By Paul Kelly
redbullindianapolisgp.com
Thursday, September 25, 2008
EVENT: Grand Prix of Japan
WHERE: Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan. Circuit is 2.983 miles (4.801 km), with 14 turns. Race is 24 laps.
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 28. It is the 15th of 18 events this season.
U.S. TV: 4-5 p.m. (ET), Sunday, Sept. 28, SPEED
THE AMERICANS: U.S. riders Colin Edwards (Houston, Tech 3 Yamaha), Nicky Hayden (Owensboro, Ky., Repsol Honda Team) and John Hopkins (Ramona, Calif., Kawasaki Racing Team) will compete in this race. Edwards is seventh, Hayden eighth and Hopkins tied for 17th in the MotoGP standings after 14 races this season.
•Colin Edwards: "I haven't necessarily had good results at Motegi, but I seem to go well there. With the rain last year in the race, and how two years in a row I got taken out in Turn 1 and then tire problems there the year after, I have a good pace around that track. It just never put the result together. We're looking to change that, go to a setting that we know works. It (track) is very similar to Le Mans: Stops and starts, long turns. We should be all right."
•Nicky Hayden: "Indy gave us a little bit of a boost, so we'll see if we can keep that going at Motegi. I'm looking forward to it because I'm planning on finishing the season strong. I owe that to Honda; they've been a big part of my career, so it would be nice to get some more podiums. This will be my last race on a Honda at their home track, so it would be really nice to get a result for all the Honda people who have worked with me. First time I went to Motegi as a rookie in 2003, I battled with Sete (Gibernau), Valentino (Rossi) and Makoto (Tamada), and they ended up giving me third, my first top-three result. I thought, 'Wow, this is going to be a good track for me.' But since then I really haven't done much there. I've struggled in some of the hairpin corners. It's an OK track. I like the combination in the back when you come under the first bridge; that all flows together really nice. I like those tunnels because they're different. It almost feels like you need headlights! Braking stability is probably the biggest thing, plus acceleration. You need a bike that's good going back through the gears, so you need a good clutch and engine braking setup."
•John Hopkins: "Motegi has never been a circuit that's been kind to me, as I've always had a lot of bad luck there. Even last year, which was my best season so far, Motegi was definitely my worst round. However, maybe this is the year we can turn it around after all of the bad luck we've had with injury. It's a track I actually enjoy. The fans and atmosphere are all a lot of fun, and the circuit layout is good, too. I've been in Japan for a while already, and this is Kawasaki's second home round, so it would be really nice if we can do well here. We are mainly concentrating on the development of the machine for next year, although it would be great to finish the final few rounds of 2008 with strong results. I've continued to train hard, and I managed to fit in a spot of sightseeing in around Tokyo in the last week, so I'm now really looking forward to getting on the bike again and racing."
THEY SAID IT: "The atmosphere in the paddock is very different - the Japanese get very excited about getting autographs!" - Repsol Honda Team rider Dani Pedrosa, about the fans at the Grand Prix of Japan
FAST FACTS: Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Valentino Rossi can clinch his sixth MotoGP World Championship at this event. Rossi leads reigning world champ Casey Stoner by 87 points and Dani Pedrosa by 94 points entering this event. Rossi must hold a 76-point lead over second place after this event to lock up the championship. If Stoner wins the race, Rossi needs to finish third or better to win the title. If Pedrosa wins, Rossi only needs to finish 10th or better to win the title … Rossi would become No. 2 all time on the MotoGP career championships list if he seals the title this weekend. Italian legend Giacomo Agostini won eight premier-class titles, while Rossi and Australian Mick Doohan are tied with five each … If Rossi wins the title, it will be his eighth career World Championship, as he also was champion in 125cc (1997) and 250cc (1999) before climbing to MotoGP, where he won five consecutive titles from 2001-05 … Loris Capirossi has ruled Twin Ring Motegi the last three years, taking three consecutive MotoGP victories … Riders using Bridgestone tires have won this event the last four years. The top three riders in the World Championship, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, are on Bridgestones … Rossi has finished on the podium six times in MotoGP at Motegi but has just one victory, in 2001 on a 500cc machine … American Nicky Hayden earned his first career MotoGP podium finish at Motegi, in 2003 … 2006 MotoGP World Champion Hayden ended a 19-race streak without a podium finish by placing second Sept. 14 in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP … The 125cc and 250cc classes also compete this weekend. American Stevie Bonsey, from Salinas, Calif., is 14th in the 125cc standings for the DeGraaf Grand Prix team.
***
2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: Existing ticket holders who renew their tickets online for the 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP by Monday, Sept. 29 will receive a free, Collector's Edition DVD of highlights from the exciting 2008 inaugural event.
The second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 30, two weeks earlier than this year's date.
A three-day event ticket for a reserved seat or general admission can be renewed online at the Tickets section at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com. Fans also can request an upgrade of their reserved Race Day tickets at the Tickets section.
Ticket applications for new customers also are being accepted. New customers are encouraged to order early to secure the best available seats.
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