It might have been the sunshine, jet lag or simply the excitement of the weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, but the MotoGP riders in the pre-event press conference were in a jovial mood when facing the national and international media on Thursday afternoon.
Present in the giant media centre that houses those covering the action at Laguna Seca was reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi, flanked by Andrea Dovizioso, Chris Vermeulen and home riders Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden. All were happy to share their thoughts ahead of Friday’s opening practice session.
“I like American jet lag,†said Fiat Yamaha man Rossi, renowned for his aversion to early starts. “In the mornings here I am in much better shape than in Italy, for example!â€Â … Details
Laguna Seca is different. The riders say the track is unique from anything else they ride . . . fun, but dangerous, at the same time. Laguna also seems to produce unexpected results.
Ducati’s Nicky Hayden has won here before, of course, and it is his home track. Struggling on his new red machine, Hayden can be expected to pull out all the stops (and he has already said as much) in an effort to achieve a good result, and begin to turn his year around. Despite this, Hayden is not the one to watch this weekend.
Teammate Casey Stoner also likes Laguna, and has had success there in the past. Last year, Stoner lost an epic battle with …Â Details
MotoGP goes back-to-back this week, directly from a nice, orderly parade in the Netherlands to what is likely to be a dogfight in the hills of coastal California. This week’s venue is the storied Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, home of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. (We’re wondering how come Laguna gets the U.S. Grand Prix, while the IMS hosts the un- macho Indianapolis Grand Prix, but we digress.) And while Mr. Rossi is the clear favorite, and deservedly so, there’s little margin for error in Monterey, and there have been surprises here before. At the midpoint of the MotoGP season, the championship is still up for grabs – for now.
 At last year’s race, Rossi and defending champion Casey Stoner fought it out for twenty-some laps until Stoner laid his bike down, pushing too hard trying to keep up with The Doctor. By way of surprises, Chris Vermeulen placed his Rizla Suzuki on the podium in that one, despite having to pedal his underpowered ride up the 300-foot change in elevation on the hillside circuit… Details
Valentino Rossi is aiming for a another dose of winner’s champagne this weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Rossi, coming off his 100th career victory last weekend in Assen, Netherlands, leads the field into Monterey for the Red Bull MotoGP. Rossi battled past Casey Stoner for his first victory on American soil there last year. That celebration spurred him to the points championship.
“The wonderful memory of the 100th win is still fresh, but now we have just a few days to recover before the next race, which is hard for everyone. We have to try to relax as much as possible and recharge the batteries a little, because Laguna is always …Â Details