2009 MotoGP Championship - Round 8 - Laguna Seca, USA

Chris Vermeulen. Photos and text courtesy BMW Motorrad, Ducati Corse, Suzuki Racing, Yamaha Racing.  Edited by webBikeWorld.

Pedrosa Takes First Win of the Season

Dani Pedrosa won an overwhelming victory and teammates Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo shared the MotoGP podium for the sixth time this season at the US Grand Prix.

Rossi closed down a gap of over three seconds to eventual winner Dani Pedrosa but fell just short of making another final-corner pass, whilst a brave Lorenzo battled through the pain of his injured shoulder to rally after a poor start and finish a strong third.

Rossi extends his lead at the top of the championship to nine points over Lorenzo, who in turn stretches the gap from Stoner to seven points.  There is a now a two week break before the MotoGP paddock returns to Europe for another double-header at the Sachsenring in Germany followed by Donington in the UK.

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Back to the U.S.A.

Laguna Seca is an all-American track where the intense dry heat, unpredictable asphalt and anti-clockwise layout reward the loose and aggressive riding style of the US dirt-trackers.

The track boasts some of the most dramatic elevation changes on the world championship circuit as well as fast, sweeping corners, the most notorious of which is the world-famous 'Corkscrew'.

Machine set-up is relatively straightforward, with throttle connection a much more important factor than top-end power and a well balanced chassis the key to those elevation changes and diverse corners.

The Fiat Yamaha Team arrives in the United States with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo lying first and second in the championship, separated by just five points.

Rossi, who clinched his 100th career victory in Assen on Sunday, has three wins to his name so far and Lorenzo has two, while both riders have finished on the podium in six out of seven races this season to leave Fiat Yamaha leading the Teams' standings and Yamaha the Manufacturers'.

The Italian and the Spaniard will make a short stopover in Los Angeles for a visit to Yamaha US on Wednesday before heading north to the coastal town of Monterey and the spectacular Laguna Seca track.

Before last year Rossi had just one podium to his name at Laguna since MotoGP returned there in 2005, but he produced one of the performances of his career in 2008 to win an important victory, which went on to prove one of the key turning points of his season.

A race-long battle with Casey Stoner threw up some nail-biting moments between the pair but the Italian prevailed to take his first win on American soil.

After two wins on the bounce he is heading stateside in flying form and will be hoping to extend his championship lead this weekend with another great result.

Thursday sees the now traditional Laguna Seca Superkart race and Rossi this year will make a few display laps in a Superkart before Yamaha legends Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and Kenny Roberts Senior take centre stage for the real thing.

Valentino Rossi - "Back to normal!"
"The wonderful memory of the 100th win is still fresh, but now we have just a few days to recover before the next race, which is hard for everyone.  We have to try to relax as much as possible and recharge the batteries a little, because Laguna is always a tough weekend and often very hot.

Last year I had a great battle with Stoner and for me it was for sure one of the turning points of the championship and a very important win; I have some good memories. I think this year it will be hard again because Lorenzo is in brilliant form and I am sure Stoner will also be back to his best.

Laguna is a great place to race and an exciting track, I also have a little trip to Los Angeles and Yamaha USA first which I am looking forward to.  The championship is very open at this point so we need to keep focus, get back to normal after Assen and try to get another good result this weekend."

Laguna Seca: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'21.488

Laguna Seca: Best Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'20.700

Grand Prix Results: Laguna Seca 2008
1. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 44'04.311
2. C.Stoner (Ducati) +13.001
3. C.Vermeulen (Suzuki) +26.609

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

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