Melandri battled shoulder to place eight

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:39:01 -0700

Marco Melandri had more than just some determined fellow riders to contend with at Laguna Seca as the Italian fought continuing pain in his left shoulder as well. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider is still experiencing some discomfort following his dislocation at Assen in Round 6, but regardless of that pushed hard as he finished eighth in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

“It’s been a very tough race because I didn’t get a good start, but I tried to catch the guys in front of me. I lost the front a few times so I just worked hard to keep my rhythm. Colin (Edwards) was a bit faster than me and I tried to follow him, but after 15 laps I had no power in my left shoulder, so it was very hard for me,” said the Italian.

“The bike was moving when I was braking and I didn’t have enough power to turn, so it was tough. This race for me was like a training race, and now we have two weeks to train some more and be strong for Brno.”

Melandri had a close combat with team-mate Marco Simoncelli before the rookie crashed out two-thirds of the way through the race. Melandri added: “Many times we have been fighting together, and I am sorry for him that he crashed. He is coming along very well.”
Looking ahead to Brno in three weeks Melandri views the summer break as the perfect opportunity for his shoulder to recover further, and is also pleased to be going to a track he believes will aid his physical condition.

“I think it can be better for me, and this will be a very important two weeks off. Also we go back to a clockwise track which for me will be so much better because the left shoulder is giving me a lot of problems,” he concluded.

Top ten for Capirossi as unlucky Bautista

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:59:20 -0700

Rizla Suzuki riders Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista both had frustrating races at Laguna Seca today, but for very different reasons.
Capirossi brought his Rizla Suzuki home in 10th position after initially being given ninth in the classification. Video evidence was used to show that Mika Kallio crossed the line just in-front of Capirossi by only 0.001 seconds. Capirossi had battled hard through the whole race to preserve his position after a poor first few laps had cost him dearly in the standings, but unfortunately lost out on a hard-fought ninth in the final feet.
Bautista was yet again the victim of another incident as Aleix Espargaro knocked Suzuki’s Spanish rider out of the race at the start of the third lap. Bautista had already got into a good rhythm and had passed a couple of other riders before Espargaro’s intervention bought his race to an abrupt end for the second week in succession.
Over 51,000 people filled the hillsides around the Laguna Seca circuit to see Jorge Lorenzo record his sixth victory of the season and further strengthen his position at the head of the World Championship standings.
The whole MotoGP paddock will now have a short mid-season break, before re-grouping for the next round of the championship at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday 15th August.
Loris Capirossi:
“I think we did our job today because our rhythm is about half-a-second slower than qualifying and that’s where we were. I tried to do a different line on every one of the 32 laps to try and improve my time in the third section, but I struggled with front feeling. The race was quite tough and at the end I got in a fight with Kallio and Espargaro. On the last lap I tried to close the door to protect my place, but it seems he got me right on the line. I thought I was in front but the video shows he beat me. I don’t really care whether it was ninth or tenth because it’s not good enough and we have to go up the leader-board!”
Álvaro Bautista:
“I had a poor start because the bike wheelied too much and I lost some positions, but in the first couple of laps I felt good and was able to pass some other riders. I felt good on the bike and at the start of the third lap I passed Espargaro on the first corner and as I made the normal line to the second turn, which is two consecutive corners, he was in the middle of the last turn and hit me in the body and I crashed. This is very disappointing because I felt really very good and had been able to overtake other riders quite easily. It has been a bad start for me here in Laguna Seca, but we must make sure we keep the hard work going at the next races.”
Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“It was obviously disappointing that Álvaro got tangled up with Espargaro and knocked off the track so early on in the race – especially as his potential had picked up so consistently over the course of the weekend. That’s the last two Grands Prix that have ended with him on the floor through no fault of his own - we just have to hope his luck changes very quickly.
“Loris’s start wasn’t too bad, but the first couple of laps didn’t go to plan and a decent gap opened up to the group in front. After that it was a question of fighting as hard as he could and it was a shame to lose ninth right on the line. Brno’s a track that the bike’s gone well at in the past and a track that Loris loves, so we’re looking forward to the race there and a very important test on the Monday afterwards.”
Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Race Classification:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 43’54.873: 2. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +3.517: 3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +13.420: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +14.188: 5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +14.601: 10. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +52.814: DNF. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP):
World Championship Classification:
1. Lorenzo 210: 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 138: 3. Dovizioso 115: 4. Stoner 103: 5. Rossi 90: 13. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 36: 16. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 25:

Super sixth for Spies and seventh for Edwards

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:59:03 -0700

Ben Spies had a big home crowd on the edge of their seats at the spectacular Laguna Seca track today after the Texan produced a brilliant podium challenge in the American MotoGP race.
The 26-year-old made a fantastic start from the second row and instantly gained three places by the first corner. Spies lost a few places as the frantic pace increased in the early laps, but gradually building his confidence with his rear Bridgestone tyre, he started a rousing fightback in front of a passionate home crowd of 51,436 fans in California.
Spies was over half-a-second adrift of an intense battle involving compatriot Nicky Hayden and fellow Yamaha YZR-M1 rider Valentino Rossi shortly before the halfway stage.
Reeling off a series of impressive fast laps, Spies was able to hunt down Hayden and expertly pass the 2006 world champion on lap 21.
Next in Spies' sights was reigning world champion Rossi, who was himself honing in on Italian Andrea Dovizioso in an exciting battle for the podium. But just as Spies was preparing to make a decisive move on Rossi, he made a small mistake in the braking zone for the final corner on lap 25.
Spies lost over three seconds and despite a heroic effort in the closing stages he was unable to regain the fifth place lost to Hayden. Spies though was still satisfied with his performance, his pace as the race reached its climax undoubtedly good enough to have put him in podium contention.
Colin Edwards produced his best result of the season in front of his home crowd to score a thoroughly deserved seventh position.
The 36-year-old showed all of his experience to patiently stalk Marco Simoncelli and Marco Melandri in the opening laps as the trio became embroiled in a thrilling fight for seventh.
Edwards passed Melandri on lap 10 exiting the spectacular Corkscrew section and he grabbed seventh from Simoncelli on lap 15. Edwards' superior pace saw him immediately pull away from the Italian duo to secure a seventh that puts him on the fringes of the top ten in the overall standings.
Ben Spies 6th - 77 points
“I got a really good start and was third but then for the next couple of laps I just couldn't get my speed up fast enough. The group in front pulled a bit of a gap on me but once I found my rhythm I caught Nicky and Valentino pretty quickly. I passed Nicky and got right on the back of Valentino and it was a good fight with him. I was actually going to attack him on the next lap when I had a problem entering the final corner on lap 25. I ran wide and lost out and although it wasn't the podium I wanted in front of my home crowd, I'm happy because I had the speed to come through the field and I had the speed to be on the podium. I couldn't quite finish the job and that was down to me. But I'd rather leave here knowing I could have been on the podium rather than leave here in eighth place and not on the pace. I can't ask for a lot more because I'm in the top six again, leading non-factory rider in the race again and putting up a strong fight, so I'm not too upset.”
Colin Edwards 7th – 48 points
“I'm really happy with the way I rode all weekend and there was nothing more I could have done. Fighting for seventh is not really where I wa nt to be in my home race, but compared to where I have been recently it is a big improvement and thanks to all my guys at the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew for all their effort. I had a good early battle with Melandri and Simoncelli and that was fun and I made a couple of good moves on them because I was quite a bit faster. Once I got by Simoncelli I put my head down to see if I could break them and that's what I did. But I couldn't even see the group in front of me and I just slowed my pace up a little bit because it made no sense to crash out of my home race when I was never going to catch them up. I was pretty much stuck in seventh all weekend and I never really had the pace of the leading group. But I'm closer to where I know I should be and the upgrades from Yamaha were a help and I can look forward to a good break confident of a strong second half of the season."
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“We can't deny that we leave for the well earned summer break with a small amount of disappointment because Ben was looking really strong and I think he had a great chance of claiming the home podium he desperately wanted. He got a great start and it took him a few laps to find his best rhythm like a few times this season. But then he was able to set some really fast lap times and he was able to pass Nicky and close right on Valentino. We were hoping for a podium at that stage though we know it would not have been easy because Valentino was riding at an incredible level. Ben was right behind him and looking strong for the last few laps and the home fans were super excited by his attacking riding. Unfortunately Ben ran wide in a couple of places and lost crucial time and that was something out of his control. He is a little disappointed and I understand that because he couldn't fight right to the end. But we're happy with his performance because his spe ed was undoubtedly good enough for the podium. I'm really happy with Colin's performance and I think it was easily his best weekend of the whole season. He was pushing at his maximum every lap of every session and he was strong in the race, passing Melandri and Simoncelli, who don't just lie down and make it easy. A sixth and seventh is a decent result for us and helped us consolidate our fourth position in the Team World Championship, so we can return refreshed and ready for a strong second half of the season in Brno.

Hayden scores points at Laguna Seca GP

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:58:48 -0700

Monterey, 25 July: On a near perfect summer’s day LCR Honda MotoGP Team American racer Roger Lee Hayden gained a thrilling 11th place riding the Honda RC212V in today’s U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The youngest of the racing Haydens, who’s currently racing in World Superbike, improved his lap time by 1.668s over the course of practice and yesterdays qualifying.

The two areas he found most challenging were the carbon front brakes-he uses metal in World Superbike-and the control Bridgestone tyres, which he was careful to get up to proper operating temperature. The 27-year-old started from the 17th spot on the grid and put in a maximum effort over the 32-lap race scoring 5 points finishing his second MotoGP race behind Capirossi. MotoGP next round will take place in Czech Republic on the 15th of August.

Hayden – 11th

Hayden: “This was a very good race for me! After the start I got boxed in at the first corner and after that it took me a few laps to find my pace. The rest of the guys had taken a few seconds on me but I started to pull them back in and I did my fastest lap of the whole week end in doing so. I charged hard and caught De Angelis with 2 laps to go I passed him and took 11th place. At the start of the week I really did not think I could have taken 11th place. I really really want to thank LCR Team for this fantastic opportunity. Everybody in the Team has bent over backwards to help me in every way. The guys worked really hard on the bike and made it very comfortable for me to ride. They put absolutely no pressure on me this week end for a result but this is the American GP and all my friends, family and fans are here so I wanted to give them all a good result. I would love a chance to ride for this Team again as they are a fantastic bunch of guys and the machine they gave me was perfect”.

Lucio Cecchinello: “First I want to wish Randy a very quick recovery and want to thank the Team for their great work this week end. Despite the bad luck we have decided to come here and do our best as always. We are pleased with Roger’s today result because he improved his feeling on the bike session by session and during the race he was focused and tough especially when he passed De Angelis at 2 laps to go. Now we aim to have Randy back in Brno but we must wait for the response of the Medical Commission first”.

Flawless Lorenzo romps to victory as rossi makes triumphant return to podium

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:58:30 -0700

Jorge Lorenzo took a brilliant sixth victory of the season at Laguna Seca today, romping home to win by over three seconds from Casey Stoner. His team-mate Valentino Rossi made a triumphant return to the podium just seven weeks after breaking his right leg, overhauling Andrea Dovizioso during a thrilling last ten laps to finish third.
Starting from pole for the fifth time in a row, Lorenzo lost ground to his rivals at the fearsome downhill turn one and was relegated to third first time around. For the first few laps there was little he could do except hang on behind Pedrosa and Stoner but on the sixth lap Stoner ran wide and Lorenzo stormed through to take second. By now Pedrosa was nearly a second clear but Lorenzo's pace had begun to improve and he started to push as hard as he could and exert some pressure on his fellow Spaniard. On lap twelve, with the gap now narrowed to half a second, Pedrosa crashed out and left Lorenzo in the lead and from then on it was plain sailing for the 23-year-old as he expertly controlled his advantage over Stoner to bring it home and take his second win on US soil. Today's victory was his 11th in MotoGP, his 32nd in all classes and his 10th successive podium.

Rossi had suffered all weekend with pain in both his leg and his shoulder and today looked like it was going to be a tough day for the reigning champion, unable as he was to make any further headway after passing Nicky Hayden for fifth position. Once Pedrosa had crashed out however and with Ben Spies exerting pressure on him from behind Rossi's fighting instinct kicked in as he spied a podium possibility, gradually closing down a two second gap to Dovizioso to come within striking distance with six laps remaining. On the 27th lap he made his move and passed his countryman, managing to hold him off over the last couple of laps to make a popular return to the podium.

With exactly half of the season gone Lorenzo heads the championship with an impressive 72-point lead over Pedrosa, whilst Rossi is 120 points adrift of his team-mate in fifth position. Both riders will enjoy a two and a half week holiday now and the Italian will be more glad than anyone for the time off, during which he will be working on his fitness in an effort to be back to his best next time out in Brno.

Position: 1st Time: 43.54.873

"I am so happy to win here at Laguna Seca, it's something I've always dreamed of. I rode so well today, right on the limit and I had to push very hard to stay in touch with Dani. He is always so strong on race day but I knew if I kept the pressure on him then there was a chance he would make a mistake and I would be able to catch him. I'm sorry he crashed but from then on it was very easy for me because I had a big gap from Casey. I really enjoyed riding my M1! I have a big lead in the championship but there is half of the season left and it wouldn't be the first time a rider has lost the title with such a big lead, so we can't take anything for granted. I am really looking forward to some time to relax now after two very busy months. Thanks to everyone in my team for doing a brilliant job.

Position: 3rd Time: +13.420

"The start of the race was very hard for me because I had a lot of pain and I was far from the podium. But then I saw Pedrosa on the gravel and I just had to try to catch Dovizioso! I just pushed as hard as I could for a few laps and that brought me closer to him and then I couldn't give up, somehow I caught him and it was a great feeling to pass him to take third. It's a great result after my injury and it felt so good to be back on the podium in front of the fans. There are so many people I have to thank who have helped me to get back to this position. I am very happy that we have some time off now because I have a lot of work to do on my body to try to be back to my best for Brno, which I love.

Team Manager

"This was a fantastic ride from Jorge. It was clever to push Dani to the limit but not easy as well because Jorge is the championship leader and he had the most to lose, he really had to ride at the maximum to do this. We're happy Dani isn't hurt and now we have an amazing 72-point lead as we break for the half-way point of the championship. Six victories and three seconds is brilliant, thanks to Jorge for doing such a great job but also to all of the team, everyone deserves their holidays!

Team Manager

"This was a great race and the result is so much more than we expected today. These were supposed to be the two ‘rehabilitation' races for Valentino after his big injury while he just got used to being back on the bike, but he's come fourth and then third which has amazed us all. This track was very demanding on his body and he had a hard time all weekend but he was still able to battle for the podium. It was brilliant and we're so happy now. Everyone is looking forward to a break but also to coming back strongly in the second half of the season."

Results

1.
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team
45'54.873

2.
Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team
+ 3.517

3.
Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team
+ 13.420

4.
Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team
+ 14.188

5.
Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team
+ 14.601

6.
Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3
+ 19.037

7.
Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3
+ 40.721

8.
Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini
+ 47.219

9.
Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team
+ 52.813

10.
Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
+ 52.814

11.
Roger Lee Hayden (USA) LCR Honda MotoGP
+ 1'14.089

12.
Alex de Angelis (ITA) Interwetten Honda MotoGP
+ 1'14.666

NOT CLASSIFIED

Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team
4 Lap

Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini
14 Lap

Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team
21 Lap

Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team
29 Lap

Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
30 Lap

Championship Standings

1.
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team
210

2.
Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team
138

3.
Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team
115

4.
Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team
103

5.
Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team
90

6.
Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team
89

7.
Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3
77

8.
Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP
69

9.
Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini
53

10.
Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini
49

11.
Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3
48

12.
Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team
41

13.
Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
36

14.
Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team
31

15.
Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team
28

16.
Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
25

17.
Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP
18

18.
Alex de Angelis (ITA) Interwetten Honda MotoGP
8

19.
Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Interwetten Honda MotoGP
4

20.
Wataru Yoshikawa (JPN) Fiat Yamaha Team
1

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

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