Motourage

Defending MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo put in a superhuman effort under the California sun yesterday at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, battling for victory with championship rival Casey Stoner to finish second on the podium. 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. Teammate Spies will arrive at Brno still in sixth place in the standings but now just 12 points behind Dani Pedrosa in fourth.

Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd, +5.634
“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, 4th, +20.562
“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.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“A spectacular race by Jorge with a great 20 points secured. 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. 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.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“We leave here with some good points; second position is the best that Jorge could achieve considering his condition, which is very important for the Championship. Unfortunately Ben lost too much time behind Valentino, then when he was able to pass him there was already a big gap to the front guys. He did really well and caught Dovizioso to finish fourth which is good for him and for his standings. We’re looking forward to the next one already in Brno, the team have worked really hard this weekend and it’s been a special time to celebrate our 50th anniversary of Grand Prix racing with everybody here at Laguna.”

Pramac Racing’s Loris Capirossi powered through to 12th place at Laguna Seca today despite the injury to his right shoulder, so gaining four world championship points. It was well known that was going to be a difficult race for Loris: after a good start, where the Italian rider gained two places, his shoulder hurt too much and the final position, however, rewards its determination. Randy De Puniet was forced to sit out of today’s race after a vicious qualifying crash resulted in cracked vertebrae and pelvis. The first of two U.S. rounds is followed by two weeks off, which should make sure both riders of the Pramac Racing Team, Loris Capirossi and Randy De Puniet, will recover in the best way for the race scheduled for August 14th in Brno, Czech Republic.

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 has held 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 on the right direction to recovery and we hope to see him in top form at Brno. On the countrary 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.”

Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing rider, 12th in the race, 16th in the championship
“This race was a gamble for me. In Germany I only ridden for a few laps but the shoulder was really too bad. 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.”

This weekend, the LCR Honda team will double up its efforts at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. LCR’s Toni Elias will be joined by Michael Jordan Motorsports’ Ben Bostrom, who will compete in the MotoGP race as a wild card. Bostrom will also race, as usual, in the AMA Superbike class.

The decision to invite Bostrom, a former World Superbike rider, to compete in MotoGP on one of the Honda RC212Vs is a result of the excellent relationship between the LCR Team and the management of Michael Jordan Motorsports, which is owned by the legendary NBA superstar Michael Jordan. MotoGP is gaining popularity in the United States and the Laguna Seca race is one of two MotoGP stops in the United States this season.

As in 2010 when the LCR Team gave Roger Lee Hayden the opportunity to ride the team’s bike in the MotoGP race after Randy De Puniet fractured his left lower leg at the race in Sachsenring Germany, Lucio and the team´s partners are taking the opportunity to experience another MotoGP race in the United States with a “made in the USA” rider.

Lucio Cecchinello:
“The U.S. GP takes place at one of the most spectacular racetracks in the world. The interest of the American fans of this sport grows more and more from year to year and the spectators are always very enthusiastic. Considering that some of our partners are operating in the American market, we thought that we should organize a special event before the summer break. Because of the great relationship between the LCR team and Michael Jordan Motorsports, we decided to invite one of Laguna Seca’s most successful riders to compete for us in the race: Ben Bostrom. Ben will ride with one of our RCVs as a wild card rider for only one race, while also taking part in the AMA Superbike race for Michael Jordan Motorsports. I’d like to offer many thanks to the Michael Jordan Motorsports team for the great collaboration and the amazing support.”

Ben Bostrom:
“Words can’t express how excited I am to get this amazing opportunity to race on my home track in front of the whole world. I have to thank Michael Jordan Motorsports and American Suzuki for allowing this to happen. The collaboration between Lucio, LCR and the MJM team has been terrific. I’m going to get on the GP bike and put it as close to the front as possible. Then I’m going to hop on my Jordan Suzuki bike and try to create even more magic.”

The iconic Laguna Seca circuit in California prepares to welcome the MotoGP paddock this weekend for the first of the two US rounds on the 2011 season. The event will be a special one for Yamaha Factory Racing; the team will again wear the special red and white YZR-M1 WGP50th Anniversary Edition livery as seen at the Assen TT where Ben Spies stormed to his first ever GP victory.

Can Ben Spies turn his three Laguna Seca AMA wins into a similar MotoGP result?

Last year saw Jorge Lorenzo triumph from a pole position start to take his first Laguna Seca MotoGP race win, his sixth victory and fifth pole of his 2010 season dominance. Teammate Spies is a three time AMA race winner at Laguna and scored an impressive sixth place finish in his MotoGP rookie visit last year. Having won last time out in the red and white colors confidence is high for more success on home ground for the local hero.

Situated amongst the hills just a couple of hours from San Francisco, the Laguna Seca circuit claims jaw dropping elevation changes and possibly the most famous corner in the racing world, the infamous ‘corkscrew’. Weather can be unpredictable with cold misty mornings followed by dry hot days providing exciting racing for the American fans.

Jorge Lorenzo
“We are very strong at the moment with a great result at both Mugello and Sachsenring; we will try to continue to reduce our gap to Casey. I have had great moments in Laguna; above all last year when I won, but also in 2009 when I got pole position even with a big crash and at the end got a podium. Laguna is amazing; for the American style and atmosphere, but above all because of the corkscrew. I think maybe it is the best corner in the Championship, the place everybody wants to meet. I am looking forward to being back on my M1 there, riding to fight for the title.”

Ben Spies
“It’s always exciting to race in front of the home crowd, and it’s going to be a big event for Yamaha with the 50th anniversary colors being run again. They were lucky for me at Assen and hopefully they can bring me more luck in front of my friends and family. I’ve had some pretty good results in my AMA days at Laguna, and I love riding the circuit. It’s going to be a serious race weekend but it’s also going to be a lot of fun so I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of old faces at the track.”

Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“Laguna was a very nice event last year when Jorge won after a great race. We will have a big break afterwards so it is a very important moment in the season with ten races completed. Jorge really enjoys Laguna and it’s a home circuit for Ben so I think our guys will be able to do a good job. The whole crew are looking forward to getting out to California.”

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“I’ve been waiting for Laguna for ten years. I’m really excited about going there. As usual we are confident, especially after the strong results of the last three races. Jorge did a great job there last year and it is Ben’s home track so we have to be optimistic of a good performance by both riders.”

Jorge Lorenzo
Age: 24
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 37 (17 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 155 (60 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 43 (16 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 3 (MotoGP 2010, 250cc, 2006/7)

Ben Spies
Age: 26
Lives: Longview Texas / Lake Como Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 1
First GP victory: Assen, Netherlands, 2011
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 30
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)

Grand Prix Results: Laguna Seca 2010
1. J. Lorenzo, Yamaha, 43’54.873
2. C. Stoner, Ducati, +3.517
3. V. Rossi, Yamaha, +13.420
6. Ben Spies, Yamaha, +19.037

Laguna Seca Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’21.488

Laguna Seca Best Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’20.700

AMA Pro Road Racing Weekend Preview – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Quick Links
Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Event Page
SPEED Schedule

Series:
AMA Pro Road Racing

Event:
Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Event Page

Track:
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – 2.238 Mile – 11 Turn Natural Road Course

Classes:

• AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike (Entry List)
• AMA Pro Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL (Entry List)
• AMA Pro SuperSport (Entry List)

Schedule (PDF Schedule):
Friday, July 23rd Practice:

• SuperSport 12:30 – 1:20 PM
• Daytona SportBike 3:10 – 4:00 PM
• National Guard SuperBike 4:10 – 5:00 PM

Saturday, July 24th Qualifying:

• Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL 8:00 – 8:40 AM Qualifying 1
• SuperSport 8:45 – 9:20 AM Final Qualifying
• National Guard SuperBike 11:05 – 11:50 AM Qualifying 1
• Daytona SportBik by AMSOIL 12:00 Noon – 12:45 PM Final Qualifying
• National Guard SuperBike 3:50 – 4:40 PM Final Qualifying

Saturday July 24th Race:

• SuperSport Race 18 Laps/40 Miles – 5:30 PM

Sunday, June 6th Races:

• Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL Race 23 Laps/50 Miles – 10:25 AM
• National Guard SuperBike race 23 Laps/50 Miles – 3:45 PM

TV Schedule (SPEEDTV.com):

• Late Sunday/Early Monday, July 26, 2010 at 12:00 a.m. midnight ET – Daytona SportBike Race
• Late Sunday/Early Monday, July 26, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. ET – American SuperBike Race and SuperSport Highlights
• Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:00AM ET – Daytona SportBike Race (RERUN)
• Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:00AM ET – American SuperBike Race and SuperSport Highlights (RERUN)

2009 Race Records & Results:

Fastest Qualifiers:

• National Guard SuperBike Pole Position – Mat Mladin – Rockstar Makita Suzuki -1:24.592/95.243 MPH
• Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL Pole Position – Martin Cardenas – M4 Suzuki – 1:27.585/91.988 MPH
• SuperSport Pole Position – Ricky Parker – Graves Yamaha – 1:30.213/89.308 MPH

Race Winners:

• National Guard SuperBike Race Winner – Mat Mladin – Rockstar Makita Suzuki
• Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL Race Winner – Ben Bostrom – Team Graves Yamaha
• SuperSport Race Winner – Ricky Parker – Team Graves Yamaha

California challenge calls for Fiat Yamaha Team

The Fiat Yamaha Team flies west today for the first North American stop of the season, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California. With Jorge Lorenzo leading the championship and Valentino Rossi back in action after six weeks out through injury, the team is in high spirits and looking forward to what is always a favorite race for all involved.

Jorge Lorenzo hopes to increase his lead over Dani Pedrosa and the rest of the GP field at this weekend's Red Bull GP

Barcelona-based Lorenzo has won five races this season and come second in the remaining three so he arrives in the States as the man everyone wants to beat, with a 47-point lead over Dani Pedrosa in the championship. His first visit to Laguna Seca in 2008 saw him fail to finish but last year he put in a brilliant performance while struggling with a shoulder injury to storm home in third behind his teammate, and he is hoping for another visit to the podium, at the very least, this time around. On route to Monterey, Lorenzo and Tech 3 Yamaha colleague Ben Spies will make a stop at the home of American talk-show host Jay Leno, where they will be shown round the star’s world-famous garage, which houses a incredible collection of over 200 cars and motorcycles.

When he broke his leg just a little over six weeks ago it was not expected that nine-time World Champion Rossi would be seen on track before Brno at the earliest, but the irrepressible superstar has surprised everyone yet again with a return to racing last weekend and a competitive one at that, missing out on a podium by just two tenths of a second. While not yet back to his best the Italian hopes to be stronger again this weekend and feels ready to face the demands of the spectacular circuit. He finished second last year but the memory of his incredible win there in 2008, which he still cites as one of his best ever races, is never far from the minds of his fans.

Laguna Seca sits on the side of a hill just outside the coastal town of Monterey, a couple of hours south of San Francisco. The sometimes intense dry heat, unpredictable asphalt and anti-clockwise layout provide a break from the norm and the riders are forced to adapt their style somewhat after a summer on the fast and wide European tracks. The track boasts some of the most spectacular elevation changes and dramatic corners on the world championship circuit, the most notorious of which is the famous Corkscrew.

Jorge Lorenzo – “Always aiming for the podium”
“This is the first time this season that we’ve left Europe and I’m excited to be going to Laguna Seca again, one of the most famous tracks in the world. I like riding there and one of my aims is to win there, some day! I have had some crashes there but last year I also took the pole and made it onto the podium. We come from a second place in Sachsenring and our target remains the same, to be consistent and to always aim for the podium. Before the race we will go to see Jay Leno and also I will hopefully visit the headquarters of Twitter in LA.”

Valentino Rossi – “Try to improve a little bit more”
“I was so happy to be back in Sachsenring and to be fighting for the podium, even though I just missed out, was more than we could have hoped for. I still have some pain in my leg but I am growing stronger every day and I hope this week that I will be in better shape once again and I can try to improve a little bit more. Laguna is different to anywhere else we go but it’s always great fun to ride there and the last two years I’ve had great races.”

Wilco Zeelenberg – “Feeling confident”
“This is the ninth race of the season and we have won or been second in every one so far so we come to America feeling confident. Laguna is a different track to anywhere else we go with different demands on both bike and rider, but Jorge seems to be able to cope with everything he comes to this season so we have no reason not to hope for another good weekend. We have a comfortable cushion in the championship and we will try to keep it that way by continuing to get on the podium each week.”

Davide Brivio – “You never know what will happen”
“We are arriving in the US after an incredibly exciting weekend in Sachsenring, when we not only enjoyed having Valentino back but also got to see him ride an amazing race so soon after his injury. You never know what will happen with him. Our target this time is the podium, so we will work with this in mind. We also need to try to improve some areas of our bike because our plan is to have a really good end of the season when he’s back to full fitness.”

Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 31
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 104 (78 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 231 (170 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 59 (49 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 23
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 30 (9 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 135 (40 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 38 (12 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)

Laguna Seca: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’21.488

Laguna Seca: Best Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’20.700

Grand Prix Results: Laguna Seca 2009
1. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 44’01.580
2. V. Rossi (Yamaha) +0.344
3. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +1.926

AMA Pro Racing announced today that the race purses available for their three premier road racing classes, AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL and AMA Pro SuperSport, will be doubled for the July 23-25 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The increase in prize money, for this race weekend only, will increase the normal prize money payout structure with double amounts paid for first place through 20th place in both the National Guard SuperBike and Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL divisions, and double amounts paid for first place through 10th place in SuperSport.

“We are delighted to give our competitors additional incentive for the exciting US GP weekend,” said AMA Pro Chief Operating Officer David Atlas.  “With just one opportunity for the fans at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to see our SuperBike, Daytona SportBike and SuperSport races, we wanted to over deliver for everyone competing in our series.”

The Red Bull US Grand Prix race weekend at Laguna Seca will feature MotoGP along with the AMA Pro Road Racing lineup. Practice and qualifying for the AMA Pro classes will begin on Friday, July 23 with the AMA Pro SuperSport race on Saturday, July 24.  The AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL races will be on Sunday, July 25.

Please visit Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for ticket and scheduling information.  Also visit AMA Pro Racing for complete  series information and results.  SPEED TV will be broadcasting flag-to-flag coverage of the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and Daytona SportBike by AMSOIL races, please check your local listings for broadcast times.