Saturday, September 13, 2008
TODAY'S SCHEDULE:
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7 a.m.-6 p.m. |
Public Gates Open Hall of Fame Museum Open |
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8:45-9:45 a.m. |
125cc Practice #2 |
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10-11 a.m. |
MotoGP Practice #3 |
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11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
250cc Practice #2 |
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1:10-1:40 p.m. |
125cc Qualifying #2 |
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1:55-2:55 p.m. |
MotoGP Qualifying |
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3:10-3:55 p.m. |
250cc Qualifying #2 |
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4 p.m. |
Red Bull Air Force Skydivers |
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4:20-4:50 p.m. |
Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Race (16 laps) |
***
Noted motorsports artist Randy Owens painted the portrait on the official event poster for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. Owens autographed posters for fans Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
RANDY OWENS: (How long does it take from start to finish to complete an official poster?): "You never say you are done with something until you put it in the truck and watch it go. Usually a work of art can be created in a week to two weeks time, but, and in this case, you are always trying fine-tune many aspects of the piece. The fine art might be done, but you go back and look at it and you can see that I can still fix that, I can do a little more. So most art gets done by the deadline." (About the artistic process with motorsports art): "I am always conscious of the value of color of motion and I think that is foremost, but I think my biggest weakness is the technical side of the machinery itself. If anything, I might not get all the sponsors right and nuts and bolts right, but I try to make things the right color and put that into motion and put that color into motion so that the art comes alive. One of my favorite guys I like to quote is Picasso, who said, 'Art is lie that tells the truth.' (You always capture an icon of the Speedway in your work): "That is a part of the marketing. You have to include that stuff really so people get a sense of what it is and where they have been. That's what is all about. It is part of a big formula. You include it big, you include it little. I have put elements like balloons in racing events where they say, 'We don't even release balloons here,' but I say, 'Let's do it because it adds to the color.' You add light and add balloons because it adds color where you need it, and you hope the rest falls into place." (Is it different painting motorcycles instead of cars?): "The creative process is always the same, but I find that I really enjoy the motorcycles because the human element is much more prevalent. You have a body wrapped around a piece of machinery, and you get to see what the human is doing with that machinery. It is so much more dramatic, and the colors that you can apply in that motion usually allow you more freedom for the surrealism of the action and motion. The bikes, they lean, they do a lot of things. If you do a car, it is easy to do a car that sits there still, so you have to do a lot of extra stuff in the background to make the car look like it is moving. But there is no doubt about a bike that it is moving, that it is leaning over. That is what your mind tells you is happening."
***
Journalists with a valid MotoGP season credential or Red Bull Indianapolis GP credential will be granted access to the Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Flat Track Grand National tonight at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
***
125cc PRACTICE #2:
At 8:45 a.m., the ambient temperature was 72 degrees F (22 C) with a relative humidity of 100 percent and southwest winds at 1 mph (1.6 km/h). Skies were cloudy.
•Top practice #1 lap, Friday: #29 Iannone, 2:02.779
•Top qualifying #1 lap, Friday: #8 Zanetti, 1:58.491
8:45 a.m. - GREEN.
8:54 a.m. -- #29 Iannone quickest at 1:59.867. First rider quicker than two minutes in the session.
8:56 a.m. -- #29 Iannone improves quickest lap to 1:58.309.
9:13 a.m. -- #95 Muresan falls exiting Turn 16, returns to feet without assistance.
9:19 a.m. -- #24 Corsi quickest at 1:56.817. #29 Iannone second quickest at 1:56.960.
9:20 a.m. -- #1 Talmacsi shown sitting in garage with ice pack on left hand.
9:30 a.m. - LOCAL YELLOW, Turn 16. #11 Cortese gets sideways exiting Turn 16, flips over bike in "high side" crash and lands on backside. Cortese returns to feet without assistance, walking gingerly. Bike damaged.
9:32 a.m. -- #6 Olive second quickest at 1:56.850.
9:34 a.m. - #29 Iannone goes wide in Turn 4, continues.
9:36 a.m. -- #29 Iannone quickest at 1:56.568.
9:37 a.m. -- #29 Iannone quickest at 1:56.093.
9:38 a.m. -- #29 Iannone slides off bike, remounts, continues to garage.
9:45 a.m. - CHECKERED. End of session. #29 Andrea Iannone quickest at 1:56.093, quickest 125cc lap of weekend. Iannone also led the Friday practice at 2:02.779 in wet conditions.
Top Five Riders, 125cc Practice #2:
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1. |
#29 Andrea Iannone |
1:56.093 |
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2. |
#38 Bradley Smith |
1:56.342 |
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3. |
#8 Lorenzo Zanetti |
1:56.815 |
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4. |
#24 Simone Corsi |
1:56.817 |
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5. |
#6 Joan Olive |
1:56.850 |
Americans: ; #51 Bonsey, 20th, 1:58.346; #54 Jacobsen, 28th, 1:59.375; #90 Turner, 32nd, 2:00.834.
Top trap speed: #99 Webb, 138.9 mph (223.6 km/h)
***
Stevie Bonsey, the only full-time American rider in the 125cc class, has a large American flag decal on the fairing of his #51 DeGraaf Grand Prix Aprilia.
***
MotoGP PRACTICE #3:
At 10 a.m., the ambient temperature was 74 degrees F (23 C) with a relative humidity of 100 percent and west-southwest winds at 1 mph (1.6 km/h). Skies were partly cloudy, with damp track conditions and dry areas appearing.
•Quickest lap, Friday: 1:53.034, #13 West (wet conditions)
•Quickest lap during July testing: 1:43.0069, Niccolo Canepa, Ducati test rider (dry conditions)
10 a.m. - GREEN. #69 Hayden on track with new helmet design that features the Indianapolis Colts' famous blue horseshoe logo on a white background on the crown of the helmet.
10:08 a.m. -- #69 Hayden quickest at 1:55.060.
10:10 a.m. -- #69 Hayden improves quickest lap to 1:53.507. #46 Rossi second at 1:54.627.
10:11 a.m. -- #69 Hayden improves quickest lap to 1:52.612, sliding rear tire dirt-track style exiting Turn 13 on quick lap.
10:12 a.m. -- #69 Hayden improves quickest lap to 1:51.827. #14 De Puniet second at 1:53.679.
10:15 a.m. -- #4 Dovizioso quickest at 1:51.651, sliding rear tire dirt-track style exiting Turn 14 on quick lap.
10:16 a.m. -- #4 Dovizioso improves quickest lap to 1:50.297.
10:18 a.m. -- #4 Dovizioso improves quickest lap to 1:49.545.
10:25 a.m. -- #50 Guintoli quickest at 1:48.265.
10:28 a.m. -- #46 Rossi jumps to second at 1:48.992. #69 Hayden jumps to third at 1:49.044.
10:36 a.m. -- #24 Elias quickest at 1:46.520. #1 Stoner second at 1:46.807.
10:40 a.m. -- #1 Stoner quickest at 1:45.706.
10:48 a.m. -- #50 Guintoli quickest at 1:45.597.
10:50 a.m. -- #69 Hayden quickest at 1:45.109.
10:51 a.m. -- #15 de Angelis quickest at 1:44.986.
10:52 a.m. -- #1 Stoner off track in Turn 6, dismounts bike and leaves it for marshals.
10:53 a.m. -- #24 Elias quickest at 1:44.723.
10:55 a.m. -- #24 Elias improves quickest lap to 1:44.344.
11 a.m. - CHECKERED. End of session. #24 Toni Elias quickest at 1:43.708 on his final lap of session.
Top Five Riders, MotoGP Practice #3:
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1. |
#24 Toni Elias |
1:43.708 |
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2. |
#46 Valentino Rossi |
1:43.780 |
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3. |
#69 Nicky Hayden |
1:43.826 |
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4. |
#2 Dani Pedrosa |
1:43.893 |
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5. |
#4 Andrea Dovizioso |
1:44.171 |
Other Americans: #11 Spies, seventh, 1:44.211; #5 Edwards, 13th, 1:45.172; #21 Hopkins, 18th, 1:45.894.
Top trap speed: #69 Hayden, 193.2 mph (310.9 km/h)
***
Duane Dreyer, owner of Dreyer Motorsports in Indianapolis, visited the track today. Dreyer Motorsports was the first Honda motorcycle dealership east of the Mississippi River in the United States. Dreyer's grandfather, Floyd "Pop" Dreyer, raced for the factory Indian motorcycle team before turning to building race cars used in the Indianapolis 500, and Sprint and Midget competition.
Dreyer's name lives on in IndyCar Series racing through the Dreyer & Reinbold team, which fielded full-time cars for Buddy Rice and Milka Duno in 2008.
DUANE DREYER: "My grandfather raced for the Indian factory and for Flexi sidecar from around 1917 to 1922." (What would be his thoughts today about MotoGP at IMS?): "Oh, he would be real excited." (How did your grandfather go from the motorcycles to sprint, midgets and championships cars?): "How it all happened, and there is a little controversy about this, is that he is from the town of Chillicothe, Ohio, and we believe that he was on his way to Oklahoma to be a welder in the oil fields, but he got to Indianapolis and ran out of money. So he went to the nearest Indian dealership, and since he knew motorcycles and the owner said that the motorcycle business wasn't that good, but he had a good customer by the name of Augie Duesenberg that builds race cars who could offer some employment. So he sat a meeting up and he went, and they offered him a job. So he worked with Duesenberg until they went out of business, and he caught on to that trade and started building parts on his own. He eventually built his own frame, eventually he built his own engines, and he was very much into racing, but it got to the point that he was the only one designing this stuff, and racing got to like it is today, where there were teams who built this stuff and he just couldn't compete with them. But one of his drivers was a pilot in the Navy (Jim Packard) over in Germany, and he said, 'You ought to see this BMW, it is really nice motorcycle. I think you could sell them.' And my grandfather said he probably could, but he didn't have enough money. But his driver (Packard) said, 'Well, I probably have enough, do you want me to just get one and bring it back?' My grandfather said, 'Sure,' and they sold it. Slowly they took on Honda, they tried several different brands, but it was Honda that stuck. The Honda dealership started in 1959, BMW was 1955."
***
250cc PRACTICE #2:
At 11:15 a.m., the ambient temperature was 83 degrees F (28 C) with a relative humidity of 72 percent and west-southwest winds at 6 mph (9 km/h). Skies were partly cloudy, with dry track conditions with damp spots.
•Top practice #1 lap, Friday: #75 Pasini, 1:55.468
•Top qualifying #1 lap, Friday: #17 Abraham, 2:02.529
11:15 a.m. - GREEN.
11:17 a.m. -- #36 Kallio quickest at 1:52.389.
11:18 a.m. - RED. #12 Luthi crashes exiting Turn 11. Bike got sideways, with Luthi flying over bike in "high side" accident and hitting track with his back side. Medical team attends to Luthi.
11:28 a.m. - GREEN.
11:33 a.m. -- #4 Aoyama quickest at 1:51.500.
11:36 a.m. -- #19 Bautista quickest at 1:48.526.
11:37 a.m. -- #21 Barbera overshoots Turn 1, continues.
11:43 a.m. -- #19 Bautista improves quickest lap to 1:48.308.
11:47 a.m. -- #19 Bautista improves quickest lap to 1:47.521.
11:48 a.m. -- #19 Bautista slides off bike entering Turn 15. Bautista returns to feet without assistance, leaves bike in gravel trap.
11:52 a.m. -- #6 Debon quickest at 1:47.488.
11:54 a.m. -- #6 Debon improves quickest lap to 1:47.183.
12:06 p.m. -- #19 Bautista quickest at 1:46.778.
12:22 p.m. -- #21 Barbera quickest at 1:46.337.
12:23 p.m. - CHECKERED. End of session.
Top Five Riders, 250cc Practice #2:
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1. |
#21 Hector Barbera |
1:46.337 |
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2. |
#58 Marco Simoncelli |
1:46.362 |
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3. |
#6 Alex Debon |
1:46.466 |
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4. |
#36 Mika Kallio |
1:46.583 |
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5. |
#19 Alvaro Bautista |
1:46.684 |
Americans: #29 Long, 23rd, 1:52.659; #38 Ferris, 24th, 1:53.024.
Top trap speed: #19 Bautista, 164.7 mph (265.1 km/h)
***
2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice visited the paddock today. Rice drove this season for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the IndyCar Series.
BUDDY RICE: (What do you think about the event?): "I think it is good, and I am glad the weather is cooperating. During the month of May, every time we had a day off, it was nice, and when we were scheduled to run, it was raining. So it's nice to be here and check this out. I haven't seen MotoGP before, and it is exciting." (Interested in motorcycle racing at any point in your career?): "No, definitely not. I'll keep it to four wheels and climb into something. I ride a little, but it's nothing like this." (You always walk in here as a winner of the Indianapolis 500. That must be special.): "It is. I was telling people when we were driving in I heard the motorcycles, and they sounded a bit like our cars, and that is exciting. It reminds me of the month of May, and that is always great." (Rice was pushing his 5-month-old daughter, Mina, in a stroller): "Yeah, she was here for qualifying and for the month of May, and she was 4 weeks old when she made her flight out. Now she is at Moto GP. She was at (Travis) Pastrana's earlier in the week, so she is making rounds. She'll be heading to Australia (for the IndyCar Series event Oct. 26 at Surfers Paradise), so she becoming a world traveler."
***
2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden debuted today a special helmet for this event featuring the Indianapolis Colts' famous blue horseshoe logo on a white background on the crown of the helmet. The Colts are one of the top teams in the National Football League, winning the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.
Hayden also played Pop Warner (youth) football for a team named the Colts as a boy in Owensboro, Ky. His younger brother, AMA Superbike rider Roger Hayden, was a teammate on the Colts.
***
American MotoGP legend Randy Mamola talked today about MotoGP racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time.
Mamola, from San Jose, Calif., won 13 500cc races during his illustrious World Championship career from 1979-92 and was a four-time runner-up in the World Championship standings. He now works as a pit reporter for Eurosport's television coverage of MotoGP and also takes passengers for rides on the Ducati MotoGP2 two-seat motorcycle at MotoGP events.
RANDY MAMOLA: "I'm 49 years old in November, and let me tell you, to be here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the history of it, plus growing up with history back in the '60s and '70s, we were really big into the IndyCar Series with the Andrettis, Al Unser Jr. and Al Unser. We're talking big names. Jackie Stewart (Three-time Formula One World Champion and 1966 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year), who's a friend now that I see every once in a while in Europe with Formula One, was one of the lead commentators for the programs for so many years. I feel like he's an uncle. So, to be blessed to be able to come here, I think it's something magnificent. The way that this corporation that runs the Speedway has embraced motorcycles is fantastic." (On the two-seater Ducati he's riding): "Well, the bike that I ride; the class of MotoGP right now is 800cc. The bike that I'm riding is from 2006, which the regulations at that time had 1000cc, 990. So the motorcycle weighs about 320 pounds and produces 220 horsepower at 16,400 (rpm). Here (on two-seater) the speeds are going to be a little bit slower (than 180 mph) because of the nature of the circuit coming off the last corner. It really isn't about speed; it's just about the sheer experience."
***
Alpinestars is one of the more than 40 motorcycle accessory and equipment companies displaying and selling their products in the Vendor Marketplace in Gasoline Alley, a first-time addition to an Indianapolis Motor Speedway event.
JEREMY APPLETON (Media Communications Manager, Alpinestars): "It's great to be here; interesting to be here with a two-wheel sport as opposed to four. I mean, normally we've been here for IndyCar, for NASCAR and of course, Formula One. It's interesting to come now for MotoGP, and I think it's tremendous for America as a whole and for the whole MotoGP scene. To come to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the biggest motorsport property in the world, is great for everybody." (On what the Red Bull Indianapolis GP means for Alpinestars): "We have a big operation here in the U.S.A, and the U.S. is a huge market for us. We have distribution across the county, and we put our products to all dealers around the county. It's important for us. It's a brand-building opportunity to bring the premier level of motorcycling again to the American audience."
***
American MotoGP star Colin Edwards lives in Conroe, Texas, about 25 miles (40 km) north of Houston. Hurricane Ike arrived onshore late last night in Galveston, Texas, about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Houston and moved inland.
COLIN EDWARDS: (Is it hard to focus this weekend knowing a hurricane is hitting your area?): "You know, my thoughts are with them, but it's not hard to focus. When you get out there on the track, a racer is a racer. You know, when that shield goes down, then you're a racer. We're paying attention to what's going on back there. Somebody broke into our new house. We're constructing a new house right now and some little kids were in there, I don't know, trying to get out of the rain, and one of my buddies went to park his car over in the garage, and so they ran out. That happened yesterday. They didn't break anything or vandalize anything. It's all right."
***
Actor and comedian David Alan Grier visited IMS today for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.
DAVID ALLEN GRIER: "I love motorcycles. I love the MotoGP. I couldn't make it to Laguna. I'm here. I'm really happy about it. Indy knows how to put on a race, and (Indy) is doing a fantastic job. The whole town is geared to making that happen. It's great to see motorcycle racing back here, and I hope they stay."
***
IndyCar Series rookie EJ Viso visited the track today. Viso, from Venezuela, finished 18th in the IndyCar Series standings this season for HVM Racing. Viso competed in Europe in British Formula 3 and GP2 before moving to the U.S. to race in the IndyCar Series.
EJ VISO: "I love the bikes, and I am here spending time with some old friends from Europe. I am having a great time. It's a bit strange. The last time I came here we were going one direction (during United States Grand Prix Formula One race). Now they come under another direction." (Are you close to any of the riders?): "I know most of the Spanish riders and a couple of the Italians. I know Lorenzo. I know Rossi." (Have you ridden bikes before?): "I did some small riding in Valencia and Spain. It's great. I love bikes, and I have a couple of bikes. I love riding."
***
2005 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick will present the Tissot Pole Position Award Watch at 5 p.m. during the post-qualifying press conference in the Economaki Press Conference Room. Patrick is an ambassador for Tissot, the Official Timekeeper of MotoGP.
Patrick will be the first-ever celebrity presenter of the award.
***
125cc QUALIFYING #2:
At 1:10 p.m., the ambient temperature was 84 degrees F (29 C) with a relative humidity of 72 percent and southwest winds at 5 mph (8 km/h). Skies were partly cloudy, with dry track conditions.
The starting grid for the 125cc race Sunday will be determined by the quickest overall time for each rider from either this session or Friday's session. The sessions are 30 minutes each day. Riders must qualify within 107 percent of the pole time to participate in the race Sunday.
•Top practice #1 lap, Friday: #29 Iannone, 2:02.779
•Top qualifying #1 lap, Friday: #8 Zanetti, 1:58.491 (provisional pole)
•Top practice #2 lap, today: #29 Iannone, 1:56.093
1:10 p.m. - GREEN.
1:14 p.m. -- #63 Di Meglio quickest at 1:52.939.
1:16 p.m. -- #17 Bradl quickest at 1:52.165.
1:17 p.m. -- #29 Iannone quickest at 1:51.900. #12 Rabat slides off bike in Turn 11, continues.
1:20 p.m. -- #45 Redding quickest at 1:51.689.
1:22 p.m. -- #17 Bradl quickest at 1:51.212.
1:25 p.m. -- #63 Di Meglio loses traction and flips over bike in "high side" crash exiting Turn 6. Di Meglio returns to feet without assistance, remounts bike, continues.
1:29 p.m. -- #90 Turner slides off bike in Turn 2. Turner returns to feet without assistance, remounts bike, continues.
1:36 p.m. -- #44 Espargaro quickest at 1:50.475.
1:40 p.m. - CHECKERED. End of session. #44 Pol Espargaro wins pole for 125cc race. It is his second pole this season, as he also won the pole at the Grand Prix of Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain) in June.
Top Five Riders, 125cc Qualifying #2:
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1. |
#44 Pol Espargaro |
1:50.475 |
|
2. |
#63 Mike Di Meglio |
1:50.844 |
|
3. |
#17 Stefan Bradl |
1:50.878 |
|
4. |
#99 Danny Webb |
1:51.000 |
|
5. |
#29 Andrea Iannone |
1:51.031 |
Americans: #51 Bonsey, 15th, 1:52.086; #54 Jacobsen, 25th, 1:53.289; #90 Turner, 36th, 1:56.703.
Top trap speed: #99 Webb, 141.5 mph (227.7 km/h)
***
125cc QUALIFYING QUOTES:
POL ESPARGARO (#44 Belson Derbi, pole winner): "I am very excited. I am happy because the other practices were in the rain. Today was in dry conditions. I am very happy. We worked hard this weekend to take the pole position." (What do you think about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?): "It is very difficult but very beautiful. I was in the first part of the circuit, and it is very technical. The second part was very fast. I like the circuit, and we'll try to do a good run."
KRIS TURNER (Wild-card rider, Chattanooga, Tenn.): "It went good. We learned a lot. We got the bike better, and we're working on it. We're still struggling with suspension setup. I tucked the front going into Turn 2. We came in, fixed that, then went back out and broke a chain. I'm happy I qualified; that's pretty good. Still, I think I could do better. It's a really, really fun track. It's fun in the wet and dry, really. Today went way better than yesterday did, so we're happy."
STEVIE BONSEY (Only full-time American rider in 125cc, Salinas, Calif.): "It's dry, so that's always good, but going around, it was good for me in the first, beginning of the session, you know the first 15 minutes. I felt really strong, and I was going around people. I saw I was up, fourth, fifth, I was feeling good. Then we came in and changed a tire, and I think we changed to the wrong tire, maybe, because I struggled. I'd pick up time in some places, but then I'd lose time and lose the front in other places. I don't know: It was a win-lose in some places. I felt really strong. I just need to fix the places where I'm bad, and get a good start tomorrow and hopefully it won't rain, but supposedly it is, so we'll see." (About grip of track): "The grip was a lot better today, of course. But for it being dry, the grip wasn't great because there hasn't been a lot of bikes going around the track and putting rubber down yet. The more bikes that are out, the GP and the 250 and Rookies, they'll put down more rubber and that will create more traction. Right now, it's a little bit dirty and grimy still because it's been raining all weekend, so it will get better and better. But if it rains, it's going to go back to the start. So we'll just have to see what happens for tomorrow." (About IMS): "I think it's an awesome facility. You can fit as many people that can come, and the track could use a bit of touch-up in some spots, but it's an awesome place. I've never been to Indy before. This is my first time, and I'm impressed."
PJ JACOBSEN (Wild-card rider, Goshen, N.Y.): "It was great. I went out there and learned a lot. This weekend is quite the experience. It's just getting the pace down with these guys and going out there and having fun. I had a pretty good result for my first race, so I think I'll just keep learning. You just got to put your head down and let it all hang out there. That's the best you can do."
***
Mark Elder, from California, is a mechanic for the Ducati Team (Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri) in MotoGP. Elder learned motorcycle mechanics at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in the United States with the intention of working on Harley-Davidson bikes. He applied to work at a Harley dealership in California but didn't get the job. So he turned to motorcycle racing mechanics, working his way up to MotoGP in 2003.
MARK ELDER: "I got a job working as a mechanic with the Ducati team in AMA with Ben Bostrom. He went over to do the World Superbike Championship, and I came over with him. We did a few years of the World Superbike Championship, and in 2003 they (Ducati) started the MotoGP team, and I've been here ever since." (How does an American become a mechanic in MotoGP?): "It's not easy. You have to show up at a lot of races and be willing to work for not a lot of money and be able to travel a lot. You have to bang on a lot of doors because there aren't a lot of opportunities. There isn't a high turnover. Most of the people that work here end up staying here. There's a lot of competition in the paddock as it is, so it's not easy to get in." (How does it feel being an American mechanic at the first MototGP race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?): "Being from California, this may not be my home race, but it still feels like coming home, anyways. This place is impressive. We were all surprised on Thursday how many people there were and on Friday how many people there were. You can just look down the stands and see how many people there are. It's going to be exciting standing on the grid on Race Day and looking up into the crowd. I'm sure there's going to be a lot more people here."
***
MotoGP QUALIFYING:
At 1:55 p.m., the ambient temperature was 86 degrees F (30 C) with a relative humidity of 60 percent and south winds at 6 mph (9 km/h). Skies were mostly sunny, with dry track conditions.
•Quickest lap, Friday: 1:53.034, #13 West (wet conditions)
•Quickest lap, today: 1:43.708, #24 Elias (damp conditions)
•Quickest lap during July testing: 1:43.0069, Niccolo Canepa, Ducati test rider (dry conditions)
1:55 p.m. - GREEN.
2:01 p.m. -- #11 Spies quickest at 1:44.244.
2:02 p.m. -- #1 Stoner quickest at 1:43.710.
2:03 p.m. -- #69 Hayden quickest at 1:43.568.
2:05 p.m. -- #55 Nakano falls into gravel, gets to feet without assistance.
2:06 p.m. -- #48 Lorenzo quickest at 1:43.498. All 19 bikes have turned at least one qualifying lap.
2:07 p.m. -- #14 De Puniet quickest at 1:43.448.
2:08 p.m. -- #24 Elias quickest at 1:43.380.
2:17 p.m. -- #1 Stoner quickest at 1:43.105.
2:19 p.m. -- #46 Rossi quickest at 1:43.021.
2:20 p.m. -- #46 Rossi improves quickest lap to 1:42.967, quickest lap ever turned officially or unofficially on 2.621-mile IMS circuit.
2:21 p.m. -- #69 Hayden second at 1:43.026.
2:22 p.m. -- #46 Rossi improves quickest lap to 1:42.945.
2:28 p.m. -- #24 Elias quickest at 1:42.741.
2:31 p.m. -- #5 Edwards quickest at 1:42.412.
2:32 p.m. -- #69 Hayden quickest at 1:42.206.
2:33 p.m. -- #14 De Puniet quickest at 1:42.027.
2:38 p.m. -- #24 Elias fell at Turn 9. Elias got to his feet without assistance and rode to paddock on a marshal's moto taxi.
2:41 p.m. #7 Vermeulen slides off bike at Turn 6. Vermeulen got to his feet without assistance and rode to paddock on a marshal's moto taxi.
2:42 p.m. -- #48 Lorenzo quickest at 1:41.488.
2:47 p.m. -- #46 Rossi quickest at 1:41.031.
2:53 p.m. -- #46 Rossi improves quickest lap to 1:40.776. #1 Stoner second at 1:41.243.
2:55 p.m. - #1 Stoner second quickest at 1:40.860.
CHECKERED. #46 Valentino Rossi wins pole for Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race at 1:40.776. This is Rossi's second pole of the season. He also won the pole for the Italian Grand Prix in June at Mugello. Rossi ended a streak of seven consecutive poles by Casey Stoner. Stoner started his streak in June at the Grand Prix of Catalunya, the race after the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.
Top Five Riders, MotoGP Qualifying:
|
1. |
#46 Valentino Rossi |
1:40.776 |
|
2. |
#1 Casey Stoner |
1:40.860 |
|
3. |
#48 Jorge Lorenzo |
1:41.177 |
|
4. |
#69 Nicky Hayden |
1.41.271 |
|
5. |
#11 Ben Spies |
1:41.464 |
Other Americans: #5 Edwards, 11th, 1:41.934; #21 Hopkins, 16th, 1:42.673.
Top trap speed: #33 Melandri, 194.4 mph (312.8 km/h)
***
MotoGP QUALIFYING FRONT ROW QUICK QUOTES:
VALENTINO ROSSI (Pole): "I was quite worried like all other guys for this new track because is inside of an oval, so sometimes is strange. But right from Thursday, we did scooter. The layout is good. A lot of corner by corner where is difficult to find the right way, so is a technical circuit, and I like. Yesterday the conditions was very bad, but today with the sun is fun. Is good riding MotoGP inside here and this is so important, but especially I am so happy for the work of today because we find a quite good setting with the race tires and we change a bit the pressure for the qualify. And I'm fast, especially with the last two tires because at the beginning I did some mistake but at the end, I try for the 40 and is a 40.7 is a good pole position. And starting from first is good for the race of tomorrow."
CASEY STONER (Second): "Yeah, it was close. We struggled a bit today. We broke the engine in today's (practice) session. We spent the last 20 minutes in the box because we broke the engine. I was struggling from the front to get feeling from it. To end up second, actually I was quite impressed."
JORGE LORENZO (Third): (About IMS circuit): "I enjoyed it more than I expected. I enjoy riding this track because some corners are close together, and you can ride so smooth. And for my riding style, it's good."
***
Max Papis of Italy, a veteran of the Indianapolis 500, Formula One, NASCAR and sports car racing, visited the paddock today.
MAX PAPIS: "This is a huge event. I am a big fan of Valentino, and I know Loris Capirossi well. I have a lot of friends in motorcycle racing, and I personally own a Ducati. So I came over here to see what was happening in Indianapolis, and it looks like a huge event and I'm really excited for the people here." (Did you race motorcycles?): "Oh, absolutely, that is how I started my career. My go-kart mechanic was like three times world champion in 125cc, and he was the engine tuner for (Fausto) Gresini when he won, and I had a bike, and I raced a bike some. But I don't know how I ended up on four wheels, but I have a love for two wheels."
***
1997 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Jeff Ward is working on the IMS Radio Network broadcast of this event as a rider analyst this weekend. Ward, from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., was the first rider to win every major AMA motocross national championship. He followed with a successful career in the IndyCar Series, with one victory and 27 top-10 finishes in 61 starts. He won the AMA Supermoto title in 2004 and 2006 and the X Games Supermoto title in 2006 and 2008.
JEFF WARD: (About coming to Indianapolis as a legend in motocross. Was that a risk?): I was retired from motocross, so I knew I wasn't going to be on a bike and I wanted to keep racing, and I knew a lot of drivers like Paul Tracy, who helped me out and helped me get started in Indy Lights and the CART series, and then it became fun. Then the IRL formed, and it gave me an opportunity to come to the Indy 500, and I couldn't turn that down, so I raced here seven times. So it was a good challenge and a lot of fun for me." (About continuing to race Supermoto at age 47): "I have been doing this my whole life, so I get more tired walking than riding a motorcycle. The injuries are the hardest things to come back from and the motivation gets less and less, but I'm still pretty physically fit and I do a pretty good training workout, and that is what has kept me going. Now it's just for fun, as long as I don't get hurt." (About MotoGP riders): "I just rode with Nicky (Hayden). He did the X Games, and we tested together and I have known him for a while. He is a fantastic motocross and Supermoto rider, so it's fun being with him. And I know Spies and a lot of the guys from the AMA. My son is going to do the Red Bull Rookies Cup next year, and he is going to go for that. My other son is racing motocross, as well, but he wants to go road racing because he is super small. So I'm just checking it out because some day they may be here racing, and that would be pretty cool."
***
250cc QUALIFYING #2:
At 3:10 p.m., the ambient temperature was 89 degrees F (32 C) with a relative humidity of 51 percent and south winds at 5 mph (8 km/h). Skies were sunny, with dry track conditions.
•Top practice #1 lap, Friday: #75 Pasini, 1:55.468 (wet conditions)
•Top qualifying #1 lap, Friday: #17 Abraham, 2:02.529 (wet conditions)
•Top practice #2 lap, today: #21 Barbera, 1:46.337 (dry conditions)
3:10 p.m. - GREEN.
3:16 p.m. - LOCAL YELLOW.#50 Laverty loses traction exiting Turn 11, flies over bike in "high side" crash. Laverty removed from track by medical officials.
3:19 p.m. - LOCAL YELLOW. #17 Abraham slides off bike in Turn 11. Abraham gets to feet without assistance, continues.
3:24 p.m. -- #4 Aoyama quickest at 1:46.173.
3:26 p.m. -- #55 Faubel off track in gravel trap, continues.
3:35 p.m. -- #58 Simoncelli quickest at 1:46.066.
3:38 p.m. -- #75 Pasini slides off bike in Turn 16. Pasini gets to feet without assistance, remounts bike, continues.
3:44 p.m. -- #4 Aoyama quickest at 1:45.850.
3:49 p.m. -- #19 Bautista slides off bike entering Turn 6. Bautista gets to feet without assistance, remounts bike, continues to pits.
3:54 p.m. -- #58 Simoncelli quickest at 1:45.168.
3:55 p.m. - #9 Pesek slides off bike in Turn 6. Pesek gets to feet without assistance, remounts bike, continues.
CHECKERED. #58 Marco Simoncelli wins pole for 250cc race. It is his fourth pole this season. He also won pole at Portugal, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Top Five Riders, 250cc Qualifying:
|
1. |
#58 Marco Simoncelli |
1:45.168 |
|
2. |
#21 Hector Barbera |
1:45.537 |
|
3. |
#36 Mika Kallio |
1:45.563 |
|
4. |
#6 Alex Debon |
1:45.601 |
|
5. |
#4 Hiroshi Aoyama |
1:45.850 |
Americans: #29 Long, 23rd, 1:52.384; #38 Ferris, 24th, 1:53.899.
Top trap speed: #21 Barbera, 163.0 mph (262.3 km/h)
***
250cc QUALIFYING QUOTES:
MARCO SIMONCELLI (#58 Metis Gilera, pole winner): "After Misano, there was a lot of discussion, but I'm happy. Today, me and my team made a good job because yesterday was raining and it's difficult today to find the right setup of the bike, but at the end we found. I'm happy. I hope tomorrow to have a good race and do my best."
BARRETT LONG (Wild-card rider, Miami): "It went all right. We got in there with a 2002 model bike, so we're happy. The circuit is completely different under dry conditions. Yesterday was kind of tough learning the track on the wet, of course. And today was kind of like - show up and you've got to get to it immediately. It was OK, though." (Are you looking forward to the race?): "It's going to be awesome - my first GP. I'm really looking forward to it. I see a lot of people rolling in, and I see them all in the stands. I wave and they seem pretty excited."
KYLE FERRIS (Wild-card rider, Wildomar, Calif.): "The bike wasn't running right. That's about it. The track was pretty slippery, actually. Some of the corners still haven't had enough rubber on them. They're still probably worse than the wet. I would rather have the rain right now. The mechanic is taking the bike apart to see what is wrong with it."
***
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk and his son Arie Jr. visited the track today. Arie Luyendyk Jr. earned his first victory in the Firestone Indy Pro Series last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
ARIE LUYENDYK: "I really enjoy watching these guys go around. During the season I follow it, so it was really great to find out they were going to be here. I promised myself I had to be here to watch these guys, because it's pretty awesome." (On the impressions of the Speedway with the MotoGP setup): "I think Joie Chitwood and Mel Harder, these are the guys that are kind of the backbone behind having the race here. The track is really good. Turn 1 came out really nice for these guys, and if Formula One ever comes back, they could probably use this layout, and it would be a better track for them." (On whether he has any experience on bikes): "Nah, I just ride a Harley like an old guy. You know what I mean? I just kind of cruise around. I've always been smart about the bike thing, because I wanted to get one of these fast bikes for on the road. I kept telling myself I'd like to get one, but I'm not going to get one, because I know myself. Before I know it, I'll be more on the ground than on the bike."
ARIE LUYENDYK JR.: "It's really awesome. I love MotoGP. I've been following it for a long time now. It's good to see them out here at the Speedway. It's amazing. The wet yesterday was the most interesting for me, seeing how quickly they could negotiate the corners and how far they can lean over in the wet. It was pretty awesome." (Have you ever considered racing motorcycles?): "I don't think I have the talent on two wheels, to be honest. I have a chopper at home and I go fast in a straight line, but that's about it. I'll leave the motorcycle racing to these guys. I definitely have a big respect for them. Watching Nicky Hayden spin the bike around was pretty amazing. I think they almost hit 200 miles an hour on the straightaway, which is pretty impressive to be able to go that fast here. I know what that speed feels like in a car, but on a bike it's pretty amazing."
***
RED BULL AMA U.S. ROOKIES CUP RACE RUNNING
At 4:18 p.m., the ambient temperature of 89 degrees F (32C) and a relative humidity of 47 percent. Winds were steady at 18 mph from the southwest with gusts of up to 26 mph.
Lap 1: #25 Pascarella jumped the start and led into Turn 1. #75 Nash went off in Turn 2, out of race.
Lap 2: #25 Pascarella leads #69 H. Gillim by .177 of a second at the line. Mercado, the pole sitter, slid out in Turn 3.
Lap 3: #69 H. Gillim took the lead just before the start/finish line, leads #25 Pascarella by .247 of a second. The stewards assess Pascarella a ride-through penalty for jumping the start.
Lap 4: #69 H. Gillim leads #32 Gagne by 2.871 seconds.
Lap 5: #69 H. Gillim leads #32 Gagne by 2.454 seconds, #50 Connor third, 3.869 seconds behind the leader.
Lap 6: #32 Gagne trims #69 H. Gillim's lead to 1.845 seconds at the line, #50 Connor third, 5.582 seconds behind leader, #35 Solis up to fourth, 9.880 seconds behind leader, #12 Puerta now fifth.
Lap 8: #69 H. Gillim, #32 Gagne drag race down main straightaway, Gillim leads by .062 of a second at the line. Riders run two-wide from Turn 1 through Turn 5. #34 Rech off in Turn 6, goes down.
Lap 9: #32 Gagne takes lead just before start/finish line, leads #69 H. Gillim at the line by .001 of a second.
Lap 10: #32 Gagne leads #69 H. Gillim by .669 of a second at the start/finish line, #50 Connor still third, 13.961 seconds behind leader; #12 Puerta fourth, 18.225 seconds behind the leader and #56 DeHaven fifth, 22.234 seconds behind the leader.
Lap 11: #32 Gagne leads #69 H. Gillim by .752 of a second at the line.
Lap 12: #32 Gagne stretches lead to 1.607 seconds over #69 H. Gillim.
Lap 13: #32 Gagne leads #69 H. Gillim by 1.080 seconds.
Lap 14: #32 Gagne leads #69 H. Gillim by .071 of a second.
Lap 15: #69 H. Gillim passes #32 Gagne for lead entering Turn 1. #69 H. Gillim leads #32 Gagne by .455 of a second at the line.
Lap 16: #32 Gagne passes #69 H. Gillim for lead. #50 Connor off track from third.
CHECKERED. #32 Jacob Gagne holds off #69 Hayden Gillim for victory by .204 of a second.
***
2005 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick presented the Tissot Pole Position Award Watch to Valentino Rossi during the post-qualifying press conference in the Economaki Press Conference Room. Patrick is an ambassador for Tissot, the Official Timekeeper of MotoGP.
Patrick was the first-ever celebrity presenter of the award.
DANICA PATRICK: (On being at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for MotoGP): "Well, there's definitely a common thread that there's a lot of people and a lot of excited people about racing here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's really cool. It's very impressive. The bikes are obviously extremely fast, just very impressive to me. It just looks really hard, and they all look really crazy. I can't lie." (On her impression of how different IMS feels with the MotoGP setup): "Yeah, they just don't use the same parts that we all do. The area behind Gasoline Alley tends to be extremely busy, but now not so much - and there are no 'Alley Cats.' But the stands are really full. It's still the Speedway, and you can definitely still feel it." (On here appreciation of the MotoGP riders going 200 mph down the straightaway): "In a straight line for an Indy car it's obviously not a challenge, right? But you really can fall off of a bike doing anything in these. To me, it's the amount of rubber that's actually on the pavement; it's so little." (Does this make you want to go home and buy a Honda, like Nicky Hayden's bike?): "I think it's encouraging me not to since I know what the potential is of the bike. I'm better on four wheels. We'll let these guys do this, and I'll stick to my thing."
***
Keith Urban, a Grammy-winning country music singer from Australia, watched MotoGP qualifying from the Kawasaki Racing Team pits this afternoon. Urban was a guest of fellow countryman Anthony West, a Kawasaki rider. Urban is in Indianapolis for a concert tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
***
SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE:
|
7 a.m. |
Public Gates Open Hall of Fame Museum Open |
|
8:40-9 a.m. |
125cc Warm-up |
|
9:10-9:30 a.m. |
250cc Warm-up |
|
9:40-10:05 a.m. |
MotoGP Warm-up |
|
10:25-10:55 a.m. |
Red Bull Riders Cup Race (16 laps) |
|
11:05-11:35 a.m. |
Red Bull Stunt Riders Christian Pfeiffer and Aaron Colton |
|
Noon |
125cc Race (23 laps) |
|
1:15 p.m. |
250cc Race (26 laps) |
|
2:15 p.m. |
Red Bull Indianapolis GP Grid Presentation |
|
2:16 p.m. |
Red Bull Stunt Riders Christian Pfeiffer and Aaron Colton |
|
2:30 p.m. |
Red Bull Air Force Skydivers |
|
2:50 p.m. |
National anthem performed by Miss America 2008, Kirsten Haglund |
|
2:51 p.m. |
Military Flyover by "Warbirds of America" |
|
2:51 p.m. |
Invocation by Rev. Hunter Floyd |
|
2:56 p.m. |
Command to start engines, IMS Chairman Mari Hulman George |
|
2:58 p.m. |
Green flag given by starter Warm-up lap begins |
|
3 p.m. |
Start of Inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP (28 laps) |
|
6 p.m. |
Track Closes |
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