By Paul Kelly
redbullindianapolisgp.com
Thursday, May 29, 2008
EVENT: Grand Prix of Italy
WHERE: Mugello Circuit, Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy. Circuit is 3.259 miles (5.245 km), with 15 turns. Race is 23 laps.
WHEN: Sunday, June 1. It is the sixth of 18 events this season.
2007 RACE WINNER: Valentino Rossi, by 3.074 seconds over Dani Pedrosa
2007 POLE WINNER: Casey Stoner, 2 minutes, 00.359 seconds
U.S. TV: 10-11 p.m. (ET), Sunday, June 1, Speed
THE AMERICANS: U.S. riders Colin Edwards (Houston, Yamaha Tech 3), Nicky Hayden (Owensboro, Ky., Repsol Honda Team) and John Hopkins (Ramona, Calif., Kawasaki Racing Team) will compete in this race. Edwards is fifth, Hayden seventh and Hopkins 11th in the MotoGP standings after five races this season.
•Colin Edwards: "I said last year maybe I don't understand this place. I seem to hit every bump on the track. I think growing up there definitely helps … it's probably like Laguna, when those guys came over here. We had an advantage because we grew up there. We knew where all the big bumps were. Racing there (Mugello) since 2003, and I don't seem to have learned much one weekend a year. But this weekend, we're looking to change that, for sure. We've got our bike working really good, so we're looking to change that."
•Nicky Hayden: "Mugello will be another hard one because right now we're missing a bit. We know it's there; we've just got to put it all together. Mugello is awesome. I'd say it's one of the best tracks, the best races we go to all year. The atmosphere is pretty unique. The track has a little bit of everything. The big front straightaway looks straight and easy on TV, but when you're in the saddle, it's got a little kink in it over a rise. The wheel's off the ground through there, so you can't be leaning too much or sawing on the bars! The track has got lots of chicanes, though they're fast chicanes, not the little Mickey Mouse go-kart chicanes you see at other tracks. They're quite quick switchbacks. There's also a lot of elevation changes and a few downhill corners that are tricky, so you need a front end with feeling. You've got to trust the front end a lot. The surface is getting well used, quite bumpy and abrasive."
•John Hopkins: "I was happy to leave Le Mans after a difficult weekend, and it's been good to spend some time at home, especially on my birthday. A lot of my friends flew out to see me, and we had a good time relaxing, having fun on the beach, so I feel really good. I've been training hard, and I'm looking forward to Mugello. We made some improvements at the test following the race in France, and now we have four races close together, so we need to make a good start to these. The next round is going to be a difficult task for us, but I'm confident we can bounce back from our disappointing results. We're 100-percent fit, focused and ready to take on the challenge in Italy."
THEY SAID IT: "Everyone knows that Mugello is one of my favorite tracks. I've won there six times in a row, and now I want to make it seven! It's my home race and also the home race for a lot of our team, and to race there is always something very special. I hope the weather is good - for us and for all the fans - and then hopefully we can have a big Italian party!" - Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi
FAST FACTS: Current points leader Valentino Rossi is unbeaten in six MotoGP starts at Mugello, his winning streak starting in 2002 … Ducati won the pole for this event in 2006 and 2007 but never has won its home Grand Prix at this circuit … American John Hopkins failed to finish the French Grand Prix on May 18 at Le Mans when the chain broke on his Kawasaki, ending a streak of 20 consecutive races in the points … Rookie standout Jorge Lorenzo will make his 100th career Grand Prix start this weekend, with 94 combined starts in the 125cc and 250cc categories … Yamaha captured the top three places at the French Grand Prix, the first podium sweep by Yamaha since the German Grand Prix in 2001 … Tadayuki Okada of Japan will compete as a wild-card rider for Repsol Honda Team at this event, joining regular riders 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa. Okada, 41, is a longtime Honda test rider who raced for Repsol Honda in the 500cc World Championship from 1996-2000, with four victories. He finished second to the legendary Mick Doohan in the 1997 500cc World Championship. Okada will use a pneumatic-valve RC212V engine in his Honda this weekend … The 125cc and 250cc classes also compete this weekend. American Stevie Bonsey, from Salinas, Calif., is 10th in the 125cc standings for the DeGraaf Grand Prix team.
***
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. 16th 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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