2009 MotoGP Championship - Round 12 - Indianapolis

Toni Elias.  Photos and text courtesy BMW Motorrad, Ducati Corse, Honda Racing, Suzuki Racing, Yamaha Racing.  Edited by webBikeWorld.

Lorenzo Takes Indy

Jorge Lorenzo took an emphatic third victory of the season at Indianapolis this afternoon, halving Valentino Rossi's championship lead in the process as his Fiat Yamaha team-mate slid out.

The determined Spaniard was joined on the podium by Alex de Angelis and Nicky Hayden, with Tech 3 Yamaha riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland both putting in good rides to finish fifth and sixth.

Dani Pedrosa took the hole shot with Rossi in close pursuit but Lorenzo got a poor start, forcing him to make one of his favourite 'por fuera' moves, around the outside of three riders.

The leading trio quickly pulled several seconds ahead of the chasing pack but on lap four Pedrosa slid out, leaving the Yamaha pair alone once again at the front.  There was little between the rival team-mates and on the ninth of 27 laps Lorenzo made a brilliant move on Rossi, passing him on the brakes into turn one. Just two laps later the World Champion ran slightly wide and, finding himself on a dirty part of the track, lost the front and went down.  He remounted in 16th place but a problem with his throttle forced him to retire soon after.

With no other challengers in sight, Lorenzo just had to bring his number 99 Yamaha home safely and he did so in fine style to win the second Indianapolis Grand Prix, in the Centenary year of the historic track.  The youngster has now cut Rossi's lead to 25 points with five rounds remaining and just one week before the second of Rossi's home races at Misano in Italy.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1 stTime: 47'13.592:  "This is fantastic for me and for my team! I've had two crashes in a row but now I've won, and my closest rivals have crashed instead.  Of course I'm sorry for them but these are the highs and lows of racing and it's an amazing result for me.

I was strong all weekend and I really want to thank my team for giving me a great bike.  I had a hard start and I had to try very hard to pass people and get back to third, but then I had a good rhythm and I was able to go with Valentino and Dani.  Once Dani had gone I knew it would be a hard fight between me and Valentino and in fact when he crashed I didn't realize for a while, because I misread my pit-board and thought it said +0!

Anyway, my bike was great and from then on it was quite easy, I just stayed focused.  I had great fun on the slow-down lap with the fans and I am so happy to win here at this amazing track.  The championship was almost gone but in one day things have changed a lot. It will be hard but we won't give up!"

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MotoGP at Historic Indianapolis Circuit

With 257,000 permanent seats the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest spectator sporting facility in the world and fills to capacity for its crown jewels, the Indy 500 and Allstate 400 car races.

Originally constructed in 1909 with a 2.5-mile oval, an exciting 16-turn motorcycle road circuit, which includes part of the historic oval, was purpose-built last year for MotoGP.

Last year's appalling weather aside, average temperatures in late August generally range from highs of around 25 C to lows touching 15 C and the entire paddock will be hoping for slightly more average conditions this time around.

Valentino Rossi - "Anything can happen"
"2008 in Indy was something special because it was the first time we had been there and it is definitely the most famous racetrack in the world.  We didn't really know what to expect but our bike worked very well and we were fast from the start, in the wet and the dry.

Every year is a different story however so we won't know where we are until we start our work on Friday afternoon.  Last year I had a great win but, like everyone, I really hope that was the only hurricane we ever have to race in and that this time the conditions are more 'normal'!

As I said in Brno, it would be stupid for us to relax and consider the championship won, anything can happen and we know that Lorenzo will be very strong this weekend and determined to make up for the last two races.  We must keep focused."

Jorge Lorenzo - "We're ready"
"Indy is very special for me because it's the first track where I got a podium in wet conditions, in my very first year in MotoGP!  Last year was strange, maybe we should have finished earlier because Hurricane Ike was pretty strong; this time I hope everything will be a little bit easier.

I am feeling confident because I've felt good in the last races, riding very fast since the beginning of the weekend, despite what's happened on Sunday.  I am not thinking about the championship any more but I would like to win a race again after more than three months, especially here in Indy when it's the centenary of the track. It's a busy two weeks, with Misano straight after, but we're ready."

Indianapolis: Record Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2008, 1'49.668

Indianapolis: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2008, 1'40.776

Grand Prix Results: Indianapolis 2008
1. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 37'20.095
2. N. Hayden (Honda) +5.972
3. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +7.858

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Circuit Length: 4186 m
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 40.776 (Valentino Rossi, 2008)

More:  2009 MotoGP Racing Schedule  |  2009 World Superbike Racing Schedule  |  wBW Motorcycle Racing Page (News and More Schedules)

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