Red Bull US GP Indianapolis – Race Reports – 14/09/2008

Yamaha has already been published as they Won The Race: See Story>

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Honda

Hayden Weathers Storm To Finish Fine Second. Torrential rain truncated a turbulent Grand Prix in which Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was declared victor after the 28-lap race was abandoned after 20-laps. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) was awarded second and Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) third.

Weather played the ace hand here in rain-lashed Indianapolis. The 125cc Grand Prix was foreshortened, the 250cc race abandoned altogether and this, the main event, brought to a close when the prevailing conditions – furious rain and wind – proved too much for both riders and track furniture.

Forecasters knew, and race organizers too, that the weather systems surrounding the rampaging Hurricane Ike might play havoc with the first ever motorcycle event staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the turn of the century. And they surely did.

The race was declared ‘wet’ before it got underway and right enough the declaration proved appropriate. Conditions were manageable for the first 11 laps until the rain fell harder, the wind got up with a vengeance, and then a howling gale blew the conclusion of this contest into the hands of the race organizers.

A halt was called after lap 20 when conditions had deteriorated to such an extent that debris was blowing onto the track and rider safety became more of an issue than even the 2008 World Championship. After extensive rider consultation the decision was reached to call a result.

It had been an absorbing contest up until then though. Casey Stoner (Ducati) headed the pack into turn one from the line and homeboy Hayden was on his tail with Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V) in his wheel-tracks. Rossi too had launched well and was at the business end of proceedings.

Hayden then moved past Dovi and by lap six Rossi was working on Hayden having gone past Dovi while Lorenzo was keeping himself in touch. On lap seven Hayden held a one second lead over Rossi while Dovi fended off Lorenzo’s advances.

Then the rain, already heavy, began to worsen. Hayden and Rossi rode neck and neck for 13 laps. Rossi moved into the lead and then, improbably, it got even wetter. This, however, did not stop the Italian from recording a fastest race lap on lap 15 with a one and a half second advantage over Nicky who was nearly seven seconds ahead of Lorenzo.

From now on it was as much riders against the elements as against each other. The mercy of the red flag soon brought further suffering to an end. There was some debate as to whether a further eight lap race would be required but this fantasy was sensibly quashed.

Rossi now has 287 points to Stoner’s 200 with four rounds to run. Dani sits third with 193 points.

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2nd.

“Man, it felt really good to be in the lead and I felt quite comfortable. It’s been a long time. I was thinking ‘this only happens in the movies’: your home race, missing the last two and coming back to win. I was able to stay focused but Valentino came past and he had a little more speed, especially in section three. Then when he touched the line onto the back straightaway I was able to make up a little more ground and I thought maybe I was okay. But when it started raining heavy I was in trouble because when it had dried I’d used up a lot of the left side of the tire, so it got pretty gnarly with all the water.

“Sure, you dream about winning your home race, but honestly I shouldn’t be too greedy with how things have been. I’ll take this second and enjoy it. I’d just like to say a big thanks to my team, all my guys, my friends, my family, everyone who’s stuck with me through tough times. Also, thanks to Indy and everyone for making this race happen. It’s a great feeling to be able to race so close to home, I enjoyed it.

“I gave the maximum today, I can’t say I left much on the table and that’s how it’s supposed to be. When they stopped the race it was pretty treacherous. It was the right thing to do. Conditions were really tough, especially with the winds because you’d be on a dry line and all of a sudden it’d blow you onto the wet. When they said we were going to do another eight laps, part of me thought ‘hey, let’s line back up and try again’. But I’m not leading the championship, so I’ve got nothing to worry about. A big thanks to the fans too, we only had to be out in the wet for an hour, they’ve been out there since Thursday.”

Andrea Dovizioso, JiR Scot Honda: 5th.

“I am very pleased with the outcome of today, obtained under conditions that were – quite simply – incredible. We had intense rain and then a strong wind, which then led to the early conclusion of the race. It was very easy to make mistakes and ruin the race, but I started fast, as often happens with me, and I was quick to take the lead. In fact, in the beginning I wanted to stay in front of everyone. I gave the maximum today to earn the most points possible. The tires worked well, but today the choice was difficult and we opted for a solution that gave us sufficient confidence. We must further improve with our tires, and Michelin are working hard to be more efficient. I believe that in different climatic conditions, we could have also fought for the podium.”

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 8th.

“That was a very tough race. I started quite cautiously and then I began to push harder, but in the mid-stages I wasn’t enough fast and I lost some time. Towards the end I found a good pace. Four or five laps before Race Direction stopped the race, the wind got really strong and there was a lot of dirt and debris getting blown on to the track. Finishing eighth is not a good result for me, but considering the conditions I couldn’t do any better. All in all, it has been an important weekend for us. We have gained a lot of experience in both wet and dry conditions which will help in the future, so we will keep working hard. The tires worked well today and I’m feeling confident for the next race at Motegi in two weeks time.”

Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 10th.

“Frankly I’m a little disappointed I expected to be very good in the wet today but my rear tire went off very quickly. Maybe it was too hard for the conditions because the rear end was sliding a lot. After Friday’s wet practice I was very confident but today I could not go forward.”

Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 13th.

“It was a tough day today. We started with a quite
good warm up in the dry and we were optimistic for a dry race. But the conditions were very difficult before the start and I did not get a good start losing five places in the first lap. I struggled from the beginning with lack of grip both front and rear but I tried the best I could trying not to make any mistake. Overall I tried to survive the race and it’s not very clear why we had such a poor grip but we must find a solution for next race in Japan which can potentially be wet.”

Shinya Nakano, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 17th.

“It was a very difficult race today because I started from the back of the grid and the conditions were terrible. I managed to pass a few riders in the first laps but I could not find a consistent pace. Towards the end I began to understand the conditions better and started to catch the others in front of me but they red flagged the race, it was the right decision. I’m disappointed because in the dry warm up this morning I was fourth fastest so I will keep that positive in mind as I prepare for my home race at Motegi in two weeks.”

Team San Carlo Gresini Honda:

STRONG WIND SHORTENS THE GP OF INDIANAPOLIS. DE ANGELIS IN THE TOP TEN, NAKANO IN DIFFICULTIES

The first Indianapolis Grand Prix of the MotoGP World Championship was interrupted as a result of heavy rain and strong wind after 20 of the 28 scheduled laps. Alex De Angelis claimed tenth position, but Shinya Nakano could only manage seventeenth place. After the first wet practice on Friday, Alex hoped for a better result, but difficulties at the beginning of the race forced him to fight to recover the lost positions. Nakano couldn’t find the right feeling in today’s wet conditions but he will aim for a better result in his home Grand Prix in Motegi.

Alex De Angelis (10th):

“We definitely expected a better result in the wet conditions of the track, but unfortunately I spent a lot of time to find the right pace at the beginning of the race. Anyway it’s okay. It’s a shame that the weather conditions got increasingly worse until the race was stopped. In fact I could have fought to improve my position, since I had reached the riders who were ahead of me. In any case I agree with the decision to stop the race because it was very difficult and dangerous to ride in those conditions”.

Shinya Nakano (17th):

“It was a very difficult race because of the heavy rain and the strong wind. I made a good start and had a good first lap, recovering several positions. Unfortunately with the rain starting and stopping it was difficult to deal with the situation and to find the right pace on track, and so I lost some positions again. At the end of the race the weather conditions got even worse, with the wind getting harder lap after lap and it was very difficult to ride. I agree with the decision to stop the race and it was made at the right moment. Clearly I’m very disappointed with today’s result, but I’m happy about the fourth place that I achieved in warm-up: I want to keep that in mind looking ahead to the race in Motegi”.

Fausto Gresini – Team manager:

“It was a difficult race for us today, and also for all the other riders on the track. We hoped that Alex could get an important result; in my opinion he had a good race. Unfortunately he couldn’t make a good start and he lost some positions during the first laps. It took him some time to find the right pace, but at the end he succeeded in being fast and constant. However we must be positive thinking to Alex’s future, because he is continuing to grow. I’m sorry for Shinya, obviously the track conditions were difficult for all, but he considered today’s track conditions too risky and I respect his decision to limit the damages. I agree with the decision to stop the race because the conditions of the track were really difficult. Anyway I would not have been upset to have seen a race with just eight laps, a strange and curious situation.”

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Ducati

STONER FOURTH AT HURRICANE-HIT INDY, MELANDRI 19TH

Casey Stoner came home a solid fourth in a treacherously difficult Indianapolis Grand Prix, which was hit by severely adverse weather that led to the race being interrupted by red flags with eight of the scheduled laps still remaining.

Stoner battled throughout the race with Andrea Dovizioso despite losing rear grip in the early stages and was relieved merely to come out of it in one piece and with a decent points haul.

Marco Melandri was unable to rediscover the positive feeling he’d found for the wet conditions on Friday and he struggled home in 19th place.

CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team) 4th

“I think it was the right decision to stop the race because the conditions were really dangerous – more for the strong wind than the heavy rain, which made it difficult to keep the bike upright. I’m never going to be satisfied with fourth place but it would have been foolish to push harder in those conditions and I made the right decision not to do so. I got a good start but I quickly lost confidence because the rear tire was tearing up quickly and by the time they stopped the race I was struggling to hold my lap times.”

MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati MotoGP Team) 19th

“I’m really disappointed because after riding in the wet on Friday I was expecting a pretty good race today. As it happened I struggled to rediscover the same feeling, especially with the engine braking. I never had a good feel for the bike and there was no grip on the front or the rear. I couldn’t ride it from the first lap and in conditions like that it is incredibly difficult.”

LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Director)

“It was a tough race for Casey but he showed grit and determination to bring home a decent result. It maybe to do with the power delivery of our engine or the set-up of the bike but the rear tire went off quicker than expected and Casey couldn’t ride on the attack, as we’re used to seeing. It’s a shame it wasn’t a dry race because in the warm-up we saw Casey was in good shape for those conditions. It was another tough weekend for Marco. Hopefully things go better in Japan at a circuit he like a lot.”

Team Alice

Strong wind and rain has brought the race direction to stop the Indianapolis Grand Prix with eight laps left. MotoGP riders came back in the box after viewing the red flag and together decided to don’t complete the eight laps left because the weather conditions were too dangerous. This way the Alice Team riders maintained the provisional position with Sylvain Guintoli in seventh position and Toni Elias twelfth. The French rider didn’t make it to start well and after the first lap he was in fourteenth position. Despite the risky track conditions Sylvain fought back and gained seventh positions. Toni Elias has concluded in twelfth position that gave him four points in the world classification. He has now entered the MotoGP top ten riders in the standing. Also the Alice Team has gained a position in the Team World classification: the Italian Team is now in sixth position.

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Alice Team Technical Director

“For sure a difficult race. The track condition has changed a lot during the race due to the bad weather. A pity the track didn’t make it to completely dry out otherwise Toni could have gained many more positions. His lap times from this morning’s warm up with dry track were really good. If it would have been a dry race we could have achieved a good result. Sylvain has done a good performance. We are not surprised as with this track conditions he has always done well. Thanks to the points conquered today we gained a position in the Team classification and we are really happy about it. In the last four races of the season we will try to do our best to conclude in the best way.”

Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team rider (7th in the race – 13th in the MotoGP classification)

“Unfortunately I didn’t start well. I took too much time to warm up the new tires but when I found a good feeling I have done a good comeback. If I would have started better I could have surely finish in a better position. I am anyway satisfied because I come from a race, in Misano, where I didn’t go so well and now I found back a good feeling with the bike. I hope to be able to improve even more in the last four races.”

Toni Elias – Alice Team rider (12th in the race – 10th in the MotoGP classification)

“I can remain positive because we have improved with this sort of track conditions. Surely the twelfth position isn’t the best but it went better than the previous occasions. A pity the race wasn’t dry: this morning during the warm up I felt really good and I could have fought with Valentino and Casey for the first three positions. I remain anyway trustful, we will surely have another possibility to do well in the next four races.”

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Suzuki

Spies shines in the Indy gloom, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP wildcard racer Ben Spies rode to a superb sixth place in atrocious conditions during the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix today.

Spies pushed hard all race as he was involved in a battle for fourth place with reigning World Champion Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso. The new AMA Superbike Champion looked set to make an attack on both riders towards the end of the race, but conditions deteriorated so dramatically after 20 laps the race was stopped, and the result was declared as it stood at that time.

Chris Vermeulen looked like he was again going to show his skill in the rain – after being baulked from the start – as he made his way from 16th up to 10th during the first three laps, but even Suzuki’s rain-master couldn’t overcome the extreme conditions and although he made it up to ninth by the time the race was stopped, he couldn’t make any further impact on the riders in front of him.

Loris Capirossi had a weekend that he will want to forget as he never got to grips with the set-up of his Suzuki GSV-R around the Indianapolis circuit. He got a good start, but was pushed wide on the first corner and was relegated to last position. Capirossi did try to fight back, but was never in a strong enough position to challenge further up the field. He did manage to pass three riders, but finished just outside the points in 16th place.

The first motorcycle race to be held at Indianapolis since 1909 was attended by a large and enthusiastic crowd, who had to endure the remnants of Hurricane Ike that swept over the circuit before and during the race, eventually causing the race to be brought to an early end due to safety issues. Valentino Rossi won his fourth race in succession and now looks certain to be crowned World Champion.

Rizla Suzuki now makes the trip to the home of Suzuki for the next round of the championship at Motegi in Japan on Sunday 28th September, when regulars Vermeulen and Capirossi will again have the support of a wildcard rider, this time in the shape of Test Team Rider Kousuke Akiyoshi.

Ben Spies:

“It was a good race today for me because my goal was to better my result at Laguna and I did that. I know that I had a fourth place bike today though because the crew had got it working great, but after 10 laps I couldn’t see anything through my visor and that was why I never made an attack because I had to follow the other guys around me to see where I was going – I think if I had lost them I would have got caught by everybody! I rode as hard as I could and ended the race with a good sixth place. I wish we could have done a bit better, but every time I’m getting on a GP bike I’m getting better results so who knows what’s to come!”

Chris Vermeulen:

“It was very difficult out there today and starting from 15th didn’t help. There was a lot of spray and a quicker line soon formed so it was very tricky when you moved off that to try and pass. I got through into the top-10 and felt like I had a bit more, but when I tried to push there was no more lap-time to come. I was then kind of stagnant with the guys from fourth place on and just couldn’t catch them. At the end the conditions got really bad and the wind was so strong things were blowing all over the place and it was getting a bit dangerous, so it was a good idea to stop the race even though it was a pity we didn’t go the full distance. So here’s to coming back here next year and doing a lot better!”

Loris Capirossi:

“The whole weekend has been hard for me as I never found the best solution on the bike. During this morning’s warm-up the bike felt a bit better in the dry and we hoped the conditions would stay like that for the race – unfortunately the conditions were not only worse they were the worst I have ever ridden in! In the first corner someone pushed me wide and I was last and although I tried to fight back it was so difficult out there that I couldn’t really make any difference. I want to forget about this weekend, the race has now gone and I want to concentrate on the next event and make a good result for Suzuki and the team in Japan!”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“The first Indianapolis GP was a great event with superb organisation and a very enthusiastic atmosphere – it was just a shame that the weather had such a big hand in today’s proceedings because the circuit deserved better than that today. Ben did an extremely good job all weekend and wet or dry he was able to be very competitive – he thoroughly deserved his top-six finish.

“We really wanted to be at the sharp end with Chris and Loris, but it just didn’t happen. We know that we can be a lot better than where we finished this weekend and we will now re-group and head off to Japan. We need to step it up a gear and improve on our performance as we begin the run-in to the end of the season.”

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Kawasaki

WEST ELEVENTH AT WET AND WINDY INDY

Kawasaki’s Anthony West battled the elements today to bring his Ninja ZX-RR race machine home in 11th position at the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix, which was red-flagged eight laps early due to treacherous weather conditions.

Following heavy rainfall after this morning’s dry warm-up, the 28-lap race got underway at the Indiana circuit and John Hopkins made a determined start into 10th place from 16th on the grid, while West moved up into 16th from the back row of the grid.

The Kawasaki duo both made up a place in the opening two laps, but it was West who impressively fought his way up to 13th position behind teammate Hopkins, who had lost out to Chris Vermeulen and Sylvain Guintoli by lap four. West continued his surge through the field and by lap eight the 27-year-old Australian had managed to pass three of his rivals, including teammate Hopkins, to take 10th position aboard his Ninja ZX-RR.

The wet weather expert then focussed his attentions on closing down the gap to fellow countryman, Chris Vermeulen, who had a four second advantage over the Kawasaki pilot. However, by lap 13 the weather rapidly deteriorated, as heavy gusts of wind and rain descended on the 4.216km track. West fought to hold onto his top-ten place, but with a lack of visibility and reduced grip around the circuit, he lost a position to Alex De Angelis shortly before the race was red-flagged on lap 20 for safety reasons.

Hopkins suffered similar difficulties in the tricky conditions, with the heavy wind making it difficult for the 25-year-old Anglo-American to change direction aboard his Bridgestone shod machine. The Kawasaki racer, despite looking to re-catch Tony Elias who was just over a second ahead, dropped back in the last few laps of the race to cross the line in 14th position.

Soon after the Kawasaki pair entered pit-lane, it was declared that the race wouldn’t be restarted on safety grounds.

Anthony West: #13 – 11th Position

“I’m actually really disappointed because I was sure we could have achieved a much better result in the wet today. The track was cleared of standing water before the beginning of the race, and because I was so far back I had to really push hard to make up positions in the opening few laps. We got up to 10th place and I really felt we were capable of catching the riders ahead, but as the weather deteriorated so did the grip level left in my tire, as I’d worked it so hard in the beginning, and we couldn’t push any harder towards the end. From dead last on the grid eleventh isn’t so bad, and given the weather we were up against, at least we were able to fight for what nearly was a top ten place.”

John Hopkins: #21 – 14th Position
“Warm-up this morning was dry and then the weather deteriorated not long before the race. We got a really good start, and we ran a fairly hard compound rear tire as we thought a dry line might appear before the end of the race. This took a while to get up to temperature, so I rode quite steadily in the opening laps and unfortunately lost a few places. We got into a good rhythm and our lap times were good, but then the weather rapidly got worse. The rain we could deal with, but the wind was unbelievable, which made it hard to get the bike to change direction. There was a lot of debris all over the track and then the race was red-flagged. Overall 14th is certainly not where we wanted to finish, but in the dry we definitely made some improvements during qualifying and I hope we can put these to good use next time out in Japan.”

Michael Bartholemy: Kawasaki Competition Manager

“We made a really promising start to the weekend in Friday practice, with both of our riders nearing the top of the time sheets. The weather then changed for Saturday and it was dry at the circuit, which is new to MotoGP and we came across some difficulties. Although we didn’t qualify so well, we were hoping for good results in today’s wet race. Conditions were very tough out on circuit, and Anthony managed to get up to the top ten, but after working his tire so hard at the beginning of the race he dropped off a little towards the end. John also made a really good start, but the heavy wind really affected him before the race was red-flagged. We do have some positives to take away from this weekend, but we certainly have a lot more work to do, and we really have to make improvements to put us in good stead for the team’s second home race in Japan in a few weeks time.”

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