Monster Girls Laguna Seca 2011

Paddock Girls Special:

Monster Girls Laguna Seca 2011

Rizla Suzuki Paddock Girls Laguna Seca 2011

Paddock Girls Spesial: Rizla Suzuki Laguna Seca 2011

Laguna Seca debrief with Hirohide Hamashima

Based very close to the Californian coastline, the conditions at Laguna Circuit are hot and dry in the afternoon, but in the morning the region is shrouded in a marine layer or dense mist that means the temperature is much lower until the sun burns it off around midday. The difference between track conditions from morning to afternoon can be over 20 degrees Celsius, making it a challenge for tyres to perform consistently across such a wide temperature gap.

Casey Stoner fought from an early third position to pass Dani Pedrosa at the midpoint of the race and then Jorge Lorenzo on lap 27 to take victory, lapping remarkably consistently throughout. His fastest time on lap 3 and his effort on lap 29 were different by less than 0.2seconds.

Bridgestone selected softer rears this weekend – how did this work out?

“I am very happy with our revised rear tyre compounds at Laguna this year as we could see that warm-up performance of the softer rear in the cold morning sessions was markedly improved, yet still it was a viable option for the race with 12 riders deciding to use it. Rider feedback was positive too. Valentino said: ‘I’m pleased that Bridgestone brought some soft tyres, which worked well in the cool temperatures [in the] morning’ and Colin also commented: ‘I want to say a big thanks also to Bridgestone. They agreed to bring some softer tyres for this weekend and it was definitely the right choice’. Our aim was and is to listen to the riders’ comments and feedback and provide them with tyre options that they feel more comfortable with in cool conditions and I am satisfied that we achieved that this weekend.

“The results show that the harder options as used by Casey, Jorge and Dani were faster in the race, but I am very happy that so many riders decided they could use the soft compound rear tyre on Sunday afternoon. Based on tyre performance and feedback this weekend, I am confident we are on the right track in our proposal to select softer rear tyres for five of the remaining eight races this season to improve warm-up performance and rider feeling in cold morning conditions.”

What did it mean for riders’ race tyre choices?

“Even though we brought the soft and medium rear tyre compounds this year instead of the medium and hard as we did in 2010, there was a good mix of riders using both specs in the race. The front-runners used the harder option for its extra durability and consistency, but the majority of the field actually chose the soft rear tyre, confident that it would last race-distance satisfactorily. Ben was the highest-finishing rider to use the softer rear, claiming fourth position. He set the sixth fastest lap of the race, behind the five riders who opted for the harder rear, but ultimately his consistency was good and he passed Andrea, who was using a harder rear, at the end of the race.

“Warm-up performance was not an issue for the race because of the high track temperature, and most of the riders recorded their best times within their first five laps, including Casey who set the fastest laptime on lap 3. What all of this shows is how certain bike and rider packages work better using our softer compounds, and the importance and effect of bike setup and riding style on tyre wear.”

Could Team KR make a MotoGP return?

Making an appearance in the paddock for Yamaha’s 50th anniversary celebrations may have given Kenny Roberts a taster of what he is missing, as the 'King' would consider a return to MotoGP team ownership if a sufficient financial backing could be secured.

Roberts move into team management began in 1984 when after retiring at the end of previous year, the three-time 500GP champion continued in the paddock as the boss of the factory Yamaha team. In 1996, Team KR was born through building his own Grand Prix machine with backing from Proton.

The team’s fortunes were up-and-down with impressive pole positions from the Proton KR3 at in the hands of Jeremy McWilliams. Moving into the four-stroke era the team were unable to find the same success, until 2006 when a backing from Honda and a Michelin deal saw Kenny Roberts Jr became a nuisance to the factory outfits, including the involvement in the battle at Estoril with Valentino Rossi and Toni Elias.

"I would return only if the money is right to do it because we struggled for about four years without a sufficient amount of budget to do the job properly," said the now silver-haired Roberts in an interview with Reuters.

The 59-year-old continued: "You survive and I kept people working but you only survive, and I am not interested in surviving any more. So until something comes along that is feasible to do it right, then I am happy to do nothing." That nothing being playing golf and watching Kenny Jnr raise his family.

The American recalled, "Being an American as a racer when I started was tough because there were no good Americans. And being a team owner is the same because in America the sport hasn't really caught on.

"It's not like Europe. In Italy, it's easier to go and get your small sponsors to make up a shortfall but in America it's impossible. It's just not done in America. Nobody wants to know.

"The sport is growing and the four-strokes made it a lot more expensive and the sponsorships here didn't go with the growing of the four-strokes and the cost. So we kind of hit a brick wall." Team KR was disbaned after 2007 and the switch to 800cc due to struggles with the new engine displacement and promises of backing from a casino in Las Vegas fell through.

source: visordown

video: My First Valentino Rossi 2011

Download MotoGP video.
File was from MotoGP Official website, mirror to fileserve

File name: 2011-mgp-feat-myfirst-Rossi-en-ST_clean.mov.flv
File size:24.16 MB

video: Podium Press Conference Laguna Seca 2011 Casey Stoner

Here's the official release video of 1st podium Laguna Seca, Casey Stoner

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video: Podium Press Conference Laguna Seca 2011 Jorge Lorenzo

Here's the official release video of 2nd podium Laguna Seca, Jorge Lorenzo

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video: Podium Press Conference Laguna Seca 2011 Dani Pedrosa

Here's the official release video of 3rd podium Laguna Seca, Dani Pedrosa

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video: Paddock Girls Laguna Seca 2011

Here's the official release video of paddock girls Laguna Seca 2011

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Stoner: Too early for title talk

Casey Stoner has rejected suggestions that he is well on his way to the 2011 MotoGP title.

The Repsol Honda star scored his fifth win of the season in Sunday's US MotoGP at Laguna Seca - ending a three-race losing streak and raising his win rate back up to 50% after ten of 18 rounds.

The Australian heads for the MotoGP summer break with a 20 point advantage over Jorge Lorenzo, who Stoner caught and passed on Sunday.

"Talking championship points at this moment is a little difficult. Points can slip away so quickly. As long as we are there at the end of this season - we're not going to win the world championship now," said Stoner, the 2007 world champion.

"I think if we have a chance to win it that'll come towards the end of the season or the last race. As long as I stay close enough for that, and we can keep these good results up, then I'll be happy.

"But Jorge is going to be strong every race and I think Dani [Pedrosa] is going to be up there, beating us and taking points away from us. It's definitely going to be a tough end to the season."

Yamaha's reigning world champion Lorenzo, lucky to escape serious injury in a huge Saturday crash, has won just two of the ten races this year. This time last year he had won seven of the ten races.

"To win the world title the important thing is to finish in front of Casey. Today we tried and couldn't, but there are more races," said the Spaniard. 

"My strategy is just to go as fast as I can. Even then it is going to be tough, but we will try to the end.

"At Brno, in a better physical condition, maybe things can change."

Stoner and Lorenzo have both suffered one DNF so far this season. 

Honda has not won the MotoGP title since 2006 and 2011 is the factory's last chance for an 800cc crown. 

source: crash

Determined Capirossi finishes Laguna Seca race

It was well known that was going to be a difficult race for Capirossi. After a good start, where the Italian rider gained two places, his shoulder began to hurt too much though with determination, he was able to finish the race. Now with two weeks off, both riders of the Pramac Racing Team, Loris Capirossi and Randy De Puniet, will continue to recover for the next race scheduled for August 14th in Brno, Czech Republic.

Loris Capirossi: 

“This race was a gamble for me. In Germany I only rode for a few laps but my shoulder was too bad to continue. I made the decision to come here, and for me the most important thing was to finish the race. We knew it would be difficult because during the test was very hard to ride. The result is bad, but I'm happy because I achieved the goal to finish the race. Now I will try to get back to full fitness in Brno, one of my favorite tracks, because there I really want to prove that we can fight for better positions.”

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Technical Director: 

“It has been a very difficult race. We were once again very unfortunate, but we hope that bad luck went away because it would be impossible to go on like this. Loris was very brave; however, until the shoulder acted up he was keeping a good pace. Then, once the pain was too strong, he completed the race without risking further damage to his physical condition. All this shows that he is going the right direction to recovery and we hope to see him in top form at Brno. On the contrary is going for De Puniet after the fractures suffered in yesterday’s crash. He will surely need more time to recover. Fingers crossed and we hope that when we will return from vacation luck will finally be on our side.”

Pramac Racing press release

Elias 13th at tricky Laguna, Bostrom enjoys MotoGP debut

On a near perfect summer’s day with air temperature of 23 degrees, LCR Honda MotoGP Team racer Toni Elias finished the 32 lap Californian round in 13th position despite his usual front end issues. His team mate Ben Bostrom had a good start from the last spot on the grid, dropping his lap time by one second after the first lap.

Unfortunately, the American SBK rider went wide into the gravel twice and preferred to enter the garage trying not to crash his RCV no. 23. Now the MotoGP Championship has a break and premier class riders will be back on track on the 14th of August for the Czech Republic GP in Brno.

Toni Elias:

“In the morning warm up, we changed the rear set up of the bike and it felt immediately better. As always, I had a good start but on this track you get stuck if you start from the last row, so I pushed but in the first corner I went a bit wide. I was 12th when I suddenly lost the front running off into the gravel. I rejoined the race but for the rest of the race I felt like I was lapping on a frozen surface. We finished in 13th position but the situation is still very tough for us”.

Ben Bostrom: 

“I had a good start and immediately felt very comfortable on the bike. I improved my lap time by a second over the practice time, so I was very optimistic to see that so early in the race. Because I was riding so much faster, I started to feel uncomfortable in the first corner when I had to shift down because my foot hit the ground and after few laps I made a mistake running off the track into the gravel. It took me 30 seconds to rejoin the race but I wanted to continue, but then on the next lap I had the same problem. So I decided to enter the pits even if the bike was fantastic. Honestly, I was thinking about my next race and didn’t want to crash this bike. Once again, I want to thank MJM, Lucio and all the guys here: it was an incredible experience for me!”

LCR Honda press release.

Stoner turns 'difficult weekend' into 'great win'

Casey Stoner will head for the MotoGP summer break with a 50 percent Repsol Honda win rate and 20 point lead at the top of the championship standings, after a memorable victory at Laguna Seca, California, on Sunday.

The Australian, who suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of Valentino Rossi in the 2008 event, looked in danger of shedding points to title rival Jorge Lorenzo for the third race in a row after struggling with race pace during practice.

Second on the grid began Lorenzo, Stoner then lost a place to team-mate Dani Pedrosa at the start. Stoner remained third for the first half of the race, but made sure the leaders weren't able to escape and, as the fuel load dropped, was able to go on the attack.

Stoner passed Pedrosa on entry to the famous Corkscrew turn on lap 18 of 32, then chased down Lorenzo for nine laps before passing him around the outside of turn one on lap 27.

With a sore Lorenzo backing off, Stoner took his fifth win of the year by 5.634sec.

“All weekend we didn't really have the pace of Dani and Jorge and weren't comfortable running that pace, but we made some changes overnight and were a little more confident going into the race. 

"Before the race I felt relaxed, confident and generally calm, we started a little slower to get the tyres warm gently and the bike didn't feel great with a full tank of fuel. 

"So I was patient and took my time, staying with Jorge and Dani to control the gap and make sure they didn't get too far away. I felt I had more speed but decided to wait and watch. I saw Dani struggling a bit and he started to drop back from Jorge so I had to attack at this point. 

"Once I caught up to Jorge, I watched to see if he made a mistake and kept the pressure on him, then chose my moment to make the move and was able to slowly open up a gap and bring the race home. 

"It's really fantastic to come from such a difficult weekend and get a great win and I'm very thankful to all my team. It's definitely one of my best races and one to enjoy.”

Lorenzo and Pedrosa have both won two of the ten races this year, with the other victory falling to Lorenzo's Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies.

source: crash

Lorenzo draws positives from late Laguna defeat

Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha preferred to think of Sunday's US MotoGP as 20 points gained, rather than 5 points lost.

The reigning world champion was lucky to escape serious injury when he suffered a massive highside on Saturday morning, before claiming a remarkable pole position in the afternoon.

Indeed, sore or not, Lorenzo came into the race having shown the best consistent pace, but the Spaniard was unable to shake off the Repsol Hondas of Dani Pedrosa and then Casey Stoner during the grand prix.

While Pedrosa eventually dropped away, Stoner - whose title lead had been cut to 15 points by Lorenzo - got ever stronger and surged past Lorenzo on lap 27 of 32.

“Well first of all I'm lucky to be in the second position, after the crash yesterday I thought it wasn't possible to race for a little while," said Lorenzo of his second place. "After qualifying I hoped I might be able to fight till the end for victory but sometimes expectations are not reality. 

"Casey was faster today, I couldn't match his pace at the end. My physical condition is not so perfect which makes us a bit slow as well. Second is ok, we are only 20 points behind Casey and we'll try again next time.”

Yamaha team manager Wilco Zeelenberg also thought the crash aftermath had prevented Lorenzo keeping Stoner at bay. 

“It is obvious we wanted to win this one but I think yesterday's crash gave us not the best physical condition for a 32 lap race," he said. "At the end of the day, to take 20 points after a crash like that is not so bad. We'll take some rest now and head to Brno recovered and in fighting form ready to challenge Casey again.”

“Second position is the best that Jorge could achieve considering his condition, which is very important for the Championship," added team director Massimo Meregalli.

The Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno will take place after the summer break on August 14. Lorenzo now has eight races left to overturn Stoner's 20 point lead.

source: crash

Pedrosa 'finished' by mid-race distance

Dani Pedrosa was in contention for his second MotoGP victory in a row for the first half of Sunday's US Grand Prix, until his weakened physical conditions began to take its toll.

Pedrosa took second from Repsol Honda team-mate Casey Stoner at the start, and kept within touch of Yamaha's race leader Jorge Lorenzo for the first half of the 32-lap race.

But by then Pedrosa, who missed three races after fracturing his collarbone in May, felt physically 'finished'. 

The former US GP winner was overtaken by eventual race winner Stoner on lap 18 of 32 and went on to finish almost four-seconds from runner-up Lorenzo.

"I'm very happy with another podium, the second after my come back from injury," said Dani. "I couldn't have predicted this result before coming to Laguna, because I knew it would be physically very tough for me and it has been great to keep up with the pace of Casey and Jorge in these past two races. 

"Today, by the middle of the race, I was very tired, almost finished, I couldn't get my left arm strong enough and here at this track you don't rest for a moment, so I had to drop. It's been quite difficult to set up the bike this weekend, I had a lack of grip generally, but the team worked very well. 

"Now we have some holidays and it will be good for me to have some days off to rest and relax my muscles and be back training to arrive fully fit in Brno".

Pedrosa's fifth podium of the season means he is now back ahead of Valentino Rossi for fourth in the championship.

source: crash

Spies home podium hopes end after '500 feet'

Ben Spies' hopes of a home US MotoGP podium effectively ended within the first 500 feet of Sunday's Laguna Seca race, when he dropped from fourth to seventh.

The Factory Yamaha rider blamed the decline on a lack of power, and it meant Spies spent the first two laps stuck behind Valentino Rossi.

“I got a really good start but going uphill to the steep part of the track basically we didn't have enough power," explained Spies. "I got stuck behind Valentino, I tried to get around as quick as I could but he's really good on the brakes so it was pretty tough but I did the best I could."

By the time Spies got past the Italian, the riders ahead had already pulled a gap. 

Spies was promoted to fifth when Marco Simoncelli crashed, then closed a gap of over five seconds to take fourth from Andrea Dovizioso with just three laps to go.

"Once we got around Rossi it was quite a big gap to Dovizioso, but I just kept my head down and kept going," said the Texan. "I'm happy we were able to track him down and get fourth. It was a really good race for us it just got spoilt in the first 500 feet. 

"I would have liked to have been on the podium as I think we had a package to fight with Dani, I guess that's racing and I gave it 100% as always," added the Assen winner.

Dovizioso also felt he could have done better.

“I'm disappointed because today we had the speed to fight for a good result, in fact I lapped two tenths behind the fastest lap, but I couldn't be consistent," said the Repsol Honda rider. 

"I lost the battle with Spies and this is the first time I've lost a battle this year."

Rossi explains sixth at US Grand Prix

Sunday's US MotoGP at Laguna Seca provided Valentino Rossi and Ducati with further evidence of how far they remain from the front, and where they need to improve.

Rossi just held off team-mate Nicky Hayden to finish as the top Ducati rider, in sixth position - Marco Simoncelli having crashed ahead of him early in the race.

The seven-time MotoGP champion and former Laguna Seca winner was over 30-seconds from victory and only ranked seventh in terms of best race lap, Rossi's best being 0.847sec slower than winner Casey Stoner.

Rossi persevered with the GP11.1 this weekend, but his fourth event on the upgraded bike saw him finish twice as far from victory than he'd been in round one of the season, when he was seventh on the GP11 in Qatar (also won by Stoner).

“We worked well this weekend," insisted Rossi, who was reunited with crew chief Jerry Burgess. "We started from a better position than we have in recent races, and I got a good launch on the start and tried to stay with the leaders. 

"I did a lap in the mid-'22s, but then I closed the front twice in a row on the bumps in Turn 5 and nearly crashed. 

"I still had a tough race after that, because Nicky stayed glued to me and didn't give me a chance to breathe. We obviously don't want to be fighting for sixth place, but we're having some problems at the moment and we have to try and do our best with what we have. 

"We're losing too much on corner entry, where I'm very slow because I don't have enough feeling, but Ducati is working and we must stay focused and positive, making progress step by step.

"In the short term, we have to make up those missing tenths in order to stay with the group [fighting for fourth] Spies, Sic and Dovizioso. Then we'll think about the others.” 

Rossi finished less than a second ahead of Hayden, who was racing the GP11.

"Vale was able to improve over the course of the weekend, and in the race he made the most of the package that's currently available to him," said team manager Vittoriano Guareschi.

Rossi and Hayden will start round eleven at Brno, after the summer break, fifth and seventh in the world championship, with one 2011 podium each.

source: crash.net

Hayden: People who think Rossi's not trying are crazy

Nicky Hayden doesn't like to disappoint his fans, especially on home soil.

But the proud American, a former double winner at Laguna Seca, knew the 2011 event would be a tough one - given Ducati's tough start to the season. 

The maximum he could realistically achieve was to try and be the top Ducati, which he managed in three of the five track sessions prior to the race.

A crash in qualifying left Hayden ninth on the grid, and he quickly moved ahead of Aspar's Hector Barbera and spent the rest of the 32 laps in close contact with team-mate Valentino Rossi's GP11.1.

“I got a decent start, but I didn't get to go with that second group like I had hoped. It was kind of like the Sachsenring: a good battle with Valentino, but 30 seconds behind the front," said Hayden. 

Beating seven time MotoGP champion Rossi would have been some consolation for Hayden, but the #69 claimed it was simply too risky given the positions they were in.

"Vale was no faster than me, but he's a racer: he doesn't make mistakes and give you anything," said Hayden. 

"A couple of times I thought I might be able to go up the inside, but I'm not just going to close my eyes and knock us both down trying for sixth place. 

"People who think he's not trying are crazy. I saw his right foot come off the peg a couple of times when he almost went down."

Hayden crossed the finish line in seventh, less than one-second behind the Italian.

"We'll take two weeks off, regroup and go to Brno. Now is no time to be negative. I believe in my team and Ducati, and I really think we're still going to have a good season," Hayden declared.

Hayden chose to race the older GP11 Ducati, having made his debut on the GP11.1 in Friday practice.

source: crash

Grand Prix of Japan: Statement from the FIM

The FIM and Dorna Sports SL recently commissioned an independent report by a recognised body to investigate the current situation in Japan, in advance of the Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi which is scheduled to take place on 2 October.

This study is intended to complement the information already available from various Governments and the World Health Organisation, which addresses the general situation in Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred in March. This independent investigation reports specifically on the situation in Motegi and its environs, making it much more relevant to MotoGP participants.

The official detailed report will be delivered later this week, but a preliminary report has already been made available – with an original version in Italian and an English translation provided by the Championship organisers.

ARPA, the agency commissioned for this report, has measured levels of radiation from all sources including the air, environment and food. The final conclusion is that "based on the estimate dose it can be said with no doubt that the radiation risk during the race event is negligible".

Based on this information the FIM and Dorna Sports will announce later this week that, subject to there being no further serious incidents, the Grand Prix of Japan will take place on October 2 as planned.

Accident blow for Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow's Laguna Seca race debut proved to be a brief one, when the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider crashed out of eleventh place on lap 4 of 32.

The MotoGP rookie looked poised to put a disappointing run behind him when he out-qualified team-mate and local star Colin Edwards to start tenth on the grid.

Crutchlow was then shadowing Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista when he lost the front-end of his M1 at Turn 2. It means the Englishman has scored just four points in the last four races, since his comeback from a broken collarbone at Silverstone.

“I lost the front at the second corner and it was a similar problem to what we've been experiencing in recent races," explained Crutchlow. "It was fine this morning in cooler conditions but as soon as the track temperature goes up, I have a few problems. Strangely it was only at that corner. 

"It is a shame because I think we had a good pace. Bautista wasn't getting away from me and he quickly got up to Valentino and Nicky, so I think I could have gone with him and been in that battle. 

"I'm disappointed I didn't finish the race and it is not good for the Championship but I wasn't the only one to crash today and it shows all of us are pushing on the limit. We have still learned quite a bit this weekend and the bike certainly felt better than it did in the last few races. 

"Now we go to some tracks that I know and I'm looking forward to it because it has been a tough run and I need to recover the form I was showing in the beginning of the season."

Team manager Herve Poncharal emphasised that Crutchlow needs to build experience and knowledge by finishing races.

"We had a very big disappointment for Cal. He got a reasonable start and his lap times were very good in the first few laps but he crashed early and that is a big pity," said Poncharal.

"This is Cal's rookie year where he needs to be gaining lots of experience and learning a lot, so to crash so early is very disappointing because we lost a lot of points in the championship. 

"But he also lost a lot of potential data that would have been very useful for next year. I would have liked him to finish the race and go into the summer break with a more positive feeling."

Crutchlow, who scored 30 of his 34 points in the first five rounds, is now 15th in the championship and 12 points behind fellow rookie Karel Abraham (Cardion AB).

source: crash

Edwards eighth, takes Tech 3 to Boot Camp

Colin Edwards finished a disappointing eighth in his home US MotoGP at Laguna Seca on Sunday.

It wasn't the kind of result the Texan, who stood on the US GP podium in 2005, had expected and the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider admitted they had take a wrong turn in terms of set-up.

“Honestly I'm really disappointed because I came here for my home race and I expected bigger and better things," said Edwards. "I struggled all weekend with the set-up and we made a wrong turn somewhere in the last couple of races that have knocked us out of stride a little bit. 

"This morning we just put in the same setting I ran in last year's race and that wasn't great, but at least I felt more comfortable with it than what I'd been running all weekend. 

It wasn't the best setting but at least I felt comfortable to a point where I could push for some decent lap times. I just lacked front and rear grip. I've never ridden so hard in my life but I was a second off the pace and when [team-mate] Cal went down in front of me, there was no way I could go with Bautista. 

"I just had to be smooth because if I pushed I just ended up going slower. I still moved up in the Championship and got some good points, so now I'm just looking forward to a couple of weeks relaxing to get ready for the final part of the season.”

Team manager Herve Poncharal was pleased Edwards elected to settle for eight points.

“Colin had a really strong race today and he worked hard for some good points. He never gave up his pace, the rhythm was very constant and he was very near the pace of the factory Ducati for almost the entire race," said the Frenchman. 

"He asked me on the grid what I would like and I said that an eighth position would make me happy because it had not been an easy weekend for Colin. So I am happy with his performance."

Poncharal then confirmed that the Tech 3 team will be heading to Edwards' "Texas Tornado Boot Camp" riding school.

"The whole team is going to Colin's Boot Camp tomorrow and we are all excited about that," said Poncharal. "Hopefully we will all be back with fully recharged batteries when the season continues in Czech Republic."

The Brno round will be held on August 12-14.

source: crash

video: Race Interview Laguna Seca 2011

Riders interview after Laguna Seca race via fileserve
including:

• Karel Abraham
• Hiroshi Aoyama
• Colin Edwards
• Cal Crutchlow
• Andrea Dovizioso
• Nicky Hayden
• Jorge Lorenzo
• Dani Pedrosa
• Valentino Rossi
• Ben Spies
• Marco Simoncelli
• Casey Stoner

File name: Laguna Seca Race Interview.zip
File size:116.15 MB

Karel Abraham finishes eleventh despite technical problem

Despite not getting the start he wanted, Karel Abraham moved forward to tenth place from his fifth row start to pursue Hector Barbera, whose lead was just 1.405s ahead of the Czech rider on lap 30 of 32. Unfortunately, technical problems occurred making it difficult for Abraham to pass Barbera in the last moments of the race.

“Something in the rear suspension broke near the end of the race when I was getting close enough to overtake Hector Barbera,” explained Abraham. “Basically I was sitting on my rear wheel, so the last two laps were really slow and I had to concentrate on not crashing because the bike was moving all over the place. Then on the last lap I couldn’t hold off Aoyama and he overtook me.” The 27 year old crossed the line 0.282 seconds behind Hiroshi Aoyama to finish in eleventh place. “I finished the race, though I'm not real satisfied with my result,” he said, “but I’m looking forward to the next race which is the home Grand Prix for me and for my team.”

Abraham and his team will head to the Czech Republic for the Cardion AB Grand Prix České republiky on the weekend of August 12th to 14th at the Brno Circuit. “I hope lots of fans will go to the Brno Circuit to support me,” Abraham concluded.

source: motogp official website

Rossi and Hayden sixth and seventh at Laguna

The team worked very hard on both the GP11 and the GP11.1, and they’ll continue the development of the 800cc bikes during the next round at Brno, in the Czech Republic, which will follow a short two-week break. On the Monday after that race, the season’s second official test for the team riders will take place.

Valentino Rossi:

“We worked well this weekend. We started from a better position than we have in recent races, and I got a good launch on the start and tried to stay with the leaders. I did a lap in the mid-’22s, but then I closed the front twice in a row on the bumps in Turn 5 and nearly crashed. I still had a tough race after that, because Nicky stayed glued to me and didn’t give me a chance to breathe. We obviously don’t want to be fighting for sixth place, but we’re having some problems at the moment and we have to try and do our best with what we have. We’re losing too much on corner entry, where I’m very slow because I don’t have enough feeling, but Ducati is working and we must stay focused and positive, making progress step by step. In the short term, we have to make up those missing tenths in order to stay with the group with Spies, Sic and Dovizioso. Then we’ll think about the others.”

Nicky Hayden:

“I’ve won this race before, so I’m not going to jump up and down celebrating seventh place. We knew it was going to be tough, and crashing in qualifying didn’t help. I got a decent start, but I didn’t get to go with that second group like I had hoped. It was kind of like the Sachsenring: a good battle with Valentino, but thirty seconds behind the front. Vale was no faster than me, but he’s a racer: he doesn’t make mistakes and give you anything. A couple of times I thought I might be able to go up the inside, but I’m not just going to close my eyes and knock us both down trying for sixth place. People who think he’s not trying are crazy. I saw his right foot come off the peg a couple of times when he almost went down. We’ll take two weeks off, regroup and go to Brno. Now is no time to be negative. I believe in my team and Ducati, and I really think we’re still going to have a good season.”

Ducati Team press release

[Amazon] Jorge Lorenzo: The New King of MotoGP [Hardcover]

Product Description

This is a captivating visual study of the 2010 MotoGP World Champion. Jorge Lorenzo – in collaboration with Matt Roberts – gathers together a wealth of photographs showing every aspect of his life in motorcycle racing and accompanies them with a sharp commentary. A special feature is the intimate photography of him both off-duty and on-track throughout his title-winning 2010 season, which saw him dominate by winning nine of the 18 MotoGP races and finishing on the podium 16 times. This book is a wonderful insight into the life of a flamboyant new star of sport.

Book Description

This is a captivating visual study of the 2010 MotoGP World Champion. Jorge Lorenzo – in collaboration with Matt Roberts – gathers together a wealth of photographs showing every aspect of his life in motorcycle racing and accompanies them with a sharp commentary. A special feature is the intimate photography of him both off-duty and on-track throughout his title-winning 2010 season, which saw him dominate by winning nine of the 18 MotoGP races and finishing on the podium 16 times. This book is a wonderful insight into the life of a flamboyant new star of sport.

Product Details

Hardcover: 240 pages

Publisher: Haynes Publishing (July 15, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0857330950

ISBN-13: 978-0857330956

Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: Be the first to review this item

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,124,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Bautista crashes out while challenging for the top-six

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista ended today’s U.S. Grand Prix in the gravel after crashing out on the 14th lap of this afternoon’s race.

Bautista made a confident start from 12th on the grid and had moved up a place by the end of lap one. He produced a couple of very strong passes over the next few laps to move into eighth place and join the battle for sixth between the two Ducati’s of Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi. Bautista closed the gap on the pair and it looked like the crowd was in for a repeat of last week’s exciting battle between the three, but unfortunately Bautista low-sided his Suzuki GSV-R and, although he remounted his bike, he was unable to get it restarted and had to retire from the race.

The crowd of 52,670 that gathered on the hillsides that surround the Laguna Seca circuit were again treated to bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine, as they witnessed current championship leader Casey Stoner take his fifth victory of the season on a Factory Honda. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was second with Dani Pedrosa filling the final podium place.

Rizla Suzuki and Bautista now embark on a short summer break before resuming the 2011 season at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday 14th August, when Bautista will be joined by John Hopkins who is making a wild-card appearance at the eastern European circuit.

Álvaro Bautista:

“I am very, very disappointed after today and really frustrated because although we did a really good job all weekend, we didn’t get the result we deserved and I crashed. We tried many different things here this weekend and used a completely different setting to last year and we managed to get the same good feeling as we had in Germany. This is the best I have felt on a bike in my MotoGP career so I know things are moving in the right direction. I think we made a mistake on Friday and Saturday, because we didn’t try the soft front tyre in the afternoons. I think the hard tyre here wasn’t too bad, but it didn’t give me the feeling I wanted in the corners - the grip wasn’t too bad, but it just didn’t transmit enough information. For the race I started with a hard front and I now think it was a mistake not to use a soft one. I got a good start, but some riders closed up in front of me and I couldn’t get past, but I did make up one place on the first lap. I overtook some other guys and got behind the Ducati’s, but I was a bit far away and had to catch them up. My rhythm was really good and I had a lot of confidence in the bike, but I lost the front without any reason and crashed. I had entered that corner at the same speed and in the same place in previous laps so I don’t know what happened. I am happy with the work we did this weekend and pleased with my level on the bike. Before the crash I was fighting for sixth or seventh and I know we can be there now and we have to keep working at this level and higher in the next races We now have some time to relax and charge our batteries, so we can be full gas for Brno.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“I am really disappointed today for everyone at Suzuki, Rizla, the team itself and of course for Álvaro. Starting from 12th was never going to make the job easy, but a very aggressive first couple of laps, and then settling in to a good rhythm saw him right back in the fight and another entertaining duel with the Factory Ducati’s was on the cards. Equally, once the race settled down, our lap-times were not so different from Dovizioso and Spies battling for fourth, so despite today’s’ disappointment there are a lot of positives to take from this weekend at Laguna Seca. We’ll be arriving in Brno with two riders and looking to keep the positive momentum going!”

Podium Laguna Seca 2011

Laguna Seca letdown for Simoncelli

Unfortunately the Italian rider lost front grip in turn eight at the Californian circuit and paid a heavy price. The Team San Carlo Honda Gresini rider is disappointed not to continue his run of points finishes and heads for his summer holidays with a bitter taste in his mouth. His team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama crossed the line in tenth place - not an outstanding result but an important one as the Japanese rider continues to recover confidence with his bike.

Marco Simoncelli:

“I am really disappointed. I don't know whether I would have caught Pedrosa if I'd stayed in the race, it's impossible to say, but I could have definitely had a battle with Dovizioso and Spies so it's a real shame. We had worked so well and managed to improve from session to session but I realised early in the race that the front was giving me more trouble than it had in practice. It closed in turn seven on the first lap, which is a strange place for it to go, and then again two laps later in turn eight. All we can do right now is dust ourselves down and head to Brno looking to do our best again.”

Hiroshi Aoyama:

“Starting from 14th place is never easy so I had to make a few passes before I could get into my true rhythm. I am partly satisfied to have finished tenth but it was a tough race because I am still not physically fit. My intention was to make it to the end and I am happy I did that because this was my first race here at Laguna. Now we have a short break and I hope I can come back stronger in the next race at Brno, ready to fight for a good result.”

Team San Carlo Honda Gresini press release

Lorenzo lands second at Laguna

Lorenzo made a strong start from pole and led the GP field for an impressive 26 lap run before conceding to Stoner as the effects of yesterday’s massive crash took its toll on his energy levels.

Fellow Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies had a less than perfect start from the grid, initially dropping to seventh behind Valentino Rossi on the first laps of the race. Rossi was eventually dispatched by the Texan on lap three, freeing him to focus on Dovizioso ahead. Spies put in an incredible ride to close a gap of over five seconds and take fourth with just three laps to go.

The weekend’s results leave Lorenzo heading into the short holiday break trailing Championship leader Stoner by 20 points. Team mate Spies will arrive at Brno still in sixth place in the standings but now just 12 points behind Dani Pedrosa in fourth.

Jorge Lorenzo: 

“Well first of all I’m lucky to be in the second position, after the crash yesterday I thought it wasn’t possible to race for a little while. After qualifying I hoped I might be able to fight till the end for victory but sometimes expectations are not reality. Casey was faster today, I couldn’t match his pace at the end. My physical condition is not so perfect which makes us a bit slow as well. Second is ok, we are only 20 points behind Casey and we’ll try again next time.”

Ben Spies: 

“I got a really good start but going uphill to the steep part of the track basically we didn’t have enough power. I got stuck behind Valentino, I tried to get around as quick as I could but he’s really good on the brakes so it was pretty tough but I did the best I could. Once we got around him it was quite a big gap to Dovizioso but I just kept my head down and kept going. I’m happy we were able to track him down and get fourth. It was a really good race for us it just got spoilt in the first five hundred feet. I would have liked to have been on the podium as I think we had a package to fight with Dani, I guess that’s racing and I gave it 100% as always.”

Yamaha Factory Racing press release

Fantastic victory for Stoner at Laguna Seca

The young Australian who started from second on the grid, dropped to third place at the start and took his time before launching his attack on Repsol Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa on lap eighteen of thirty two. After passing Pedrosa, who was suffering from fatigue and fitness problems, Stoner chased down Lorenzo for nine laps and wasted no time in passing him around the outside of turn one on lap twenty seven. From this point, he controlled the race comfortably, finishing five and a half seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Stoner has now increased his lead in the World Championship standings to twenty points over Lorenzo.

After being passed by Stoner, Dani Pedrosa retained third position comfortably. He knew his fitness would be tested here, at a track that demands a huge physical effort. He has now moved above Valentino Rossi in the Championship standings to 4th position with 110 points.

Andrea Dovizioso who had a great start, jumping from sixth to fourth, maintained this position for the majority of the race. He struggled to maintain his consistency for the long race in Laguna and with three laps to go was passed by Ben Spies. He remains third in the Championship standings with 143 points.

On this high note, the Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a well deserved break before the next race in the Czech Republic on August 14.

Casey Stoner:

"All weekend we've been struggling a little so we weren't too confident that we could run with Jorge and Dani in the race. However, this morning in warm up we found something I was a little happier with. Before the race I felt relaxed, confident and generally calm, we started a little slower to get the tyres warm gently but also with a full tank of fuel, the bike didn't feel that great. So I was patient and took my time, staying with Jorge and Dani to control the gap and make sure they didn't get too far away. I felt I had more speed but decided to wait and watch. I saw Dani struggling a bit and he started to drop back from Jorge so I had to attack at this point. Once I caught up to Jorge, I watched to see if he made a mistake and kept the pressure on him, then chose my moment to make the move and was able to slowly open up a gap and bring the race home. It's really fantastic to come from such a difficult weekend and get a great win and I'm very thankful to all my team".

Dani Pedrosa:

"I'm very happy with another podium, the second after my come back from injury. I could have predicted this result before coming to Laguna because I knew it would be physically very tough for me and it has been great to keep up with the pace of Casey and Jorge in these past two races. Today, by the middle of the race, I was very tired, almost finished, I couldn't get my left arm strong enough and here at this track you don't rest for a moment, so I had to drop. It's been quite difficult to set up the bike this weekend, I had a lack of grip generally, but the team worked very well. Now we have some holidays and it will be good for me to have some days off to rest and relax my muscles and be back training to arrive fully fit in Brno".

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“We knew that it was going to be a tough race because this track is short, with very strong braking and it's also very demanding. I made a good start and I was able to move into fourth position. In the first laps I pushed hard to stay with Casey, Dani and Lorenzo. I was loosing a lot in some corners, such as T3 and T11 and to recover I was pushing in the other areas. I used up a lot of energy and I couldn’t be consistent for the 32 laps. I’m disappointed because today we had the speed to fight for a good result, in fact I lapped two tenths behind the fastest lap, but I couldn’t be consistent. I lost the battle with Spies and this is the first time I've lost a battle this year. The good point is that we were able to be fast. Now we have to focus and continue working, we are third in the Championship and we want to keep on fighting. We will take advantage of the three week break to recharge the batteries and return in Brno more determined. My congratulations go to Casey and Dani”.

Repsol Honda press release.

Home top ten for Edwards, Crutchlow crashes early

Sunday’s race started in gloriously sunny conditions with temperatures reaching 23 degrees and a sun-drenched crowd of 52,670 were treated to an exciting battle throughout the 32-lap encounter.

Edwards seized eighth from Héctor Barberá exiting the famous Corkscrew section on lap 14, but he was already six seconds adrift of the battle for sixth place involving Ducati duo Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden. He was able to run identical lap times to nine-times world champion Rossi and double Laguna Seca MotoGP winner Hayden in the middle phase of the race. But he was unable to reduce the gap and he opted not to take any unnecessary risks to ensure he collected eighth valuable World Championship points.

Today's result, which was the 37-year-old's seventh top ten finish of the campaign, moved him up one place in the overall rankings after to consolidate his position as the leading non-factory rider in 2011.

Cal Crutchlow's debut at the spectacular Laguna Seca circuit was unfortunately a short experience, the British rider's hopes of a return to the top 10 ended by an early crash. Starting from the front of the fourth row, Crutchlow was shadowing tenth placed Alvaro Bautista when he lost the front-end of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team machine at Turn 2. The 25-year-old was unhurt in the fourth lap incident but it was a disappointing conclusion to a weekend that had promised much from the 2009 World Supersport champion after he'd brilliantly got to grips with the 3.610km track.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team now commences a richly deserved two-week summer break before the 2011 MotoGP World Championship resumes in Brno on August 14.

Colin Edwards:

“Honestly, I'm really disappointed because I came here for my home race and I expected bigger and better things. I struggled all weekend with the set-up and we made a wrong turn somewhere in the last couple of races that have knocked us out of stride a little bit. This morning we just put in the same setting I ran in last year's race and that wasn't great, but at least I felt more comfortable with it than what I'd been running all weekend. It wasn't the best setting but at least I felt comfortable to a point where I could push for some decent lap times. I just lacked front and rear grip. I've never ridden so hard in my life but I was a second off the pace and when Cal went down in front of me, there was no way I could go with Bautista. I just had to be smooth because if I pushed I just ended up going slower. I still moved up in the Championship and got some good points, so now I'm just looking forward to a couple of weeks relaxing to get ready for the final part of the season.”

Cal Crutchlow:

“I lost the front at the second corner and it was a similar problem to what we've been experiencing in recent races. It was fine this morning in cooler conditions but as soon as the track temperature goes up, I have a few problems. Strangely it was only at that corner. It is a shame because I think we had a good pace. Bautista wasn't getting away from me and he quickly got up to Valentino and Nicky, so I think I could have gone with him and been in that battle. I'm disappointed I didn't finish the race and it is not good for the Championship but I wasn't the only one to crash today and it shows all of us are pushing on the limit. We have still learned quite a bit this weekend and the bike certainly felt better than it did in the last few races. Now we go to some tracks that I know and I'm looking forward to it because it has been a tough run and I need to recover the form I was showing in the beginning of the season."

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team press release