MotoGP-Indianapolis

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Yamaha Returns to the USA for the Indianapolis GP

As the MotoGP summer break comes to an end, Yamaha Factory Racing heads back across the Atlantic to the USA for the third American round of the season this weekend, the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

The break has been a short one for the Team with an early return to work for a private test at the Brno circuit last week. The test was a successful one with another step being made in the set up of the YZR-M1 that should help both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi as they challenge the remainder of the season.

The Indianapolis Grand Prix is a relative newcomer to the MotoGP calendar with the first race in 2008. Both Lorenzo and Rossi can claim one premier class victory each at the US circuit, Rossi?s in 2008 and Lorenzo?s one year later in 2009. With the exception of a fourth place finish in 2011, reigning World Champion Lorenzo has always finished on the podium. The Mallorcan has been training hard but is still not expected to be at 100% fitness for the weekend.
Jorge Lorenzo

?We are returning to the USA and beginning the second half of the year, which may be the toughest. I was able to rest for some days after Laguna Seca and then we went to Brno to make a private test with Yamaha. Those two days gave me an opportunity to check my physical condition. I?m a bit tired, especially because after two crashes in Assen and Sachsenring I couldn?t recover so much and now we have to manage a long period with three races in a row. I feel better obviously than in Laguna but still need time to recover to 100% and it is not going to be easy because the calendar is so busy and also we have to fight not to lose points. In any case, we go to Indy to give everything despite the circumstances.?
Valentino Rossi

"I have great memories of Indianapolis and I'm happy to be back there on my M1, although that's not one of my favorite tracks. I needed these holidays to recharge my batteries, even if we had two days of testing right in the middle. Indianapolis will be the first one of three consecutive races and it will be very important to do good results everywhere. My Team and I still have much work to do on the M1 therefore they will be three very demanding weeks but we feel ready for the challenge.?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?We were able to enjoy a little break but not so much because we did a mini test at Brno to check some issues. The test was not so bad, first because both riders were happy with the results and secondly, from our side, Jorge did a good job. The first day he struggled a bit to find the rhythm but on the second day he improved a lot and was able to get the pace. This test was really important for Jorge to check his fitness after a tough month where he had managed two serious injuries in the collarbone with two surgeries in ten days. Jorge has got more confidence after the test and now we travel back to the USA with positive feelings. The track is not one of Yamaha?s favourites but we hope all the work we made in either Motorland and Brno will be useful to fight in the second part of the season.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?I think we are going to Indy in a good shape. After the test in Brno we made another improvement with the base set up which was very positive. In the past we have suffered at Indy but I think this year is going to be different. Both riders made a good test so we are really optimistic. Jorge is not 100% but he is feeling much better now so he can compete with the others in a good shape. We are really looking forward to getting on track on Friday and starting the first practice.?

2013 MotoGP United States
Indianapolis 14/08/2013


Circuit Length:
4186

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'38.813
(Daniel Pedrosa, 19-8-2012)

Last Years Winner:
Daniel Pedrosa

 

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Ducati Team returns to America for Indianapolis GP

With the MotoGP teams and riders having enjoyed a well-deserved summer break, the 2013 season is set to embark on its second half, which kicks off in the same country where the first half finished: the USA, this time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event will mark MotoGP?s third and final visit this year to American soil, and it will also be the first leg of a tripleheader, as trips to the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom follow in short order.

Indiana?s capital city enjoys mythical status in the motorsports world, due in large part to its annual hosting of the legendary Indianapolis 500 auto race. Since 2008, the massive facility has welcomed MotoGP to its unique road race track, which comprises a portion of the car circuit?s oval along with an infield section.

The Indianapolis GP is an important race for Nicky Hayden, whose home is just a three-and-a-half-hour drive south in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hayden, who celebrated his 32nd birthday during the summer pause, earned his first podium with Ducati at Indy in 2009, one year after finishing runner-up at the track aboard a Honda. Meanwhile, Andrea Dovizioso finished third at the Indianapolis round last season, and he hopes to have a solid showing there in this, his debut season with the Ducati Team.

Andrea Dovizioso ? Ducati Team
?The Indianapolis track is a bit strange, with asphalt that changes from corner to corner, and it?s difficult for all of the riders. In fact, there were a lot of crashes there last year. I?m not sure how it will be with the Ducati, not having ridden it there. I?ve never had good luck there in the past, although I did make the podium last year.?

Nicky Hayden ? Ducati Team
?It was nice to get rested up for a couple weeks, but I?m looking forward to the second half of the season, which I hope will bring us some better results than the first half did. I?ll be happy to be back in the garage with my bike and my team. I don?t have to tell anyone how special Indy is to me, as that should be pretty obvious with it being my true home race. The support I had from the Laguna crowd was incredible, and I?m expecting nothing less at Indy. I think the track might be a little better for us than the last couple were. It?s a tricky little circuit with a couple of technical corners. We?ll try to come out of the gate strong on Friday, have a solid weekend, and have some fun.?

Vittoriano Guareschi ? Team Manager
?After three straight races that took place on tracks with very short straightaways, we return to a fast circuit. For Nicky, the Indy track is really his home race, and we know that he wants to do well, but Andrea is also very motivated because he wants to redeem himself after his race at Laguna. This is a very important tripleheader, and it will take place on three real tracks?Indianapolis, Brno, and Silverstone?so at this point in the season, it will be important for us to be able to do well.?

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Records

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Honda ? 2011), 1:39.807 ? 152.069 Km/h (94.491 mph)
Best Pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda ? 2012), 1:38.813 ? 153.599 Km/h (95.442 mph)
Circuit Length: 4.216 km (2.620 mi)
2013 MotoGP Race: 28 laps (118.048 km/73.352 mi)
2013 MotoGP Schedule: 14:00 p.m. Local Time

2012 podium: 1st Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 2nd Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), 3rd Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha)
2012 pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 1:38.813 ? 153.599 Km/h (95.442 mph)

Ducati Team Results at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (best finish)
2012: 7th (Rossi)
2011: 10th (Rossi)
2010: 6th (Hayden)
2009: 3rd (Hayden)
2008: 4th (Stoner)

Ducati Team ? Rider Info

Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP13
Race number: 04
Age: 27 (born in Forlimpopoli, Italy, 23 March 1986)
Residence: Forl?, Italy
Number of GPs: 194 (96 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Number of wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First GP win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Poles: 14 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
World Championships: 1 (1 x 125cc)

Dovizioso?s MotoGP track record at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2012: Grid, 3rd; Race, 3rd
2011: Grid, 5th; Race, 5th
2010: Grid, 4th; Race, 5th
2009: Grid, 8th; Race, 4th
2008: Grid, 7th; Race, 5th

Nicky Hayden
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP13
Race number: 69
Age: 32 (born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, 30 July 1981)
Residence: Owensboro (Kentucky, USA)
Number of GPs: 176 (176 x MotoGP)
First GP: 2003 Japanese GP (MotoGP)
Number of wins: 3 (3 x MotoGP)
First GP win: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
Poles: 5 (5 x MotoGP)
First pole: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
World Championships: 1 (6 x MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden?s MotoGP track record at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2012: Grid, 8th; Race, -
2011: 8th; Race, 14th
2010: Grid, 3rd; Race, 6th
2009: Grid, 6th; Race, 3rd
2008: Grid, 4th; Race, 2nd

 

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MotoGP season passes half way mark with Indy GP at The 'Brickyard' on Sunday

The 2013 World Championship season begins again in the imposing surroundings of Indianapolis?s famous ?Brickyard? on Sunday, with Team Repsol Honda riders leading the way out of the three-weekend summer break and into an intense spell of racing.

?Indy? is the first of three races on consecutive weekends, taking the GP circus from the USA to the Czech Republic and then over the sea once more to Great Britain.

The first half of the season was rich in drama. The ninth of 18 scheduled races brought a third win for sensational class rookie Marc Marquez at Laguna Seca, California, on July 21. The 20-year-old Repsol Honda RC213V rider further extended his points lead over older team-mate Dani Pedrosa to 16, as his still-injured fellow-Spaniard gritted his teeth for a courageous fifth, after missing the previous race in Germany with a broken collarbone.

The pair are ahead of a third Spanish rival, defending champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), who has also suffered with injury problems in the last three races. He is ten points adrift of Pedrosa.

When business resumes at Indy, all three will have everything to play for, after a chance to recover from injuries and recharge their batteries.

Championship leader Marquez has hit the headlines in his maiden season in the premier class. He arrived having added a Moto2 World Championship to his earlier 125cc crown, and won the second race of the season at the new COTA circuit at Austin, Texas, after breaking the record for the youngest rider to take pole position. The win was also a youth record, and he is also the youngest rider in history to lead the championship.

Since then Marquez has been on the rostrum at every race except the Italian GP, where he crashed out of second place, culminating in successive wins in Germany and the United States. With two more pole positions his success and exciting riding style have won him an army of new fans.

Marquez has won at Indianapolis in the Moto2 class for the past two years, after making his debut with sixth on a 125 in 2008.

Older team-mate Pedrosa has also had a spell leading the points table after winning at Jerez and Le Mans, backed up by consistent top three slots at other races. The 27-year-old suffered a cruel reversal of fortunes however at the German GP, when a low-speed accident early in practice caused disproportionately severe problems. His left collarbone was fractured, and he was ruled out of the race with further short-lived complications.

Less than a week later, Pedrosa was back in the saddle at the intensely physical Laguna Seca circuit. Sitting out morning practice sessions to preserve his strength, he produced a powerful performance in the race, with a valuable fifth place. Days later, further medical tests determined that what had been thought only a partial fracture was in fact a complete break. After more than three weeks recovery, Pedrosa is determined to regain lost ground.

He will be looking for a third win at the Indiana circuit, and a second in succession, after taking victory from pole position last year. He won also in 2010, and finished second in 2011. Pedrosa was on pole also for the inaugural Brickyard race in 2008, but finished eighth in extraordinary conditions, with the race cut short as hurricane-force winds and rain hit the stadium.

German LCR Honda RC213V rider Stefan Bradl returns to action fresh from his best-yet race in MotoGP. The 2011 Moto2 World Champion is in his second season, and at the last round at Laguna Seca he claimed his first pole position, led the race until beyond half distance, and finished a jubilant second. The 23-year-old was sixth at Indianapolis last year, but now has his sights firmly set on more podium finishes.

Spanish racer Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) raced to fifth last year at Indy, and is also fresh from his best finish of the season ? fourth at the US GP. The former 125cc World Champion has bounced back from two consecutive first-lap crashes earlier in the season, and climbing back up the result sheets over the past three races. Bautista is the only factory MotoGP rider to use Showa suspension and Nissin brakes, pioneering development of the Japanese components.

Team-mate Bryan Staring (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) is a grand prix rookie, and an Indianapolis first-timer. The Australian gained his first points at round six in Catalunya, riding the CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike, gaining experience and claiming his place in the CRT pack even as he learns the intricacies of circuits he has never seen before.

The imposing Indianapolis Motor Speedway (the first circuit in the world to bear the name) is the largest sporting facility in the world, where the twisty 2.6-mile infield circuit used for MotoGP is dwarfed by the massive 2.5-mile banked oval track, with grandstands capable of holding more than a quarter of a million fans. The infield track was added for a short-lived involvement with Formula 1 in 1998; and in 2008 MotoGP arrived, on a modified version of the circuit run in the opposite direction, one of a handful of anti-clockwise tracks on the calendar.

The first race was hit by the effects of the devastating Hurricane Ike, causing the premier race to be cut short and the 250cc race cancelled.



Honda MotoGP Rider Quotes



Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says:

?After a good break, where I?ve managed to relax a little and also do some training, I?m looking forward to getting back on track. It?s been good to have this time off to think about my first few months in MotoGP and reflect on my performances and what I?ve learnt but now I?m ready to get back on the bike. I like the Indianapolis track and I?m interested to see how the grip is on the Bridgestone tyres because it seems this has been an issue in the past. As usual, we will take our time in FP1 and try to find our feeling on the bike at this track and also after this summer break, and hope for a good weekend!?



Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:

?The three weeks to disconnect have done me a lot of good. I preferred not to go away, and took time to relax and recover from the huge effort at Laguna Seca. I now feel much better, however we will only know for sure at Indianapolis. Until now a little of everything has happened in the first half of the season. The next three races will start to define where the championship is heading. I?m looking forward to seeing the team again and getting back on the bike. Indy is a circuit where we do quite well, but it has its difficulties: there are three types of asphalt, and that makes set-up complicated, especially if it rains. We?ll have to wait and see what the weather has in store for us.?



GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says:

?I feel sure that we are in our best form of the season so far after a good result at Laguna Seca. We were competitive there and in terms of my feeling with the bike over the course of the weekend it was probably the best I have ever had in MotoGP. Thanks to the hard work of the team we had a great bike that I was able to really enjoy riding and even though we had the chance to finish on the podium at the end I was still very happy with the result. After Laguna Seca we were able to get a few days off and I took the opportunity to head for the beach with some friends and switch my mind off racing. After a few days I got back into training hard for the second half of the championship and spent a few days at my friend Colin Edwards?s boot camp, and had great fun riding with him and working on my riding. Now I am ready and looking forward to three races in as many weekends. Indianapolis is a strange circuit and it?s different to most of the places we go to because amongst other things it runs anticlockwise. There are three different kinds of track surface and that also makes it hard but we fought for the podium there last year and after such a good weekend at Laguna last time out I am hoping for better this year. Me and the team are feeling very confident that we can fight for a top result.?



LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl says:

?I was so happy with my first podium when I was second at Laguna, but of course you are always wanting more, and that is my aim for this weekend. My results at the last race show that we have got away from our problems with front feeling earlier in the season, and I feel more confident at every race. To tell the truth, I would have preferred to keep racing rather than have a summer break! Last year at Indy was my first on a MotoGP bike. I qualified on the second row of the grid and finished fifth, so I think the circuit is quite good for my style. I am aiming to stand on the top-three podium for a second time in America.?



GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Bryan Staring says:

?I was quite happy after Laguna Seca, which went better than we expected. Overall it was a good weekend for us, especially after coming off the back of a disastrous German Grand Prix. Now I am convinced we can take another step forward at Indy. It looks like a strange track but I am curious to see it for myself and I am certainly highly motivated. The break was definitely a welcome one and it was a good chance to recharge the batteries. I spent a bit of time in the USA after Laguna Seca with my girlfriend Emma, which was great fun. Now I am ready to get back on track and have a good second half to the championship. I am determined to take another big step forward and I am sure that with the help of my team I can do it.?

 

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The MotoGP World Championship re-starts at Indianapolis

After the usual and well-deserved summer break, the MotoGP championship and its 24 riders return to action to compete in the 10th round of the Championship, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, marking the beginning of the second half of the season. The upcoming calendar sees a concentration of nine races in just three months, including two ?tripleheaders? separated by a pair of individual races, and then the usual ending in Valencia. Riders and team members are preparing for the fast pace that awaits them, and which could require even more effort and concentration than before.

The Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team welcomes back Andrea Iannone aboard his Desmosedici GP13 ?lab? bike. The Italian was forced to sit out at Laguna Seca as a result of the injury suffered during practice at the Sachsenring GP. The total rest he was able to have during the first two weeks of this break allowed Andrea to recover quite well, and the rider has recovered much of his arm strength.

The circuit is one of the world's best known, and certainly the most famous ?oval.? Built in 1909, the first motorsports event it hosted was a motorcycle race, followed two years later by the first Indianapolis 500 auto race. It has hosted a MotoGP round annually since 2008. Originally, the track was covered with a mixture of crushed stone and tar, but after the first sporting events of 1909, the surface was changed using 3.2 million bricks, earning the facility its ?Brickyard? nickname. In 1937, it was almost completely covered with more-suitable asphalt, apart from a portion in the start-finish line that still uses the traditional bricks.

Andrea Iannone - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?I feel pretty good in general, but the shoulder is obviously not 100%. It was unthinkable to be in shape after such a short time, and at the moment I don?t have an idea of how things will go. Tomorrow I?ll get on the bike and we?ll see what happens. The movements that I normally do on the bike aren?t the same as what I do every day. For sure the Mobile Clinic will help me to find the best treatment to help me get well; maybe I?ll need painkillers and taping, but we'll see. I regretted not being able to go to Laguna Seca, but I needed those days to recover. Now we start the second part of the season. I hope to not suffer other injuries, that I?ll be prepared to face the three consecutive races, and that the shoulder allows me to ride well.?

 

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At 9:55 a.m. this morning, MotoGP restarted its engines at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team is complete once again and is ready to face the third and final American round of the 2013 season.

Following the first free-practice session, Andrea Iannone commented on his return to the paddock.

Andrea Iannone - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
"I'm very happy. I have to say I was expecting worse, so that?s positive. Now I?m calm and I can concentrate hard on the bike to try to understand how to improve. That said, I?m feeling something like a needle in my shoulder, both in the changes of direction and on the straights, where I can?t get the elbow bent enough to get under the fairing. I use my body to compensate a bit, moving it to help with the weight. So far I haven?t taken any painkillers or anything. We?ll see if it will be necessary for the other sessions."

 

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First day of free practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Ben Spies returned to the MotoGP World Championship in a positive frame of mind today after missing the last 4 races of the calendar, due to the intense physiotherapy required to recover from the damage suffered at the end of the 2012 season. The Texan ended the two free practice sessions with a best lap of 1'41.145, which was over one second faster than his morning session time.

Currently the Texan?s aim is to regain confidence, in the shortest possible time, with his Desmosedici GP13 machine, and to find the necessary pace to obtain the best possible results in the remaining 9 races of the 2013 season.

Ben Spies ? Ignite Pramac Racing Team
?Indianapolis has been a really good track in the past for me. It?s difficult, after three months of forced stop, to get back on the bike on such a physical track, with a lot of changes of direction, chicanes and slippery asphalt. Anyway I like this circuit a lot and the fans here at home. We have a lot of work to do but we will try to get back step by step. I am satisfied about today?s results during the two FP sessions and my aim for tomorrow is to get closer to the Ducati Factory riders and possibly to enter in the Top Ten for Qualifying without doing too much to avoid risks. We will take our time but I finally feel good in riding my bike.?

 

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Tough heavy crash for Abraham in Indianapolis without any serious injury

Karel Abraham did not sustain any bigger serious injury after his big crash during the first free practice in Indianapolis. Doctors excluded any serious injury, however the rider has heavily bruised his foot and left shoulder. In the evening free practice, Abraham came back on the track and finished on twenty-second position. The Czech rider should fully take part of Saturday?s free practices and qualification.

Karel Abraham:
?The crash in the morning was really bad, but how it might turn out, it is good. I have bruised shoulder and heel, but important is, that nothing is broken. If I have some muscles injured it has not been seen yet, so I hope it will be fine. Of course I feel terrible right now, but I hope to feel much better until tomorrow morning. I don?t know exactly what happed. At the exit of the corner I felt as motorbike injection has missed for one second and than restart again and I could not reacted for that. We were discussing it with my mechanics and one possible reason is that I pushed by mistake gear lever, but at the end we excluded it. Well this will be another racing weekend during which I'll ride with injection for pain, but I'll do everything I can to figure it out.?

Marco Grana, chef mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?At the end of the evening free practice we made a time around 1:42,9 and that is better than time what Karel made before he crashed out. That is quite positive. Karel has a pain in his shoulder and heel; therefore he was forced to ride under anesthetics. We did not obligate him to ride on the limit, because it would be counter-productive. After as tough crash has logically little bit fear. So for today, this result is good enough for us. We will try to put a hard tyre in front tomorrow, because Karel was complying about chattering there. We have also to solve the problem with spin on the rear. I hope that Karel will be fine tomorrow and we will get faster. In the morning, before the crash occurred, he rode very fast.?

 

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Action Begins at the ?Brickyard? for the Indianapolis Grand Prix Weekend

Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were on track today for the first practice session of the weekend for the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday. After a summer break shortened by a two-day private test at Brno this was the first opportunity for both riders to shake off any cobwebs and get back into a riding rhythm.

Lorenzo continues to improve his fitness following his two collarbone surgeries earlier in the season. The reigning world champion finished the morning practice in third, 0.480 seconds from first then went on to wrap up the afternoon session in fourth, having closed the time gap to first to just 0.263 seconds.

Rossi also made improvements between the two sessions. The nine-time world champion completed the morning session in fifth place 0.766 seconds from the front then worked hard to shave time off in the afternoon, finishing sixth with a gap of 0.582 seconds to first.
Jorge Lorenzo - 4th / 1'39.765

?The collarbone is feeling good, it's not 100% yet but it?s close. It doesn't give me too many problems to ride at a high level. We are still very far from the track record and the track is still quite slippery. Compared to last year I think we are going to have less problems to fight for the podium. I won here in 2009 but usually it?s not so easy for me. Sometimes the other Yamaha riders are faster than me but so far it's a good start. This morning the track conditions were better than I expected and then improved further over the day, so this afternoon all riders improved their lap times. We still have some problems, especially in braking but I think our margin can be improved quite a bit. We didn't make so many laps in the afternoon; I wanted to make more but firstly the red flag cost us time and then at the end I found so many CRT bikes there it was hard to get clear laps.?
Valentino Rossi, 6th / 1'40.084

?Today I had two different bikes to try and improve the feeling in braking and entering. We made two different comparisons and at the end we decided the way to go. Tomorrow we will concentrate on that bike to try to fix some problems with under steer and a bit too much pushing on the front, especially in two or three entries that are very difficult. In general I am quite happy, not so much with sixth position but I am just half a second from pole and I reduced my gap to Marquez and Lorenzo. Together with Cal the three Yamahas are all together. We have to fix some areas and tomorrow we will make another step.?
Crutchlow and Smith make strong start at iconic Indianapolis

The second half of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship got underway at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway today, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith making an impressively fast return from a well deserved summer break. Refreshed and raring to go after spending the three-week break relaxing in America, Crutchlow and Smith wasted no time in getting back in the groove on their YZR-M1 machinery to lap inside the top eight today. Crutchlow was second fastest in cool and cloudy conditions in FP1 this morning, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?s notorious lack of grip and bumpy surface making it hard to work on a set-up for Sunday?s 27-lap race. With more grip available and track temperatures increasing this afternoon, the British rider was able to improve his pace by 1.3s in FP2 to finish fifth fastest in an incredibly close fought session. Crutchlow?s best lap of 1.39.813 was just 0.311s off the best time set by World Championship leader Marc Marquez and the top 10 were covered by just over a second.

Rookie Smith enjoyed an outstanding return to action at the legendary Brickyard venue today and after impressing with 10th position in FP1, he shone again in the second 45-minute session. Smith capitalised brilliantly on the improved track conditions to shave a massive 2.2s off his best time from this morning and a personal best of 1.40.240 moved him into eighth on the combined rankings. Smith was just over 0.7s off the fastest pace and less than 0.2s behind nine-times World Champion Valentino Rossi?s factory YZR-M1 machine in sixth position.
Cal Crutchlow 5th 1.39.813

?Overall it has been a good day because we know this is not the easiest track for Yamaha. All of us are quite close but I am sure we can make some improvements for the rest of the weekend. We tried a few different things on the bike and we need to find some more feeling from the front-end but it is a decent start and something to build on for tomorrow. This morning was quite tough because the track was so slippery and the bumps seem to be much worse then when we?ve been here before. And I don?t remember the change in asphalt being so difficult, but it is the same for everybody."
Bradley Smith 8th 1.40.240

?It is great to be back on my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine again and I definitely felt the benefit of a good summer break with some good training out there today. I feel quite comfortable on this track and I don?t really have too many issues. Our base setting is in the ballpark but we can always make improvements and I am confident we can take some steps tomorrow. We know the track is going to continually improve now for the rest of the weekend, so it will be a case of adapting as the conditions change. But to be eighth is a great start for me and hopefully I can maintain that tomorrow to ensure I go immediately into QP2.?

2013 MotoGP United States
Indianapolis 16/08/2013
1 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'39.502
2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'39.582
3 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'39.681
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'39.765
5 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'39.813
6 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'40.084
7 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'40.087
8 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'40.240
9 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'40.433
10 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'40.552
11 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'40.750
12 Danilo Petrucci Ioda-Suter ITA 1'41.099
13 Ben Spies Ducati USA 1'41.145
14 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'41.444
15 Claudio Corti FTR Kawasaki ITA 1'41.552

 

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Marquez fastest in FP1 with Pedrosa in 7th

Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez has maintained his fine pre-Summer form in the first free practice for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. The Spanish rookie completed 19 laps in this morning's session and set the fastest time of 1'40.781 on lap 17. For teammate, Dani Pedrosa, it was an important session to see how his injury is healing. He also managed 19 laps, setting a fastest time of 1'41.590 on his final lap, under cool conditions at the Indianapolis track, with a track temperature of just 26?C and ambient temperature of 18?C.

FP2 will begin at 14h05 local time.



Marc Marquez - 1st - 1'40.781

"It's important after the summer break to find your rhythm with the bike again and my feeling at the moment is pretty good! The track was quite slippery which made things difficult, but anyway I'm sure it will improve and the times will drop. We need to continue in the same way but at the moment we are happy"


Dani Pedrosa - 7th - 1'41.590

"I was a little cautious this morning, going out on the track for the first time, as normally it's very slippery here in the first sessions. I was a little stiff on the bike so I need some more time to find the feeling again after the Summer break. I'm sure this afternoon and lap-by-lap I will loosen up on the bike and feel more comfortable. The pain is already less from Laguna so this is already a positive!"

 

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Ducati Team back in action in Indianapolis

For the first day of free practice at the Indianapolis GP, the tenth round of the MotoGP world championship, both Ducati Team riders worked hard to find a good setup for their Desmosedici GP13 race bikes.

Following the summer break, Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso were quite careful as they took to the track for the first session, due to the tricky condition of the asphalt, but they were more certain in the afternoon, when both managed to improve their times and to finish the day in ninth and tenth places, respectively, approximately one second off leader Marc Marquez?s best time.

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 9th (1:40.433)
?The track definitely came in better on the first day than it has in years past. The lap times are much faster and immediately, we were able to get right into setup. It?s also less abrasive and easier on the tyres. Of course I hoped to be a bit faster, but we know we?re still sorting out some problems. The turning issue is hurting me a lot in some places, and it?s making the bumps worse because I can?t get the bike picked up in time to soak them up. We?ll keep working hard, but today was fairly positive overall.?

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 10th (1:40.552)
?The day was so-so, as we?re a way off in terms of pace. It?s always difficult for everyone here because the grip is quite precarious, with unpredictable bumps that are hard to see. We managed to improve over this morning, as the grip got better, while we were also able to take some small steps forward. We have all day tomorrow to work, so we hope to get more good weather so we can improve my bike?s setup. The most important thing is to cut some tenths and not be too far back on the grid Sunday, so we can have some possibility in the race to try to get a good position.?

 

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Andrea Iannone very close to Q2

On the final lap of this morning?s free-practice 3, at which point direct transfers to Q2 are decided, Andrea Iannone was bumped to eleventh place by just .017 seconds by fellow Ducati rider Nicky Hayden.

The Italian will therefore participate in the Q1 session.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?This morning was a really positive session because I improved quite a bit compared to yesterday. My shoulder hurt a bit more, maybe because of the exertion I put it through yesterday. Before I went on track, I decided along with the Mobile Clinic to take a painkiller to help me during the session. Still, it hurts in the changes of direction. Anyway, I liked the changes we did to the bike, and I rode better, so all in all, I?m not so bad. I?m sorry to have barely lost out on going straight to Q2, but we?ll get ready for Q1 and the race. We have to improve our pace.?

 

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Lorenzo Back on the Front Row at the Brickyard

Yamaha Factory Racing?s Jorge Lorenzo scored a front row position with second place in this afternoon?s qualifying for tomorrow?s Indianapolis Grand Prix.

The reigning world champion was on typical form for the 15 minute qualifying heat, ensuring he was the first man on track as the session began. Wasting no time, the first flying lap saw him smash the all-time record for the circuit with an impressive 1?38.648 second lap. Lorenzo?s hold on the top spot was short lived as championship rival Marc Marquez then moved into first however he was determined to hold the front row. After a stop for a fresh rear tyre he returned to the track with six minutes to go and delivered another hot lap, dropping his time to 1?38.471 to secure second place on the grid for the race.

Valentino Rossi endured a frustrating qualifying this afternoon, unable to find a set up with his YZR-M1 to challenge with the frontrunners. Rossi initially managed a 1?40.315 second lap to take ninth on his first outing before returning to the pits for fresh rubber. His second outing on track saw him improve considerably, taking a second off his time to lap in 1?39.356 seconds. Despite the improvement the time was not enough to move up the grid so the nine time champion will start from ninth on the third row of the grid tomorrow.
Jorge Lorenzo 2nd / 1'38.471 / 8 laps

?I?m happy with the pace, it?s not bad. We still don't know how well our rivals are prepared for the race but I think I have a constant pace to finish the race with a good speed. The bike has improved by some small details every session so I?m happy with that also. I?m happy to be back on the first row and confident we can fight for the podium. You can see that Marc, Dani and Stefan are really strong, normally we are with them but it's clear that this track is not so suitable for our bike, but it?s much better than it was in 2011. I am confident that we can fight to be not far from first position or maybe to fight for first.?
Valentino Rossi 9th / 1'39.356 / 8 laps

?I?m disappointed because in the practice we weren?t fantastic but better than we were this afternoon. Unfortunately in the fifteen minutes of the qualifying practice the other guys were able to improve more. Especially they are able to improve in braking and corner entry. Jorge did a fantastic job! I tried but when I put on the soft tyre I have more problems with the front and I cannot push a lot. I just managed to improve my time a bit from the used tyre when we had done already fifteen laps. Anyway, we have to look forward and try to improve tomorrow. My pace is nothing fantastic but it's better than 9th position so I have to try to recover some positions and make a good race.?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?We are very happy with the first row because we?ve come a long way from the last two races of injuries. Being on the front row for what is normally a difficult race for us is good. The bike is working well and improving step by step, the team has worked hard to understand what to do and where to get the time. Jorge pushed hard in qualifying and his pace is good so hopefully tomorrow we can fight for the podium again.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?An impressive lap from Jorge, I think he has really proved once again that he has the speed. For sure tomorrow is not going to be an easy race but we expect to be there. In the practices we have found good information and I think we will try something else tonight to test in the warm up, in order to be ready for the race. Starting from the first row here is very important and I think tomorrow we will see him fighting as usual. Unfortunately Vale had some difficulties in the qualifying practice. It will be hard for him, he has to really attack from the beginning of the race but he has the capability to do that. Let?s see what we can put together tonight and what we can do tomorrow.?
Crutchlow and Smith confident for Brickyard battle

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith are confident they have the speed to battle for top positions in tomorrow?s MotoGP race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Crutchlow narrowly missed out on clinching a fantastic fifth front row start in the 2013 campaign and he will start the 27-lap race from fourth position on the grid.

The 27-year-old clocked a best time of 1.38.502 that looked to have secured him a fourth front row in the last five races, only for Spaniard Dani Pedrosa to bump him out of third spot by just 0.017s in the closing moments of QP2. Crutchlow remains optimistic that he can battle with Spanish trio Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Pedrosa in tomorrow?s race, as he goes in search of a fifth rostrum of the season to strengthen his Championship challenge.

Rookie Smith?s outstanding qualifying form continued in hot conditions this afternoon, the 22-year-old securing a top 10 position on the grid for the fourth consecutive race.

Smith, who starts tomorrow?s race looking to move into the top 10 in the World Championship standings, set a best time of 1.39.255 that at one stage looked set to secure him a place on the second row for only the second time this season. Today?s result though further underlined Smith?s growing experience and confidence with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machinery and he was able claim the notable scalps of Stefan Bradl and Valentino Rossi?s in this afternoon's 15-minute session.
Cal Crutchlow 4th 1.38.502 ? 8 laps

?I am a little bit disappointed not to be on front row because I?ve been inside the top three for most of the weekend. The positive point though is I am much stronger than in the past here at Indianapolis and I am looking forward to the race. I?ve returned from the summer break and picked up where I left off in the first half of the Championship and a podium is not out of the question tomorrow. Congratulations to Marc though because he has been in awesome form all weekend and he produced another incredible lap in qualifying. Hopefully we can put up a fight against him but we still have to work more on the set-up and at the moment I haven?t decided which tyre I will race.?
Bradley Smith 7th 1.39.255 ? 8 laps

?I am happy to be on the third row because we made a really good improvement with the bike today. I did my best lap on my own and then I tried to follow Cal to improve a bit more but I made a small mistake. We?ve done a great job improving my feeling with a full fuel tank and this gives me a lot of confidence for the race, particularly in the first eight laps. I will be looking to make a good start and seeing what I can learn from those guys in front of me. Being precise and consistent is also going to be crucial at this track. It is easy to run off and if you do get off line it is very dirty, so making the least number of mistakes as possible will be crucial.?

2013 MotoGP United States
Indianapolis 17/08/2013
1 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'37.958
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'38.471
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'38.485
4 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'38.502
5 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'38.872
6 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'39.142
7 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'39.255
8 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'39.313
9 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'39.356
10 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'39.555
11 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'40.042
12 Colin Edwards FTR Kawasaki USA 1'40.372
13 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'40.444
14 Danilo Petrucci Ioda-Suter ITA 1'41.122
15 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'41.154

 

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Fourth row for Andrea Iannone

It was a positive second day of this tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team rider, who ended qualifying with a time of 1'40.042 and eleventh place on the grid.

Despite constant pain in his injured shoulder, the Italian was forced to take part in all the scheduled sessions including Q1, by just a few thousandths of a second, but he constantly improved his lap time and moved closer to his fellow Ducati riders.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?I'm not very far from Nicky and Dovi, I'm happy, and I'm sure I did everything I could today. The only thing I regret is not having been able to do more with the soft tyre, but now I need to concentrate on tomorrow's race, and I have to stay calm. Today, after having had to do all the sessions using the entire body to compensate for lack of strength in my arm, I'm really tired, and it was tough in Q2. Anyway it's still a good weekend so far, I did not think I could do so much. Tomorrow, however, it?s going to be a long race. I?ll go to the Clinica Mobile in the morning to evaluate with the doctors what to do for the eventual pain. I will do everything I can and we?ll see how to deal with it.?

 

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Abraham is in pain after his crash on Friday, starting from twenty-third position in Indianapolis

Karel Abraham will start from twenty-third position on grid to the Sunday race at Indiana ?brickyard?. Suffering from bruised shoulder and foot Abraham was limited for whole Saturday. In the end Cardion AB Motoracing rider was able to improve his Friday?s time, but 1:42,165 was enough only for a position in ninth row. Final solution on participation on the race will be made by team after the morning warm up.

Karel Abraham
?Today it was worse than yesterday, thus the Friday?s optimism was not on spot. It is everything about the pain that limits me substantially completely at all. It is very difficult for me to brake, I miss the power in the corners and the most difficult is to flick the bike from one side to the second one. Tonight I go to see a physiotherapist that will try massage my shoulder. I have to hope and believe that it will get better for tomorrow. Today showed how betrayal is the Indy track. Paddock seems to be as hospital right now, Ben Spies has dislocated his shoulder, Aleix Espargaro has sustained a very tough crash, Stefan Bradl has crashed out three times, fortunately without any injury. If it will continue like that, in Brno will be just a half of us. Concerning me we will decide tomorrow morning. Of course I want to try it, but we have to think that next week the most important weekend of the season waiting for us.?

Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?Karel is not in the condition to ride on hundred percent. He is having a pain, thus he lost the power. It is very difficult to turn and he is not able to accelerate hard. I know, that he does, what he can, in the afternoon he actually improved his time respect yesterday, but it is not enough. We cannot do anything else that wait until tomorrow. We will try to make a warm up and than we will decide if he starts to the race. If we should risk the start in Brno, it has no sense to do this. We are ready for tomorrow on technical point of view, the bike works well but the most important is the physical condition of the rider.?

 

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Marquez takes pole number four for Honda at Indianapolis

Repsol Honda RC213V rider Marc Marquez claimed his fourth pole position of the season with a new record lap at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. With team-mate Dani Pedrosa third, the MotoGP season resumes with two Hondas on the front row of the grid.
The 20-year-old MotoGP class rookie ended the first half of the season riding high, after extending his World Championship lead with two wins in succession in the previous rounds in Germany and at Laguna Seca.

Marquez has resumed business in the same sparkling form. The factory Honda rider led all four free practice sessions, and smashed the previous qualifying record to head the time sheets almost from the start of the crucial final 15 minutes of qualifying. He underlined his pace by going even faster on his second run. His lap time was almost a full second below the previous best lap, set last year by race-winner Pedrosa.
Marquez has been on pole position for two out the three races in the USA, and won in Austin, Texas as well as at Laguna. Victory tomorrow would give him an American hat-trick, and further extend his title lead.
Pedrosa?s third place on the grid was achieved in less spectacular style. The rider is still recovering from the injury that ruled him out of the German GP and made his fifth place at Laguna into a heroic effort in damage control.

The 27-year-old Spanish rider admitted he was feeling stiff and not at full strength, and took a steady approach to practice, before reeling off a blazing lap at the end that lifted him from the third row to the first, a mere 0.014 seconds off defending champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) in second. Pedrosa was also comfortably inside his own record.
Pedrosa missed the German GP after being diagnosed with a partially fractured left collarbone suffered in a crash in free practice. His first no-score cost him the lead in the World Championship. A week later he was back at Laguna Seca, where further post-race diagnosis revealed that the fracture was complete rather than partial. The three-week break was a chance to heal, but the prescribed rest cure meant he was not able to train as usual.
Pedrosa has won twice at the 4.216-km Indianapolis infield track, which loops back and forth within the iconic banked oval track used for America?s biggest car racing series; while team-mate Marquez won in the Moto2 class for the last two years, going on to claim the title last year.

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) also produced strong qualifying form for a second race in a row, placing fifth in the middle of the second row. The Spanish former 125cc World Champion, who also has an important testing role, was on the front row at Laguna Seca.
Bautista is the only prototype rider to use Japanese Showa suspension and Nissin brakes, helping the Honda associates to develop cutting-edge racing technologies.
LCR Honda RC213V rider Stefan Bradl had been challenging to repeat his first pole position achieved at Laguna Seca until misfortune in the final session spiked his guns. He crashed out unhurt, his second tumble of the day, and was unable to improve on eighth position, in the middle of the grid.

Australian grand prix rookie Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) placed his Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike 20th, in the thick of a tight pack of non-factory CRT machines, in his first visit for the circuit, putting him in a position where he can add to the points he has already scored in his first season.



Honda MotoGP Rider quotes



Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V): 1st ? 1m 37.985

?I?m happy with how things went in the qualifying session. Obviously taking pole is important, but it?s tomorrow that really counts. Besides that, the conditions change a lot, tyre durability suffers and it will be tough as the race progresses. We knew the qualifying session was all about the single flying lap, the tyres had a lot of grip then and I took advantage of it. I set a very good time and I think for tomorrow we are ready to fight for victory. As always, we will give 100 percent.?

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): 3rd ? 1m 38.471

?Today went well, we were able to improve our times, so I?m happy! Starting from the first row is good for us and the feeling with the bike is more positive, but we still have to choose the rear tyre. The important thing for tomorrow is to start well and have a good race.?

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini): 5th ? 1m 38.872

?I am happy with the work we have done today and with my feeling on the bike compared to yesterday. It felt better from the start this morning and gave us time to test the hard tyre again, but there was no advantage to it so we went back to the soft. I managed to put a good lap together this afternoon to qualify fifth, which is a decent position for the race tomorrow. We have improved our pace by a second from last year so that shows what a good job we are doing this season. We are improving from race to race and building our confidence with the bike. Tomorrow I hope we can get a good start and put our pace together, have some fun and hopefully take some important points home.?

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V): 8th ? 1m 39.313

?Unfortunately we are only eighth in the qualifying because we have struggled a bit with the front tyre due to the increased temperature of the asphalt. I tried to push as hard as I could in my flying lap and I crashed. We were not capable to solve this issue with the front before the Q2 but we have been very fast for the whole weekend so I am not worried about my pace for tomorrow. It won?t be an easy race starting from the third row of the grid but my confidence is still high.?



Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda): 20th ? 1m 41.786

?I?m happy because I?ve improved my feeling with the bike and made up some positions. I really didn?t think we had this in us, but hopefully we can take another step forward tomorrow. I feel confident that we can and I am looking forward to getting out on track. It won?t be an easy race but I?ll do my best.?

Qualifying position
1 Marc Marquez 1'37.958 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 1'38.471 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Dani Pedrosa 1'38.485 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Cal Crutchlow 1'38.502 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Alvaro Bautista 1'38.872 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
6 Nicky Hayden 1'39.142 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Bradley Smith 1'39.255 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
8 Stefan Bradl 1'39.313 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
9 Valentino Rossi 1'39.356 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
10 Andrea Dovizioso 1'39.555 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Andrea Iannone 1'40.042 ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
12 Colin Edwards 1'40.372 USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
13 Aleix Espargaro 1'40.444 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
14 Danilo Petrucci 1'41.122 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
15 Randy De Puniet 1'41.154 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
16 Claudio Corti 1'41.334 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
17 Hector Barbera 1'41.527 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
18 Michael Laverty 1'41.618 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
19 Hiroshi Aoyama 1'41.665 JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
20 Bryan Staring 1'41.786 AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
21 Yonny Hernandez 1'41.807 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
22 Lukas Pesek 1'41.868 CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
23 Karel Abraham 1'42.165 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
24 Blake Young 1'44.472 USA APRILIA Attack Performance

 

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Indianapolis GP: Hayden improves to sixth on grid, Dovizioso tenth

The Ducati Team riders made good progress today in the decisive final qualifying session for the Indianapolis GP, with the tenth round of the MotoGP world championship set to take place tomorrow at legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Following a challenging Friday that had seen Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso finish in ninth and tenth positions, respectively, things improved today for the Kentucky rider, who enjoyed one of his best qualifying sessions of the year so far, lowering his time by over a second to take the sixth spot on the grid for his home GP. He?ll start the race on the second row.

Dovizioso, despite cutting his time by one second, made a couple of mistakes on his fast lap and will start tomorrow?s race from the fourth row, in tenth place.

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 6th (1:39.142)
?All in all, I?m satisfied. Sixth on the grid isn?t a bad result, and my fast lap was the best I?ve been able to do this weekend. We made some changes for FP4 but they didn?t work so well, so I wasn?t too calm between sessions, but as soon as I went out for Q2, I felt a lot better. We?ve got a couple ideas for tomorrow to smooth it out over the bumps and help it to change directions better. The weather has been good so far, and we?re quite a bit faster than we?ve ever been around here, so I?m looking forward to tomorrow.?

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 10th (1:39.555)
?I?m not pleased with my qualifying lap because I made a few too many mistakes. It?s a shame, because I?m sure I could?ve done a better time. During my ?good? lap, I made mistakes in turns 2 and 3; I closed the front twice and came close to crashing. After that, I wanted to attack the track, but there was no grip and I wasn?t able to do a perfect lap. Nicky did a nice time, and I think I could?ve done that as well. I?m disappointed to have the tenth position, on row four, but apart from the position, I think we have the right pace to battle with Nicky?s group. This is a very strange track without much grip, so I need to believe in myself and try to make up some positions on the start.?

 

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Lorenzo Takes Third in Indianapolis Thriller

Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo marked his return to fitness today with third in the Indianapolis Grand Prix, his fifth premier class podium finish at the US track. He impressed with a stunning start from second on the grid, out dragging both Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa to take the hole-shot into turn one. Lorenzo immediately built a half second gap and managed to hold the lead on a track not best suited to the Yamaha until Marquez squeezed past with 15 laps to go. Marques was not allowed to break away and Lorenzo kept with him until fatigue set in as the race wound down and he was forced to relinquish second to Pedrosa with three laps remaining.

This important podium whilst still recovering from surgery allows Lorenzo to now return to European tracks favoured by the YZR-M1 in full fitness and just 15 points behind Pedrosa in third on 153 points.

Teammate Valentino Rossi?s race proved to be the opposite of Lorenzo?s. The Italian nine-time world champion spent the early part of the race fighting with a less than perfect set up as he made up ground from his ninth position start on the grid. Nicky Hayden was dispatched on the second lap for eighth and fellow Yamaha rider Bradley Smith would follow. With just six laps remaining it was clear Rossi had saved the best for last, hunting down Alvaro Bautista and Cal Crutchlow who were fighting for fourth. Rossi joined the battle, swapping positions repeatedly until a stunning pass on the second to last corner of the last lap saw him steal fourth from Crutchlow and hold it to the line.

The result keeps Rossi in fourth in the overall standings with 130 points, three clear of Crutchlow in fourth. Rossi and the team will now head directly to Brno for the second of three consecutive back-to-back races.
Jorge Lorenzo 3rd

?I made a very good start and I had half a second advantage in the beginning of the race. I had a lot of hope because I knew I had a good pace but suddenly in the middle of the race Marc started to go faster and faster so it was impossible to win. I?m disappointed to not finish second, because in normal conditions without the drop in rear tyre this would have been possible. I?m happy to be back on the podium at a track that?s not normally a good one for us. I don?t feel perfect, I feel more tired than normal because I haven?t trained so much in the last two months because of the injuries. I felt tired at the end of the race and had some pain in the braking areas but I feel much better and in Brno and Silverstone I will be ok. I think from this moment we can only be better and better.?
Valentino Rossi 4th

?At the end the race was not so bad, especially compared with yesterday and especially the second half. I could ride the bike in a good way and I could enjoy it. I did a very good lap time in the second half and had great battles with Bradl and Bautista, but especially with Cal on the last lap, that was very funny. Fourth place here is good considering this track is one of the worst for me and considering I started from ninth I am quite happy. We still have to work and understand why in the first laps I can?t ride the bike and use the extra grip of the tyre. In the second part when the tyre slides I can enter the corner faster, I can go faster and I can make good lap times so we have to improve because the first three riders are very strong.?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?The Indianapolis race is finished and we have to be pleased with third. We hoped for second place because I think that was our pace but finally the tyre dropped a lot on the end so we have to investigate what happened exactly. Anyway, to be back after injuries and be fighting again with Marc and Dani for victory is great, the first 20 laps especially looked very good. Jorge was riding well and the bike behaved quite good. I think the guys all did a good job so we just have to investigate the tyre drop. We had the same last year, we lost ten seconds on Dani and this year five or six seconds in total on the race winner. We are improving at Indy, maybe next year we can win here.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?Even if we knew since the beginning that Indianapolis was going to be a tough race for us I have to congratulate the team as they have done a fantastic job. We led for part of the race, Jorge had a really good rhythm and he was able to get an important podium. For the Championship that was the target and the main goal. Also Valentino, even if he couldn't find the right set up, got the right balance of the bike and when the tyre dropped he made an impressive come back. Third and fourth is a good result here and now we go back to some circuits in Europe where we can change the direction of the Championship in our favour.?
Crutchlow fifth after late drama in Indianapolis

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow ended an intriguing Indianapolis MotoGP race in fifth position this afternoon, the British rider playing a leading role in one of the most intense battles in the 27-lap clash.

Engaged in a frenetic fight for the majority of the race with Spaniard Alvaro Bautista, the tussle for fourth position became a three-way battle, with nine-times World Champion Valentino Rossi riding into contention with a brilliant late attack. All three treated a crowd of just over 60,000 fans to some breathless action, with the trio constantly exchanging overtakes before the exciting battle came right down to the final corner. Crutchlow had produced an outstanding final lap to keep Rossi and Bautista at bay and fourth position seemed to have been secured behind dominant Spanish trio Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. After 44 minutes of nail-biting action though there was still time for one final dramatic twist, with Rossi executing a last ditch overtake at the final corner to push Crutchlow back into fifth. Less than 0.2s split Rossi, Crutchlow and Bautista at the finish line and the crowd were on their feet to show their appreciation at witnessing such a fierce but fair fight.

Bradley Smith secured his seventh top 10 finish of the season, the British rider?s race starting and finishing in tremendously exciting fashion. Smith got a stunning launch off the line and on the first lap he held fourth place before he slipped back into a fight with Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden for eighth. The 22-year-old exerted constant pressure on his more experienced counterparts and his determination and hard work was rewarded when Hayden and Dovizioso ran off track at the final corner. Smith pounced on the opportunity to win a drag race to the finish line and he claimed a hard fought eighth spot by the narrowest of margins over home crowd favourite Hayden. Smith?s excellent performance also elevated him into the top 10 in the World Championship standings for the first time in his rookie campaign.
Cal Crutchlow 5th

?I?m really pleased to finish the race in the top five and it means I am still the leading satellite bike in the Championship, which is an achievement to be proud of. It was a really good battle out there and I enjoyed it a lot. All of us were pushing at our absolute maximum and Alvaro rode fantastic. Credit to Valentino as well because he recovered quite a lot of time and it is not easy to do that towards the end of the race. I knew it was going to come down to the last lap and probably the last corner and I did my best to keep fourth. But unfortunately Valentino made a good move up the inside of the right before the last corner and I couldn?t get him back. I had a lot of fun though I think the three of us gave the American fans something to cheer. I?ve only lost two points to Valentino in the Championship on a track I don?t like at all. I was strong all weekend, so that gives me a lot of confidence for the next races in Brno and Silverstone where I was very competitive at last season.?
Bradley Smith 8th

?I think eighth position was more or less what we had predicted for the race, but we did not expect to be so far behind the winner. The race was very exciting and I got an amazing start but pretty much right from the first lap I felt we had an issue with the rear end of the bike. I tried to maintain my pace but unfortunately I ran off in at Turn 6 and a few guys passed me. I tried to recover again but the rear problem was getting worse and at the end of the race I could only try to pass the Ducatis. I was a bit lucky that they ran wide in the last corner, so I could pass both on the final straight. Eighth is not a bad result but I?m a little bit disappointed because we did a really good job during the whole weekend and I was very confident for the race. Now I just hope I can carry the good performances from practice and qualifying into Brno.?

2013 MotoGP United States
Indianapolis 18/08/2013
race I
1 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 44'52.463
2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'03.495
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 0'05.704
4 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'19.895
5 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'19.955
6 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 0'20.061
7 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 0'24.842
8 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 0'40.690
9 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 0'40.701
10 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 0'40.823
11 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 0'59.668
12 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'06.650
13 Colin Edwards FTR Kawasaki USA 1'09.462
14 Claudio Corti FTR Kawasaki ITA 1'15.207
15 Hiroshi Aoyama FTR JPN 1'20.159
MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 10 of 18
1. Marc Marquez Honda ESP 188
2. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 167
3. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 153
4. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 130
5. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 127
6. Stefan Bradl Honda GER 93
7. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 87
8. Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 81
9. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 72
10. Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 59
11. Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 56
12. Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 36
13. Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 29
14. Hector Barbera FTR ESP 24
15. Colin Edwards FTR Kawasaki USA 20
16. Randy De Puniet ART FRA 19

 

[KUCIAR666]

Andrea Iannone 11th in Indianapolis GP

Energy TI Pramac Racing Team rider Andrea Iannone ended the tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship, held under sunny skies in Indianapolis, and in front of 60,327 spectators, with an 11th place finish.

The lack of strength in the Italian?s right arm, a consequence of the shoulder dislocation suffered during the German Grand Prix, continues to him to compensate with his body, straining his physical endurance.

Given Iannone?s general physical condition, and the recently completed long break, this was nonetheless a positive weekend, as well as a good start in preparation for the challenging stretch that awaits the MotoGP riders.

In fact, the next appointment awaits in just four days, at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?All in all, I'm happy because I managed to do the whole race. The first few laps I was behind Dovizioso and Nicky, and I was quite fast. Then I started to suffer physically. My shoulder hurts a lot, and on braking, I couldn?t keep the brake on for too long, as I lacked the strength. I was squeezing the tank with my legs, and I stressed my back to the point that it started to hurt. It?s been one of the best races of the year, as we worked well during the whole weekend, so I?m happy. We should certainly improve the result; we must get closer to the fellow Ducati riders, and that?s our focus for the next grand prix.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Ninth place for Hayden, tenth for Dovizioso at Indianapolis GP

At the last of three MotoGP rounds to be held on American soil this season, Ducati Team riders Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso finished today?s race in ninth and tenth positions, respectively, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As has been the case on many occasions this year, the evenly matched teammates found themselves dicing with one another for the entire race aboard their Desmosedici GP13 machines. Positions were traded on several occasions, and on the final lap, the American tried a last-corner pass on Dovizioso for eighth place. The two made contact and ran off the track, which allowed Bradley Smith to pass them both on the run to the finish line.

Tomorrow, the Ducati Team heads to the Czech Republic, where the second of three races on consecutive weekends will take place at the Brno circuit.

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 9th
?We?d hoped for more. We found a direction in qualifying yesterday, but when the tyre got a few laps on it in the race, we lost rear grip. Early, I was trying to hang with Rossi, but as soon as the tyre went away, I made a little mistake and he was gone. From there, I was just racing with Dovi, and he really pushes and doesn?t make many mistakes. We went back and forth a lot, and then in the last corner on the last lap, we had contact, which was my fault. When the door started to close, I was already committed and didn?t want him to take out my front wheel. Unfortunately, Smith still beat us to the line. It?s a shame, but we still need to improve the bike over race distance. The race went better than last year, and the fans were great to me, but I would?ve liked to put up a better fight than that.?

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 10th
?The race went more or less as I expected. The goal was to finish with a 1?40? pace, but unfortunately, the rear tyre started to lose grip on both sides in the last ten laps, so the race became a strategic battle between Nicky and me. I?m fairly pleased with how I managed my race because I was able to pass him back on the final lap, but in the last corner, he wanted to get by me at any cost, using a really aggressive manoeuvre. I didn?t expect it because I hadn?t left the door open. Nicky came beside me and we touched, and it certainly wasn?t a safe move, but we can say it was a racing incident. We were called to Race Direction because of course it?s important to talk about these things and immediately clear them up. Honestly, I?m quite annoyed to have lost two positions, and I also wanted to keep Smith behind me. Still, there?s no sense in creating controversy in a situation like this, so for me it?s over.?

Paolo Ciabatti ? Ducati MotoGP Project Director
?It was a difficult race for our team. In the early going, Nicky and Andrea stayed in contact with the rest of the group, but in the final ten laps, the drop in performance of the rear tyres slowed our riders' pace, and they found themselves trading positions a couple times and fighting with each other for eighth place. Unfortunately, Nicky tried to pass Dovizioso in the final corner, even though there was limited space. The two riders touched and went over the curb, and Smith was able to pass them both at the finish line. Nicky and Andrea talked afterward to clear things up, and there was no controversy. The fact remains that we can?t be satisfied with a result like today?s, so we must grit our teeth and try even harder to improve the performance of our bikes.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Marquez takes pole number four for Honda at Indianapolis

Repsol Honda RC213V rider Marc Marquez claimed his fourth pole position of the season with a new record lap at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. With team-mate Dani Pedrosa third, the MotoGP season resumes with two Hondas on the front row of the grid.

The 20-year-old MotoGP class rookie ended the first half of the season riding high, after extending his World Championship lead with two wins in succession in the previous rounds in Germany and at Laguna Seca.

Marquez has resumed business in the same sparkling form. The factory Honda rider led all four free practice sessions, and smashed the previous qualifying record to head the time sheets almost from the start of the crucial final 15 minutes of qualifying. He underlined his pace by going even faster on his second run. His lap time was almost a full second below the previous best lap, set last year by race-winner Pedrosa.

Marquez has been on pole position for two out the three races in the USA, and won in Austin, Texas as well as at Laguna. Victory tomorrow would give him an American hat-trick, and further extend his title lead.

Pedrosa?s third place on the grid was achieved in less spectacular style. The rider is still recovering from the injury that ruled him out of the German GP and made his fifth place at Laguna into a heroic effort in damage control.

The 27-year-old Spanish rider admitted he was feeling stiff and not at full strength, and took a steady approach to practice, before reeling off a blazing lap at the end that lifted him from the third row to the first, a mere 0.014 seconds off defending champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) in second. Pedrosa was also comfortably inside his own record.

Pedrosa missed the German GP after being diagnosed with a partially fractured left collarbone suffered in a crash in free practice. His first no-score cost him the lead in the World Championship. A week later he was back at Laguna Seca, where further post-race diagnosis revealed that the fracture was complete rather than partial. The three-week break was a chance to heal, but the prescribed rest cure meant he was not able to train as usual.
Pedrosa has won twice at the 4.216-km Indianapolis infield track, which loops back and forth within the iconic banked oval track used for America?s biggest car racing series; while team-mate Marquez won in the Moto2 class for the last two years, going on to claim the title last year.

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) also produced strong qualifying form for a second race in a row, placing fifth in the middle of the second row. The Spanish former 125cc World Champion, who also has an important testing role, was on the front row at Laguna Seca.

Bautista is the only prototype rider to use Japanese Showa suspension and Nissin brakes, helping the Honda associates to develop cutting-edge racing technologies.

LCR Honda RC213V rider Stefan Bradl had been challenging to repeat his first pole position achieved at Laguna Seca until misfortune in the final session spiked his guns. He crashed out unhurt, his second tumble of the day, and was unable to improve on eighth position, in the middle of the grid.

Australian grand prix rookie Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) placed his Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike 20th, in the thick of a tight pack of non-factory CRT machines, in his first visit for the circuit, putting him in a position where he can add to the points he has already scored in his first season.



Honda MotoGP Rider quotes

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V): 1st ? 1m 37.985

?I?m happy with how things went in the qualifying session. Obviously taking pole is important, but it?s tomorrow that really counts. Besides that, the conditions change a lot, tyre durability suffers and it will be tough as the race progresses. We knew the qualifying session was all about the single flying lap, the tyres had a lot of grip then and I took advantage of it. I set a very good time and I think for tomorrow we are ready to fight for victory. As always, we will give 100 percent.?



Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): 3rd ? 1m 38.471

?Today went well, we were able to improve our times, so I?m happy! Starting from the first row is good for us and the feeling with the bike is more positive, but we still have to choose the rear tyre. The important thing for tomorrow is to start well and have a good race.?



Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini): 5th ? 1m 38.872

?I am happy with the work we have done today and with my feeling on the bike compared to yesterday. It felt better from the start this morning and gave us time to test the hard tyre again, but there was no advantage to it so we went back to the soft. I managed to put a good lap together this afternoon to qualify fifth, which is a decent position for the race tomorrow. We have improved our pace by a second from last year so that shows what a good job we are doing this season. We are improving from race to race and building our confidence with the bike. Tomorrow I hope we can get a good start and put our pace together, have some fun and hopefully take some important points home.?



Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V): 8th ? 1m 39.313

?Unfortunately we are only eighth in the qualifying because we have struggled a bit with the front tyre due to the increased temperature of the asphalt. I tried to push as hard as I could in my flying lap and I crashed. We were not capable to solve this issue with the front before the Q2 but we have been very fast for the whole weekend so I am not worried about my pace for tomorrow. It won?t be an easy race starting from the third row of the grid but my confidence is still high.?



Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda): 20th ? 1m 41.786

?I?m happy because I?ve improved my feeling with the bike and made up some positions. I really didn?t think we had this in us, but hopefully we can take another step forward tomorrow. I feel confident that we can and I am looking forward to getting out on track. It won?t be an easy race but I?ll do my best.?

Qualifying position
1 Marc Marquez 1'37.958 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 1'38.471 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Dani Pedrosa 1'38.485 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Cal Crutchlow 1'38.502 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Alvaro Bautista 1'38.872 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
6 Nicky Hayden 1'39.142 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Bradley Smith 1'39.255 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
8 Stefan Bradl 1'39.313 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
9 Valentino Rossi 1'39.356 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
10 Andrea Dovizioso 1'39.555 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Andrea Iannone 1'40.042 ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
12 Colin Edwards 1'40.372 USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
13 Aleix Espargaro 1'40.444 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
14 Danilo Petrucci 1'41.122 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
15 Randy De Puniet 1'41.154 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
16 Claudio Corti 1'41.334 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
17 Hector Barbera 1'41.527 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
18 Michael Laverty 1'41.618 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
19 Hiroshi Aoyama 1'41.665 JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
20 Bryan Staring 1'41.786 AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
21 Yonny Hernandez 1'41.807 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
22 Lukas Pesek 1'41.868 CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
23 Karel Abraham 1'42.165 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
24 Blake Young 1'44.472 USA APRILIA Attack Performance
Championship standings
1 Marc Marquez 188 pts ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Dani Pedrosa 167 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Jorge Lorenzo 153 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
4 Valentino Rossi 130 pts ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
5 Cal Crutchlow 127 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Stefan Bradl 93 pts GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Andrea Dovizioso 87 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Alvaro Bautista 81 pts SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
9 Nicky Hayden 72 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
10 Bradley Smith 59 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
11 Aleix Espargaro 56 pts ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
12 Michele Pirro 36 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
13 Andrea Iannone 29 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
14 Hector Barbera 24 pts SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
15 Colin Edwards 20 pts USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
16 Randy De Puniet 19 pts FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
17 Danilo Petrucci 18 pts ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
18 Ben Spies 9 pts USA DUCATI Pramac Racing
19 Yonny Hernandez 7 pts COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
20 Claudio Corti 7 pts ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
21 Karel Abraham 5 pts CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
22 Alex de Angelis 5 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
23 Michael Laverty 3 pts WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
24 Hiroshi Aoyama 2 pts JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
25 Bryan Staring 2 pts AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
26 Javier del Amor 1 pts ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
27 Lukas Pesek 0 pts CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
28 Ivan Silva 0 pts ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
29 Blake Young 0 pts USA APRILIA Attack Performance