MotoGP Preview: Grand Prix Of France :: Official site of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP

Jorge Lorenzo, top, and Valentino Rossi could race for the victory in the Grand Prix of France on Sunday, May 18.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

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EVENT: Grand Prix of France

WHERE: Le Mans Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, France. Circuit is 2.600 miles (4.185 km), with 13 turns. Race is 28 laps.

WHEN: Sunday, May 18. It is the fifth of 18 events this season.

2007 RACE WINNER: Chris Vermeulen, by 12.599 seconds over Marco Melandri

2007 POLE WINNER: Colin Edwards, 1 minute, 33.616 seconds

U.S. TV: 6-7 p.m. (ET), Sunday, May 18, Speed

THE AMERICANS: U.S. riders Nicky Hayden (Owensboro, Ky., Repsol Honda Team), Colin Edwards (Houston, Yamaha Tech 3) and John Hopkins (Ramona, Calif., Kawasaki Racing Team) will compete in this race. Edwards is seventh, Hayden eighth and Hopkins 10^th in the MotoGP standings after four races this season.

•Colin Edwards: "It's a track that I like. I don't if it's my style or how I set the bike up there, but I always seem to go good there. It's kind of a point-and-shoot track. There's not a whole lot of real slowing. It's just kind of hard brake, chuck it in and squirt it out. The last little two or three corners, there kind of flowing, but you've still got to be aggressive."

•Nicky Hayden: "We'll be aiming to step it up at Le Mans. We've not quite been there the last few races, and we need to change that. I like Le Mans, but there's not a whole lot to be said about the track. I like going over the top of the hill after the first chicane and dropping down into that right-hander, then accelerating out of there; that's probably my favorite part of the track. There's not a lot of flow to the layout. I'd say the last little bit looks like something they threw together just to finish the lap, like they were in a hurry to get it done. You need the bike to be stable on the brakes, for sure, you definitely need something for some hard braking. You also need good acceleration from the engine, something that's smooth and controllable off the bottom. The weather can change a lot, too, so your tire picks on Thursday are pretty crucial. The track can generate some pretty high temperatures in the tires, and you need good traction accelerating out of all the hairpins because the asphalt at Le Mans can be quite slippery."

•John Hopkins: ""My leg is completely black and blue with bruising, but while it looks quite nasty it hasn't caused me any problems, and I'm confident it won't be an issue on the bike. I'm looking forward to Le Mans, as it's a track that suits my riding style and it's one that I like racing on. The track features a lot of hard braking, quick changes of direction and hard acceleration, and that's exactly what the Ninja ZX-RR has been designed for. When you combine this with our Bridgestone tires, which always seem to work well here, then I think we're in a strong position going into this weekend. The only thing we need to watch out for is the weather, as it's notoriously changeable at Le Mans. But wet or dry, I'm confident that we can put in a strong performance in France."

THEY SAID IT: "I was lucky in China! If I'd have landed differently, it could have ruled me out until the middle of the season and certainly prevented me from enjoying myself as much as I am in this early part of the season. In China, I realized the risks in this sport. As riders we have to take a lot of risks and that Sunday in Shanghai, with my emotions and my feelings, I knew I had to go through it and take risks again because my team were depending on me in the box." - Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo, about racing in China on May 4 despite suffering two broken ankles in a huge practice crash

FAST FACTS: Rookie sensation Jorge Lorenzo has been cleared to ride at Le Mans despite suffering two broken ankles in a huge practice crash May 2 at the Chinese Grand Prix. Lorenzo finished fourth in the race May 4 in a courageous performance and has been confined to a wheelchair since then … American John Hopkins also will race in France despite suffering severe bruising to the back of his leg after catching the back of his knee on the foot peg of his Kawasaki during the Chinese Grand Prix on May 4 … The Bugatti circuit is much shorter than the 8.47-mile La Sarthe circuit on which the famous Le Mans 24 Hours sports-car endurance race takes place in June … American Colin Edwards scored his first career MotoGP pole at this event in 2007 … Valentino Rossi of Italy scored his 89^th career Grand Prix victory (all classes) May 4 at the Grand Prix of China, moving him just one victory behind the second-winningest rider of all time, Angel Nieto of Spain. Giacomo Agostini of Italy won 122 Grand Prix races during his career. The 125cc and 250cc classes also compete this weekend. American Stevie Bonsey, from Salinas, Calif., is 10^th in the 125cc standings for the DeGraaf Grand Prix team.

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Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: Tickets are on sale for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, 2008.

Tickets can be purchased either online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time; on the phone by calling (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; or visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office on the first floor of the IMS Administration Building at 4790 W. 16^th St. in Indianapolis from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

All tickets for this event are three-day tickets, with both reserved and general admission seating available.

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

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