Race Results
Valentino Rossi wrote another chapter in his ever-expanding history book at Indianapolis today, claiming his 69th premier-class win and becoming the most successful rider in premier-class history in the process.

His hat trick of pole position, fastest lap and race victory made for a perfect first Indianapolis Grand Prix for the Italian and a third place for Jorge Lorenzo rounded off an exceptional weekend for the Fiat Yamaha Team.

More bad weather in the early afternoon led to the 250cc race being abandoned and the early part of the MotoGP race was run on a very wet track.  Rossi dropped to fourth at the start and then surrendered another place to Lorenzo on the next lap, but he soon found his rhythm and made his way back past Casey Stoner, Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso into second behind Nicky Hayden by lap six.

Passing Hayden was no mean feat and it took the seven-time world champion another eight laps to finally get by the American, at which point he quickly began to pull away.

Hurricane Ike was not finished with Indianapolis however and on lap 16 of 28 it started to rain heavily once again, accompanied by strong gusts of wind which became very dangerous.  The race was eventually red-flagged after 20 laps and, after a few minutes confusion as to whether there would be a restart, Rossi was confirmed as the first ever MotoGP winner at the Brickyard.

Rossi's 69th win takes him ahead of his fellow countryman Giacomo Agostini to the top of the all-time premier class winners list, a record which has stood for more than 30 years.  Agostini claimed the 1975 500cc title with Yamaha and won six of his 68 victories with the Japanese factory.

Rossi is now 87 points clear of Stoner, who finished fourth today, which means he is able to win the championship at the next round in Motegi by finishing fourth or above.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 1; Time: 37'20.095:  "This is fantastic because it's been a long time since I won in the rain and even longer since I won four in a row!  To win the first race here at Indianapolis is a great emotion and to beat Agostini's record is also incredible, now I hope my record will stand for 30 years like his!

It was an amazing race and, once I was able to pass Stoner, I knew I had the chance to win so I pushed very hard.  I had a great race with Nicky; he was really hard to pass so congratulations to him.  When the wind and rain came it became very hard, I think I could have kept going for another eight laps okay but there were things flying through the air - beer cans, plastic glasses - so really I think it was the right decision to stop the race!

Sincerely I don't think I've ever ridden in conditions like these and I was lucky because I was far in front and therefore didn't have to take any big risks.  It's been a perfect weekend for us despite the weather because we made the pole position, the fastest lap and we won, so I want to congratulate my team once again for a fantastic job, today and all year.

Also thanks to Bridgestone because my tires were very good today.  I've really enjoyed racing here in Indy and I am looking forward to coming back next year.  Now we have a big advantage and it would be great to win the championship in Motegi, but it's not over yet so we will keep our concentration and keep working!  Finally I want to dedicate this victory to my Grandfather Dario, who sadly died today aged 82."

Jorge Lorenzo made the podium in a wet race for the very first time in his entire career today, claiming third place at the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix at the famous 'Brickyard'. 

The 21-year-old Spaniard has now finished on the podium on each of the five occasions he has qualified on the front row in his rookie season and he was joined once again by his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi, who took his seventh victory of the season with a masterful display of wet-weather riding.

A second podium in a row for the leading rookie consolidates fourth place in the championship for him, 37 points adrift of Dani Pedrosa with four races remaining. 

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3Time: +7.858:  "This is the first wet podium in my career, including the European, Spanish and even Mallorcan Championships!  To be honest, I really didn't want to leave my motorhome before the race because I was so warm and comfortable and I really don't like to race in the rain, but today I think things have changed!

I got a good start, which surprised me, and then I was able to pass Dani and then Valentino, which surprised me even more!  I am so happy to finally discover that I can be fast in the rain as well.

After Valentino passed me back I tried to follow him but he was a bit too fast so I concentrated on keeping my pace consistent, then the rain and especially the wind came and it was quite crazy!  I was still fast though I closed the gap to Nicky, who I think had some problems by then, and maybe I could have passed him with some more laps but it was very dangerous and so better to stop the race.

We are still not perfect but our bike and Michelin tires were very good today so I want to thank Yamaha and Michelin again, and my team for their hard work.  Well done to Valentino and I hope we can continue like this for the last four races."

2008 MotoGP Indianapolis - Race Results Sept. 15, 2008

Circuit Length: 4186.  Temp: 21.  Weather: Wet. 20 Laps

1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 37'20.095

2 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 0'5.972

3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 0'7.858

4 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 0'28.162

5 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 0'28.824

6 Ben Spies Suzuki USA 0'29.645

7 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0'36.223

8 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'37.258

9 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 0'38.442

10 Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 0'42.437

11 Anthony West Kawasaki AUS 0'47.179

12 Toni Elias Ducati ESP 0'55.962

13 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 0'57.366

14 John Hopkins Kawasaki USA 0'58.353

15 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 1'0.613

18 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'7.968

Best Lap

Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'49.668

Rider Standings as of September 14, 2008

1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 287

2. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 200

3. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 193

4. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 156

5. Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 129

6. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 117

7. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 109

8. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 104

9. Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 87

10. Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 86

11. Toni Elias Ducati ESP 86

12. James Toseland Yamaha GBR 85

13. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 56

14. Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 55

15. Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 48

Team Standings as of September 14, 2008

1. FIAT Yamaha Team 443

2. Repsol Honda Team 297

3. Ducati Marlboro Team 248

4. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 205

5. Tech3 Yamaha 194

6. Honda Gresini 142

7. Team Alice 142

8. JIR Scot Team 129

9. Kawasaki Racing Team 82

10. Honda LCR 43

Manufacturer Standings as of September 14, 2008

1. Yamaha 316

2. Honda 243

3. Ducati 241

4. Suzuki 149

5. Kawasaki 71

Qualifying
Valentino Rossi took a historic pole position today for the inaugural MotoGP race at Indianapolis today; tomorrow will see him become the first rider in 99 years to head a motorcycle race at the famous 'Brickyard'.

The Fiat Yamaha rider hung onto the front grid spot by just 0.084 seconds ahead of Casey Stoner to take his second pole of the season, with team-mate Jorge Lorenzo rounding out the front row for the second race running.

After the torrential downpours of yesterday, the rain abated today and this morning's practice was run on a drying track.  Rossi was quick to find an effective dry set-up and was second fastest, finding the agile nature of his M1 well suited to the demands of the 4.218 km track.

Qualifying this afternoon was run in bright sunshine and Rossi had an enjoyable hour, fine-tuning his setting before putting in several fast laps with a Bridgestone qualifying tire, his final one good enough to hold off Stoner and Lorenzo's last-minute challenges.

The riders' now have one wet and one dry day of set-up under their belts at this new track but, with rain forecast tomorrow, it seems that the wet one could be the one they need.  Tomorrow's 28-lap race is scheduled to get underway at 1500 local time (GMT -4).

Valentino Rossi - Position: 1; Time: 1'40.776; Laps: 26:  "I'm very happy to get the chance to ride on this circuit in the dry, it's a great track and I had a lot of fun today.  It's technical and difficult, which I like, and it seems to suit our bike and tires well.

There are places to pass, especially turn one and turn ten, and the grip of the new asphalt is much better in the dry.  If it's like this tomorrow, then we can have a great race!  Unfortunately this seems unlikely so we will have to wait and see what the situation is tomorrow at race time.  If it's 'normal' rain then we will be okay, if it's like yesterday then we have to take a decision all together about racing.

 I am really happy with the work we did today, we found a great setting for the qualifying tires this afternoon and I made some good laps, especially the last two.  I knew I could try for 1'40 and I was able to do 40.7.  Whatever the weather tomorrow, this pole position will be very important."

Lorenzo Again on Front Row for Indy Debut
Jorge Lorenzo put his Fiat Yamaha Team M1 on the front row of the grid for the second race in a row today, qualifying third for the first ever MotoGP race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

As in Misano, Lorenzo will share the front row with team-mate Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner, albeit with their positions reversed after Rossi took a stunning pole position this afternoon.

Today's two sessions were run in very different conditions to yesterday's washout, with this afternoon's qualifying taking place under sunny skies with ambient temperatures in the mid thirties.  Lorenzo made steady progress with his dry set-up over the hour and moved into provisional pole position with 12 minutes to go.  He was then relegated down the grid in the last ten minutes but his last effort with a Michelin qualifying tire was good enough to put him back on the front row.

Unfortunately more bad weather is expected tomorrow so yesterday's wet set-up looks like it will come in useful.  The race will be run over 28 laps and the lights will go out at 1500 East Coast time (GMT-4).

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3; Time: 1'41.177; Laps: 27:  "I am so happy that this track is different to how I expected, because I really enjoyed myself this afternoon!  I thought it would be quite dangerous but in fact I feel really safe on my M1 here, which is allowing me to be fast.

Some of the corners are really close together which I enjoy because it means I can ride very smoothly in the style that I like.  It's a good track for me.  We are on the front row for the second race in a row and this shows that we are truly getting back to our best, so I want to thank my team for their work, both here and in Misano.

We are still not perfect in the wet or the dry so we need to make some improvements in warm-up, but we don't know what the weather will do tomorrow so we will have to wait and see."

James Toseland

Tech 3 Yamaha Duo Ready for Historic Indianapolis Race
James Toseland and Colin Edwards will start alongside each other on the fourth row of the grid for tomorrow's MotoGP debut at the iconic Indianapolis circuit.  In contrast to the torrential rain that dominated the opening day of practice, today's qualifying session was run in sunny and humid conditions, giving Toseland and Edwards their first opportunity to familiarize themselves with a fully dry track.

Prime focus was on evaluating slick tire performance on the different sections of asphalt at the Indy circuit, which had proved problematic in yesterday's wet conditions as grip levels varied on the old and new surface.  Quickly getting to grips with the circuit in dry conditions, Toseland looked on course to claim an impressive second row start when he climbed to fifth place with just eight minutes of the session remaining.  But he had to settle for 10th with a best time of 1.41.897, which was one place and just 0.037s faster than Edwards.

Edwards delighted a large home crowd with 24 minutes remaining when he surged to the top of the timesheets on his first Michelin qualifying tire.  Briefly relegated off the front row, Edwards elevated himself back into the top three with 16 minutes remaining. He eventually ended the session in 11th.

Weather forecasts for tomorrow's 28-lap race aren't for more of today's dry conditions, with Friday's heavy rain anticipated to return.  Race bosses will constantly monitor weather forecasts tomorrow, with the possibility of the race being run earlier than the scheduled 3pm slot to avoid the most severe weather.

2008 MotoGP Round 14 - Indianapolis - Qualifying - Sep. 13, 2008

1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'40.776

2 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 1'40.860

3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'41.177

4 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 1'41.271

5 Ben Spies Suzuki USA 1'41.464

6 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 1'41.920

7 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 1'41.744

8 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'41.754

9 Toni Elias Ducati ESP 1'41.886

10 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'41.897

11 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 1'41.934

12 Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 1'41.969

13 Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 1'42.305

14 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1'42.405

15 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 1'42.551

Casey Stoner

Race Preview
The MotoGP World Championship heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in its history this weekend, fittingly with the equal most successful rider of all-time leading the groundbreaking pilgrimage to one of motorsport's most iconic venues.

The legendary American circuit, which plays host to two of the largest-attended sporting events in the world - the Indy 500 and Allstate 400 car races - now welcomes the two-wheeled phenomena of Rossi-mania and the 'Lorenshow', with the pair keen to make their mark with a dazzling performance in front of the fanatical east-coast crowd.

Much will hinge on the adaptability of bikes and especially tires at a circuit the engineers have no previous data for.  A crucial factor will be track temperature, although it looks certain to be much cooler than recent events at Laguna Seca, Brno and in particular Misano, where the late European summer sunshine brought ambient temperatures of 35ºC, heating the asphalt to 48ºC.  At Indianapolis average temperatures in September range from highs of around 25ºC to lows touching 13ºC.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest spectator sporting facility in the world, with 257,000 permanent seats.  Originally constructed in 1909 with a 2.5-mile oval, an exciting 16-turn motorcycle road circuit, which includes part of the historic oval, has been purpose-built for this weekend's event.

Action will get underway an hour earlier than usual, with the first practice session scheduled for 9.30am on Friday and running until 11am, allowing the riders an extra half hour to get to know the track.  Sunday's race is also scheduled for later than usual, with the red lights set to go out at 3 pm.

Valentino Rossi - "I am still on a high from Misano, which was an amazing day, but now we are facing a different challenge.  It's very exciting to be going to Indianapolis, such a famous and historical place for motorsport, but it's obvious from reports that it's going to be quite a difficult race for everyone.

Of course we have no data but we're also expecting the surface to be quite tricky for the tires.  I hope the track is safe, we know the walls are quite close in some places but hopefully it won't be a problem.  We will find out on Friday!  It's fun to be going to a new place in America and I hope there will be a lot of fans, even if it's not quite as many as at the Indy 500!"

Jorge Lorenzo - "Returning to the United States is really exciting for me, not for the fact we're going back there but because we're racing at a completely new circuit.  Indianapolis is a historic place, which we have all heard people talking about at one time or another.  It's a track I've seen hundreds of times in movies and on the television.

As far as I'm concerned, I just want to keep in a good run of form and stay at the level we found at San Marino, where everything worked as we'd hoped once again.  The whole team and myself have to focus throughout all four sessions because they will be crucial to prepare for the race. T here are five rounds until the end of the world championship and we have to keep fighting to meet our objectives.  This is the first of a difficult run of races outside Europe."