Laguna Seca - The US MotoGP

[St Landrew]

Last Saturday, Rossi notched up his 100th GP win at the oldest Motorcycle Grand Prix circuit - Assen, in Holland. This week the crews go to California and the dry lagoon. Last year, Lorenzo flew - courtesy of a high side. This year I hope nobody repeats it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WqvSTiRvdw

 

This is what we want [same race but a lap or two later].

 

[St Landrew]

This was the qualifier where everyone seemed to be falling off their bikes. Notably, Lorenzo high sided and winded himself when landing in the gravel. This after changing his bike from a previous fall. Casey Stoner also high sided which catapulted him into the air, but he didn't get up and was stretchered away. He did limp into his garage though. They're tough little cookies, as you'll have seen from their qualifying times. Our James Toseland also crashed during qualifying, but showed he is only human [like us] and could only manage 15th. Valentino stayed on his bike; and my goodness but, do I see Nicky Hayden in the top 10..?

 

United States MotoGP qualifying result:

 

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 1 minute 21.678 seconds

2. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 1:21.845

3. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati 1:21.910

4. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 1:22.113

5. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 1:22.135

6. Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 1:22.146

7. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 1:22.490

8. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 1:22.540

9. Chris Vermeulen (Australia) Suzuki 1:22.633

10. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Suzuki 1:22.662

 

Race starts LIVE 10.00 until 11.00pm, so there's no need to waste the sun.

BTW, the 125 and 250cc don't appear at Laguna Seca, but will be back for Sachsenring and the German MotoGP in two weeks time - always a cracker.

[Baj]

Looking forward to this race this evening, last years was a corker and was the first MotoGP race I watched with interest, rather than 'on in the background' sorta thing.

[St Landrew]

Meant to post this video this morning. See if you can watch it break free. All I get is stop-start, and as there's no caching on BBC's player, that's as good as it gets.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/8134787.stm

[St Landrew]

Not the most interesting race for people just dipping into MotoGP. First up, we had the unfamiliar experience of Dani Pedrosa actually going very fast. Well he always used to before becoming extremely injured over the course of the last 12 months. And Honda seem to have at last found out what made their bike rather slower than normal, perhaps by listening to all the racers who rode the 2009 model, suggesting that the new frame was pants..!

 

Next up was Nicky Hayden finishing 5th. OK big deal, but this guy was World Champion less than 3 years ago, and since then has hardly sniffed a podium, by being sidelined by Honda in his last season with them [the year immediately after winning his World Championship, can you believe..?] and then signing on to ride the bucking bronco that is the Ducati. Well it looks like Ducati have finally found a way of making it fast for Nicky as well as for Casey Stoner.

 

James Toseland was penalised for a jumpstart. I saw a replay, and it looked mightily harsh. I'm sure I saw other bikes pull away every bit as punctually as he did. JT didn't see his come-into-the-pits-board for a speed limited run through, and so was eventually black flagged, which was a bloody shame as so many riders fell off or retired with issues [about 5], that he could have coasted around and scored a point. Even commentator Charlie Cox was up for a scoot round to collect a point, it was that easy to achieve.

 

All this is digressing. For purists and fans there were plenty of moments to this race, but the upshot is... is that Valentino has increased his lead in the Championship because Pedrosa was nowhere on the overall leader board. Rossi came second; a badly limping from TWO qualifying crashes, Lorenzo was third, and he nearly stole second; and a still rather unwell Stoner, who had his own flight through the air during qualifying, was fourth. I have the absolute respect for their bravery. I sometimes wonder where they put their brains though.

 

United States MotoGP result:

1. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 44 minutes 01.580 seconds

2. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 44:01.924

3. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 44:03.506

4. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati 44:14.012

5. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 44:23.243

6. Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 44:23.621

7. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 44:31.781

8. Chris Vermeulen (Australia) Suzuki 44:34.437

9. Randy de Puniet (France) Honda 44:41.905

10. Marco Melandri (Italy) Kawasaki 44:49.608

11. Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Honda 44:50.390

12. Niccolo Canepa (Italy) Ducati 45:20.111

 

MotoGP world champoinship standings:

1. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 151

2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 142

3. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati 135

4. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 92

5. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 76

6. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 69

7. Marco Melandri (Italy) Kawasaki 61

8. Chris Vermeulen (Australia) Suzuki 61

9. Randy de Puniet (France) Honda 58

10. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Suzuki 56

11. James Toseland (Britain) Yamaha 39

12. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 38

13. Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 37

14. Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Honda 36

15. Mika Kallio (Finland) Ducati 26

16. Niccolo Canepa (Italy) Ducati 16

17. Sete Gibernau (Spain) Ducati 12

18. Yuki Takahashi (Japan) Honda 9

 

As said before, no 125s or 250ccs, but they're back for Germany in 2 weeks. Catch Laguna Seca on iPlayer.

[Baj]

Enjoyed the race, really thought Pedrosas lapse of concentration on that final lap was going to cost him, especially when rossi got his foot down on that final turn, but wasnt to be.