck Laguna will take us closer to that target.”

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) says: “Laguna is a very special racetrack – I love the challenges that it throws at you. We had quite a challenging time there last year, but came out of it all with a not so bad sixth-place finish. This year we have the potential to do better if Friday and Saturday go well for us. I feel really good on this year’s bike and tyres, so I’m really looking forward to the race.”

Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “I am extremely motivated going into this race because we’re finally finding the right way with the bike and working through our problems. We know that sometimes when you solve one problem you can create another and finding the ideal package isn’t easy, but the point is that we are solving our biggest issue, which is rear traction, and that is important. I don’t think anything more problematic than that is going to crop up! I love Laguna Seca, I went fast from the first day on my debut there last year and we know the tyres work well there too, so I am excited. The target is to get involved with that second group again but this time be fighting with them all the way to the final corner.”

Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “I left the last race at Assen feeling frustrated with the result, having been relegated to twelfth by Race Direction for an aggressive move in the final corner, but even the eighth place I managed before the penalty was below our expectations. Having said that I was encouraged by the performance and to have passed so many riders in the race gives me motivation and determination to continue where I left off at Laguna Seca. For this race I’ll have both bikes equipped with my preferred chassis, which should allow us to work a bit more calmly and make quicker progress in adjusting the set-up. Our recent pace suggests that we’re not far from making another step forward – not into the top four just yet but at least a little closer to them.”

Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) says: “I never have been there. I'm really curious. I asked for information from my more experienced companions and everybody told me that Laguna is different and difficult. Well, the great majority of things are new for me in the MotoGP class. So, I'm getting used to facing new challenges. I will try to understand by myself as many things as I can about Laguna Seca, then I will knock on Nicky Hayden's motor home and ask for his advice; he declared himself glad to teach me the secrets of his home circuit. We reached a point at which I feel necessary to work a little bit more on the set-up, to improve my performances. In the first races, the target was simply – not to do silly things and learn as much as I could. Now I want to make a step ahead and leave the last position to some other guy.”

-- Yamaha Preview

The Fiat Yamaha Team arrives in the United States this week in stunning form with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo lying first and second in the championship, separated by just five points. Rossi, who clinched his 100th career victory in Assen on Sunday, has three wins to his name so far and Lorenzo has two, while both riders have finished on the podium in six out of seven races this season to leave Fiat Yamaha leading the Teams' standings and Yamaha the Manufacturers'. The Italian and the Spaniard will make a short stopover in Los Angeles for a visit to Yamaha US on Wednesday before heading north to the coastal town of Monterey and the spectacular Laguna Seca track.

Before last year Rossi had just one podium to his name at Laguna since MotoGP returned there in 2005, but he produced one of the performances of his career in 2008 to win an important victory, which went on to prove one of the key turning points of his season. A race-long battle with Casey Stoner threw up some nail-biting moments between the pair but the Italian prevailed to take his first win on American soil. After two wins on the bounce he is heading stateside in flying form and will be hoping to extend his championship lead this weekend with another great result. Thursday sees the now traditional Laguna Seca Superkart race and Rossi this year will make a few display laps in a Superkart before Yamaha legends Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and Kenny Roberts Senior take centre stage for the real thing.

Lorenzo was a Laguna Seca first-timer last year and a promising showing during practice came to nothing when he high-sided on the first lap. The 22-year-old went on to taste American success later in the season with a podium in Indianapolis and he is determined that he will get to grips with the tricky Laguna track this time around. The youngster has had a brilliant season to date and will undoubtedly be in the mix once again this weekend as he seeks to better his team-mate with a return to the top of the podium.

Laguna Seca is an all-American track where the intense dry heat, unpredictable asphalt and anti-clockwise layout reward the loose and aggressive riding style of the US dirt-trackers. The track boasts some of the most dramatic elevation changes on the world championship circuit as well as fast, sweeping corners, the most notorious of which is the world-famous 'Corkscrew'. Machine set-up is relatively straightforward, with throttle connection a much more important factor than top-end power and a well balanced chassis the key to those elevation changes and diverse corners.

Valentino Rossi - "Back to normal!"
"The wonderful memory of the 100th win is still fresh, but now we have just a few days to recover before the next race, which is hard for everyone. We have to try to relax as much as possible and recharge the batteries a little, because Laguna is always a tough weekend and often very hot. Last year I had a great battle with Stoner and for me it was for sure one of the turning points of the championship and a very important win; I have some good memories. I think this year it will be hard again because Lorenzo is in brilliant form and I am sure Stoner will also be back to his best. Laguna is a great place to race and an exciting track, I also have a little trip to Los Angeles and Yamaha US first which I am looking forward to. The championship is very open at this point so we need to keep focus, get back to normal after Assen and try to get another good result this weekend."

Jorge Lorenzo - "Looking forward to the challenge"
"Last year Laguna wasn't good for me but I don't think about this. It's the only time I've been there but I don't see that as a problem - until 2008 I'd never won in Portugal before and I won my first race there in MotoGP, and then again this year I won in Motegi where I'd never won before, so I don't consider any track 'bad' for me - the past doesn't matter. We are feeling very strong after the last races and everyone is very motivated to continue in the same way so I am looking forward to the challenge and learning more about the track. I will do my best and hopefully that will mean we can run at the front again."

Davide Brivio - "Focus on the championship"
"We still have great memories from Laguna Seca in 2008 and we're happy to be arriving there after two wins and leading the championship. It's a great place to race and the American fans are always brilliant so we hope we can give them another good show! Our package is working well everywhere now so hopefully the case will be the same again this weekend. Now that the 100 target has been reached we can focus on the next target - the championship! Now we race for that."

Daniele Romagnoli - "A consistent package"
"After the last great race in Assen this is a very short break for everyone but we have to move straight on to the US for the next round! The high motivation in our team continues after another strong performance from Jorge and we are looking forward to having the chance for another good result. This year our package is much more consistent and we know that we can put up another good fight, despite Jorge's inexperience at Laguna. Everyone in the team enjoys going to Laguna - it's a great place - so we're looking forward to another exciting weekend."

-- Suzuki Preview

Rizla Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen is looking to make it three podiums in a row at Laguna Seca this weekend as the team travels to America for the US GP.

Vermeulen heads to a track where he has enjoyed the most success in his MotoGP career - a pole position during his American Grand Prix debut at the circuit in 2006 should have been followed by at least a podium on race day, but bad luck intervened as he finished fifth. In 2007 and 2008 Vermeulen made up for that by scoring successive podiums and showing that he has become something of a Laguna Seca specialist. He will certainly be aiming to repeat - or better - last year's third place as he aims to improve on the progress he showed at Assen last weekend.

Loris Capirossi will be determined to show the American fans what he is capable of on a Suzuki after having to battle against injury at Laguna last year and never really getting comfortable on the 3,610m track. Capirossi was cruelly robbed of a hard fought sixth place last time out in the Netherlands after another rider forced him into the gravel on the last corner and will be eager to put that behind him as he continues to make improvements to the Suzuki GSV-R.

The Laguna Seca circuit is situated on the Monterey Peninsula about 160kms south of San Francisco. The track was built on a dried up lake within a field artillery target range and manoeuvre area belonging to the US Army and today it is part of the Monterey County Parks Department. The track features one of the most incredible turns on any racetrack in the world. The famous ‘Corkscrew': a left and right hand combination with a huge drop in elevation, where the riders feel like they are falling off the end of a cliff after reaching the turn by a blind crest on an uphill approach. It certainly is the focal point on the circuit and a place where lots of exciting action happens.

The US GP weekend takes on an added degree of excitement this weekend as it falls in-line with American Independence day celebrations on July 4th, so the fans at trackside will all be in a party spirit as MotoGP rolls into town.

Rizla Suzuki has two hour-long practice sessions on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, followed by an hour of qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Sunday's race is round eight on the MotoGP calendar and the excitement will get underway for the 32-lap race at 14.00hrs local time (21.00hrs GMT).

Chris Vermeulen:
"I'm really looking forward to Laguna Seca, it's certainly one of my favourite circuits and I've been on the podium there for the last two years, as well as a pole position in 2006. I certainly want to try and repeat those performances and get the Suzuki on the podium for the first time in 2009. I hope it is a good race for all the fans and that the weather is as nice as it usually is. I am sure we can be competitive from day one and put on a good show."

Loris Capirossi:
"I wasn't at full strength at Laguna last year following my crash at Assen and all the changes in direction really made it a painful race for me. This year I am going there fully fit and the bike seems to be improving every time I ride it, so we are hoping to be right up amongst the front guys this weekend. The season still has a long way to go and I am now in-touch with the top-five in the championship and that certainly has to be our target - to break into that group and go from strength-to-strength at every race."

-- Bridgestone Preview

Tyre compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard

Round eight of the MotoGP season may be one of the shortest races on the calendar, but the revered and challenging Laguna Seca circuit, home to the infamous Corkscrew, doesn’t give Bridgestone’s tyres an easy time.

Unlike most circuits visited by the championship, Laguna Seca consists mainly of left-handers, having seven left and four right corners, but turns three and four in particular are crucial to a good lap. The first right hand corners of the lap, they are fast and quite long, meaning that tyre temperature in the right shoulders of the Bridgestone tyres is crucial in obtaining optimum grip.

Laguna Seca has a very short straight at just 0.9km long, meaning that the tyres are rarely upright. This puts constant load on the tyre shoulders and therefore requires good durability and endurance over the 32 laps of race distance. It also means that the tyres have less time to cool down, which they traditionally do along the straights when the air flow is at its peak and the tyre shoulders are not loaded, so average tyre temperatures over a lap are higher than the ambient conditions would suggest.

The United States Grand Prix is the second in a pair of back-to-back races, coming just days after the Dutch GP. The circuit was the venue of arguably the most memorable battle of last season between Bridgestone riders Valentino Rossi of the Fiat Yamaha Team and Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner that proved pivotal in the championship fight. Last year the race was a good one for Bridgestone. Stoner secured pole with Rossi starting the race from second, and the Australian set the circuit’s MotoGP lap record during the race.

Bridgestone riders filled the top three spots – Rossi triumphed in his epic battle with Stoner, and Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen took third, equalling his best finish of the season.

Hiroshi Yamada - Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport Unit
“Last year we saw a fantastic battle in Laguna; one that will still be remembered vividly by those in the paddock, the fans across the world and of course Valentino and Casey! This year the fight at the top of the championship is even closer so I am looking forward to another classic battle on a classic race track. Our tyres performed well there last year, so I hope that now all riders are using Bridgestone tyres we can see even closer competition throughout the field.”

Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
“The Corkscrew complexis famous and is a really demanding corner for the bike, rider and tyre package, but the right-handed turns three and four are also critical for tyres. Most of the corners are left-handers, so it’s important to make sure we also generate good grip through the right-handers. “Laguna Seca is the shortest race track that we visit during the season at just 3.610km but this makes it no less challenging for the Bridgestone tyres. The 32 laps of competition on Sunday are a good challenge for our tyres as the usually hot track temperature can have a large impact upon tyre performance and durability. Even though the total race distance is nearly the shortest of the season, Laguna is a track that uses our tyres quite hard and demands a lot from them.”

- LATE BRAKING NEWS -