1. Now the championship is interesting.
2. Why pick anyone other than Scott Dixon at Mid-Ohio?
3. This wasn't a great race but was by far better than Belle Isle. Rain would've helped. Track changes have to be done. Moving turn two back a little and making one straightaway connecting turn nine to the carousel are what I would do.
4. Great race for Bourdais, Marco Andretti did a great job getting a top ten, so did Hildebrand.
5. Well, after back-to-back races ending under caution, we have had two caution free-races. No more complaining please. Sometimes these things just happen.
6. The NBC Sports Network guys did a great job on ABC. I hope the average/causal fans who flipped on the race were impressed with these guys.
7. Mid-Ohio needs a new pit lane.
8. Chevrolet has won two sets of four straight races. Honda won three races between those two streaks. If the trend holds, pencil in Honda for Sonoma and Baltimore.
9. Not looking forward to two weeks off before Sonoma. Hopefully, next season does not have these big gaps, especially during the summer time.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Morning Warm-Up: Mid-Ohio 2012
Will Power won his third pole of the season at Mid-Ohio as he beat the Hondas of Dario Franchitti, Simon Pagenaud, Alex Tagliani and Scott Dixon. His teammate and fellow Aussie, Ryan Briscoe bookend the Firestone Fast Six for Chevrolet and Team Penske. Alex Tagliani will have to serve a ten grid spot penalty and drop back to fourteenth. Just missing the Firestone Fast Six were Sebastien Bourdais, points leader Ryan Hunter-Reay and the surprise so-far this weekend, Marco Andretti. Josef Newgarden was tenth fastest. Other notable drivers were Justin Wilson in twelfth, Helio Castroneves in thirteenth, James Hinchcliffe in sixteenth, Tony Kanaan in nineteenth, Graham Rahal in twenty-second and Giorgio Pantano in twenty-fourth.
Push-2-Pass this weekend will be one hundred seconds and have the new delay feature. The extra horsepower will not kick-in until five seconds after hitting the button. This change was made a team admitted to watching timing and scoring and telling their driver when the trailing driver was on the button to easily defend their position.
Off the track, the first entry for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 was announced. Chase Austin will drive a second AJ Foyt Enterprises entry. Chase Austin was a development driver in NASCAR with Hendrick Motorsports and Rusty Wallace Racing and was the first black driver to race in a Nationwide Series oval event. Austin has ran a total of four Indy Lights races in the last two season, two at Indianapolis and two at Iowa. He has finished ninth and tenth at Indianapolis and finished tenth and eighth at Iowa.
As Kevin Lee was promoting it, the Mid-Ohio race is on ESPN on ABC powered by NBC Sports. Due to the amount of racing on ESPN this weekend (Cup at Pocono, Nationwide at Iowa, NHRA at Seattle), the NBC Sports Net crew (sans Robin Miller) is going to be the broadcast crew for this ABC race. Coverage begins at 12:30pm ET on ABC. I hope we all can take a two and a half hour break from the Olympics to watch this race.
Push-2-Pass this weekend will be one hundred seconds and have the new delay feature. The extra horsepower will not kick-in until five seconds after hitting the button. This change was made a team admitted to watching timing and scoring and telling their driver when the trailing driver was on the button to easily defend their position.
Off the track, the first entry for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 was announced. Chase Austin will drive a second AJ Foyt Enterprises entry. Chase Austin was a development driver in NASCAR with Hendrick Motorsports and Rusty Wallace Racing and was the first black driver to race in a Nationwide Series oval event. Austin has ran a total of four Indy Lights races in the last two season, two at Indianapolis and two at Iowa. He has finished ninth and tenth at Indianapolis and finished tenth and eighth at Iowa.
As Kevin Lee was promoting it, the Mid-Ohio race is on ESPN on ABC powered by NBC Sports. Due to the amount of racing on ESPN this weekend (Cup at Pocono, Nationwide at Iowa, NHRA at Seattle), the NBC Sports Net crew (sans Robin Miller) is going to be the broadcast crew for this ABC race. Coverage begins at 12:30pm ET on ABC. I hope we all can take a two and a half hour break from the Olympics to watch this race.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Track Walk: Mid-Ohio 2012
Round twelve of the Izod IndyCar Championship will take place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Helio Castroneves took his second win of the season at Edmonton two weeks ago and is second in points behind Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Pantano in; Kimball Hurt
Charlie Kimball broke a bone in his hand at last week's Mid-Ohio test and needed surgery. Giorgio Pantano returns to IndyCar after substituting for Justin Wilson at Sonoma, Baltimore and Motegi last year. Pantano drove for Ganassi at Sonoma and Watkins Glen in 2005, recording a fourteenth and a fourth. Kimball has five top tens this season including an eight at Indianapolis and a second at Toronto. No time is set for Kimball's return, reports are he would like to be back for the next race at Sonoma.
1... 2... 3... 4... 5... A Delay For Push-2-Pass
Starting at Mid-Ohio, push-2-pass will take affect five seconds after pressing the button. This is a response to teams using timing and scoring to tell their drivers when the person behind them were on the button and could defend against it. One hundred seconds will be available for the drivers this weekend.
Rahal Leaving Ganassi?
I did not see this one coming. In an article by Marshall Pruett, he reports Rahal will be leaving Ganassi Racing after this season and other potential free agents including Ryan Briscoe, Sebastien Bourdais, Oriol Servia and Justin Wilson are highlighted. Ryan Hunter-Reay is reportedly working on a deal to stay at Andretti Autosport. If a deal is not reached he would be added to the free agent list.
Past Mid-Ohio Results
Ryan Hunter-Reay has never finished outside the top ten at Mid-Ohio. His first career podium was at Mid-Ohio in 2003 and added another podium last year. Castroneves has two wins at Mid-Ohio (2000 and 2001) as well as three additional podiums. He also has three finishes outside the top ten. Will Power has only raced at Mid-Ohio three times with finishes of fourth, second and fourteenth. He won pole for the 2010 Mid-Ohio race. Scott Dixon has three wins and a total of six top-fives in seven races at the track. However Dixon's three wins all came in odd years (2007, 2009 and 2011). 2011 was James Hinchcliffe's first race at Mid-Ohio where he started seventh, led twenty-six laps before a late spin in turn two relegated him back to twentieth position. Hinchcliffe did finish second and seventh in two Lights' races.
Big Week For Sonoma
A lot of positive news from Wine Country. First, GoPro was announced as title sponsor for the race. The camera company signed a three year deal with the track, making one think this race will be around for a few more years. Also announced were alterations to the race track at turn seven, nine and eleven. Turn seven will be tightened into a hairpin, turn nine (the bus stop) was widen by ten feet in hopes to encourage more passing and the turn eleven hairpin was extended by two hundred feet. Personally, I would just like to see IndyCar run the sports car course that runs the esses and not the bus stop, goes through turn ten and uses the actually turn eleven hairpin.
More Track Alterations
The Baltimore Grand Prix circuit will be altered as well. The chicane on the front straightaway will be removed, turn one will be wider and the turn five and six section, along with the pit entrance will be changed.
Predictions
I see Hunter-Reay holding on to the points lead with another top ten. Power and Dixon are also in the top ten. Pantano has an average weekend in his first DW12 race. Graham Rahal puts on a great showing at his home race. It would be cool to see him win. Sato is either going to wreck it or get a podium. I see Ryan Briscoe having a good day and I am going with an upset and taking Alex Tagliani this weekend. Sleeper: Marco Andretti (Hard to believe but I feel his luck will turn around. Either that or he has another weekend where he no better than fifteenth in any session).
Pantano in; Kimball Hurt
Charlie Kimball broke a bone in his hand at last week's Mid-Ohio test and needed surgery. Giorgio Pantano returns to IndyCar after substituting for Justin Wilson at Sonoma, Baltimore and Motegi last year. Pantano drove for Ganassi at Sonoma and Watkins Glen in 2005, recording a fourteenth and a fourth. Kimball has five top tens this season including an eight at Indianapolis and a second at Toronto. No time is set for Kimball's return, reports are he would like to be back for the next race at Sonoma.
1... 2... 3... 4... 5... A Delay For Push-2-Pass
Starting at Mid-Ohio, push-2-pass will take affect five seconds after pressing the button. This is a response to teams using timing and scoring to tell their drivers when the person behind them were on the button and could defend against it. One hundred seconds will be available for the drivers this weekend.
Rahal Leaving Ganassi?
I did not see this one coming. In an article by Marshall Pruett, he reports Rahal will be leaving Ganassi Racing after this season and other potential free agents including Ryan Briscoe, Sebastien Bourdais, Oriol Servia and Justin Wilson are highlighted. Ryan Hunter-Reay is reportedly working on a deal to stay at Andretti Autosport. If a deal is not reached he would be added to the free agent list.
Past Mid-Ohio Results
Ryan Hunter-Reay has never finished outside the top ten at Mid-Ohio. His first career podium was at Mid-Ohio in 2003 and added another podium last year. Castroneves has two wins at Mid-Ohio (2000 and 2001) as well as three additional podiums. He also has three finishes outside the top ten. Will Power has only raced at Mid-Ohio three times with finishes of fourth, second and fourteenth. He won pole for the 2010 Mid-Ohio race. Scott Dixon has three wins and a total of six top-fives in seven races at the track. However Dixon's three wins all came in odd years (2007, 2009 and 2011). 2011 was James Hinchcliffe's first race at Mid-Ohio where he started seventh, led twenty-six laps before a late spin in turn two relegated him back to twentieth position. Hinchcliffe did finish second and seventh in two Lights' races.
Big Week For Sonoma
A lot of positive news from Wine Country. First, GoPro was announced as title sponsor for the race. The camera company signed a three year deal with the track, making one think this race will be around for a few more years. Also announced were alterations to the race track at turn seven, nine and eleven. Turn seven will be tightened into a hairpin, turn nine (the bus stop) was widen by ten feet in hopes to encourage more passing and the turn eleven hairpin was extended by two hundred feet. Personally, I would just like to see IndyCar run the sports car course that runs the esses and not the bus stop, goes through turn ten and uses the actually turn eleven hairpin.
More Track Alterations
The Baltimore Grand Prix circuit will be altered as well. The chicane on the front straightaway will be removed, turn one will be wider and the turn five and six section, along with the pit entrance will be changed.
Predictions
I see Hunter-Reay holding on to the points lead with another top ten. Power and Dixon are also in the top ten. Pantano has an average weekend in his first DW12 race. Graham Rahal puts on a great showing at his home race. It would be cool to see him win. Sato is either going to wreck it or get a podium. I see Ryan Briscoe having a good day and I am going with an upset and taking Alex Tagliani this weekend. Sleeper: Marco Andretti (Hard to believe but I feel his luck will turn around. Either that or he has another weekend where he no better than fifteenth in any session).
Monday, July 30, 2012
Brighter Times Ahead For IndyCar Ratings?
With these Olympics games, more people than ever are looking for NBC Sports Network. The US Men's national basketball team and Women's national soccer team are the two big draws for the network as well as many other events. While ads have been run by the network promoting their entities, the question is will this draw a more regular fan base for the network?
What is difficult for NBC Sports Network to do is promote their next IndyCar race. The Sonoma race is a little under a month away and due to the cancellation of China gives NBC Sports one less race to show. We may see more promotions towards the end of the Olympics as that will closer to the Sonoma, which now has a title sponsor in GoPro.
The bigger hope is these Olympic games makes NBC Sports Net into a more attractive place for sponsors. Drivers and teams have been having trouble finding sponsors for the races on NBC Sports Net due to the low ratings but a changed perception about the network would surely help.
IndyCar has been struggling for ratings, we all know that. This weekend's race at Mid-Ohio is on ABC at 12:30pm ET. It will be going head-to-head not only with the Olympics but the NASCAR race from Pocono. One thing in IndyCar's favor will be the ALMS race on Saturday at 2:00pm ET which is also on ABC. This is the perfect opportunity for in-race promotions and hopefully turn a causal fan watching Saturday into a causal fan watching Sunday.
We can only wait and see if NBC Sports Net is able to become a bigger network in the eyes of sports fans after these Olympic games and if IndyCar benefits. Until then IndyCar has to work with what is at hand.
What is difficult for NBC Sports Network to do is promote their next IndyCar race. The Sonoma race is a little under a month away and due to the cancellation of China gives NBC Sports one less race to show. We may see more promotions towards the end of the Olympics as that will closer to the Sonoma, which now has a title sponsor in GoPro.
The bigger hope is these Olympic games makes NBC Sports Net into a more attractive place for sponsors. Drivers and teams have been having trouble finding sponsors for the races on NBC Sports Net due to the low ratings but a changed perception about the network would surely help.
IndyCar has been struggling for ratings, we all know that. This weekend's race at Mid-Ohio is on ABC at 12:30pm ET. It will be going head-to-head not only with the Olympics but the NASCAR race from Pocono. One thing in IndyCar's favor will be the ALMS race on Saturday at 2:00pm ET which is also on ABC. This is the perfect opportunity for in-race promotions and hopefully turn a causal fan watching Saturday into a causal fan watching Sunday.
We can only wait and see if NBC Sports Net is able to become a bigger network in the eyes of sports fans after these Olympic games and if IndyCar benefits. Until then IndyCar has to work with what is at hand.
Senna
As many racing fans may have known already, the award-winning documentary Senna was broadcast for the first time on cable television last night when ESPN2 aired the film at 10:00pm ET.
I watched it for what has to be the twentieth time and I would just like to take this time to air out my thoughts and feelings before seeing it and after viewing it again.
When I first heard about this film it was premiering in Japan. I could not wait for this film to come state-side. Sure enough, I waited and waited and waited. During that time my grandfather was suffering from esophageal cancer and we would always watching racing together. Didn't matter what it was. IndyCar to NASCAR, Formula One to MotoGP, we watched it all. My grandfather's battle was very difficult. He had stretches where he was great, really active and you wouldn't think he had cancer at all. Other times he was very tired and wouldn't want to do anything. Around January of last year we had found out that the cancer had spread and a few brain tumors where developing. He had to go back on chemotherapy and was really struggling. I continued to visit him , pretty much every weekend from when he was first diagnosed in October of 2009. We continued to watch races together. Either I would head to their house or he would come over to my house. The last race I remember watching with him was the Barber IndyCar race in 2011. I don't remember watching Long Beach with him and I am not sure why that is but anyway, in case if you are wondering this is where the film and Ayrton Senna come into the story.
The week after Long Beach was Easter Sunday and I was on the Internet one day and someone brought it up that 2011 would be the 17th anniversary to the day of Ayrton Senna's tragic accident. That stopped me for a moment. Senna is without a doubt one of my favorite drivers all-time because of who he was on and off the track. At that point my grandfather was doing well, he wasn't as good as he was before but he was OK. It hit me that it was a really real possibility that my grandfather, the best friend I have ever had, could pass on the same day as my racing hero. I didn't want that to happen but I knew how real it could be.
The Tuesday before Easter comes around and my family gets a call, my grandfather isn't feeling well. My father takes him to the hospital and I go with them. The doctor's give him treat him and he goes home. Two days later he has had to be taken to the hospital after having a stroke in the middle of the night. The doctor's say he would not make it past Easter Sunday, April 24. At this point I am at the hospital everyday. Sunday rolls around and he is still alive. Monday comes he is still alive. The doctor's say we have to get him out of hospital and put him on hospice. Meanwhile I have a student from Germany coming to my house to stay for three weeks. Anyway, the days go by and my grandfather is still here. I am attending events with this student and we have a trip to Amish country from 6am to 6pm on Saturday April 30th. We go and when we get back I decide that I have to go see my grandfather and check IndyCar qualifying from Brazil. I drop the student off at my house and my father is there. He had just gotten back from my grandfather's and tells me that he is gone. I was devastated. I try to hold back all emotions and turn on IndyCar qualifying just to gather myself. I get someone to take the German student out for the night as I am going up to my grandfather's to see him one final time in his house.
I kept thinking, "this is how it's suppose to be" and "it had to be this way." Two of the biggest people in my life were suppose to die, while years apart, but almost on the same day. I kept thinking of Senna at my grandfather's. We turned on the NASCAR races because the Cup series was at Richmond that night and it's what my grandfather and I would have been doing anyway. The days past and when the funeral was over, I could not stop thinking about my grandfather and Senna.
They had never met, nor were probably ever close to meeting. While I did not have the fortune to share this Earth with Ayrton Senna for long, only 26 days, since I first learned of the man, I have been drawn to him. Over my life I done all I can to learn about him. I watched whatever video of past races I can find to see him race, listened and read what people around motorsports have said about him. This man of deep faith and this great will to win appealed to my from the time I was young.
I really struggled with my grandfather's death and was still struggling when I went to see Senna at the Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia. I believe it was the Tuesday after the Sonoma IndyCar race because I was going to go that Sunday morning but Hurricane Irene came and shut everything down. I saw the film and felt the film was fantastic. My father, who knows nothing about racing, nothing about Senna, doesn't like racing one bit, went with me and he of all people enjoyed the movie. I was stunned about that.
After watching the film again last night and after all that has happened since I first saw it, my love for Senna and racing is reconfirmed. Senna wanted to race. He hated the politics, did not want money to get in the way and wanted to race at it's purest form. Any race fan can appreciate that. Senna was lightning in a bottle. I do not think any driver in my lifetime has come close to what Senna could do with a race car. And no driver may ever come close.
I watched it for what has to be the twentieth time and I would just like to take this time to air out my thoughts and feelings before seeing it and after viewing it again.
When I first heard about this film it was premiering in Japan. I could not wait for this film to come state-side. Sure enough, I waited and waited and waited. During that time my grandfather was suffering from esophageal cancer and we would always watching racing together. Didn't matter what it was. IndyCar to NASCAR, Formula One to MotoGP, we watched it all. My grandfather's battle was very difficult. He had stretches where he was great, really active and you wouldn't think he had cancer at all. Other times he was very tired and wouldn't want to do anything. Around January of last year we had found out that the cancer had spread and a few brain tumors where developing. He had to go back on chemotherapy and was really struggling. I continued to visit him , pretty much every weekend from when he was first diagnosed in October of 2009. We continued to watch races together. Either I would head to their house or he would come over to my house. The last race I remember watching with him was the Barber IndyCar race in 2011. I don't remember watching Long Beach with him and I am not sure why that is but anyway, in case if you are wondering this is where the film and Ayrton Senna come into the story.
The week after Long Beach was Easter Sunday and I was on the Internet one day and someone brought it up that 2011 would be the 17th anniversary to the day of Ayrton Senna's tragic accident. That stopped me for a moment. Senna is without a doubt one of my favorite drivers all-time because of who he was on and off the track. At that point my grandfather was doing well, he wasn't as good as he was before but he was OK. It hit me that it was a really real possibility that my grandfather, the best friend I have ever had, could pass on the same day as my racing hero. I didn't want that to happen but I knew how real it could be.
The Tuesday before Easter comes around and my family gets a call, my grandfather isn't feeling well. My father takes him to the hospital and I go with them. The doctor's give him treat him and he goes home. Two days later he has had to be taken to the hospital after having a stroke in the middle of the night. The doctor's say he would not make it past Easter Sunday, April 24. At this point I am at the hospital everyday. Sunday rolls around and he is still alive. Monday comes he is still alive. The doctor's say we have to get him out of hospital and put him on hospice. Meanwhile I have a student from Germany coming to my house to stay for three weeks. Anyway, the days go by and my grandfather is still here. I am attending events with this student and we have a trip to Amish country from 6am to 6pm on Saturday April 30th. We go and when we get back I decide that I have to go see my grandfather and check IndyCar qualifying from Brazil. I drop the student off at my house and my father is there. He had just gotten back from my grandfather's and tells me that he is gone. I was devastated. I try to hold back all emotions and turn on IndyCar qualifying just to gather myself. I get someone to take the German student out for the night as I am going up to my grandfather's to see him one final time in his house.
I kept thinking, "this is how it's suppose to be" and "it had to be this way." Two of the biggest people in my life were suppose to die, while years apart, but almost on the same day. I kept thinking of Senna at my grandfather's. We turned on the NASCAR races because the Cup series was at Richmond that night and it's what my grandfather and I would have been doing anyway. The days past and when the funeral was over, I could not stop thinking about my grandfather and Senna.
They had never met, nor were probably ever close to meeting. While I did not have the fortune to share this Earth with Ayrton Senna for long, only 26 days, since I first learned of the man, I have been drawn to him. Over my life I done all I can to learn about him. I watched whatever video of past races I can find to see him race, listened and read what people around motorsports have said about him. This man of deep faith and this great will to win appealed to my from the time I was young.
I really struggled with my grandfather's death and was still struggling when I went to see Senna at the Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia. I believe it was the Tuesday after the Sonoma IndyCar race because I was going to go that Sunday morning but Hurricane Irene came and shut everything down. I saw the film and felt the film was fantastic. My father, who knows nothing about racing, nothing about Senna, doesn't like racing one bit, went with me and he of all people enjoyed the movie. I was stunned about that.
After watching the film again last night and after all that has happened since I first saw it, my love for Senna and racing is reconfirmed. Senna wanted to race. He hated the politics, did not want money to get in the way and wanted to race at it's purest form. Any race fan can appreciate that. Senna was lightning in a bottle. I do not think any driver in my lifetime has come close to what Senna could do with a race car. And no driver may ever come close.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
What A Dud
It was suppose to bring the best drivers to race, fill the stands after years of dwindling attendance. The billed Kroger Super Weekend was anything but that.
While the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge brought a very nice size field of car, the main event on Friday saw only thirty-four entries for the Rolex Sports Car Series, eleven being for the Daytona Prototype class. The race also did not entice drivers to come be apart of the first sports car race at the Speedway or car owners to field an extra car or two. Chip Ganassi added a second car for Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Dixon but that was it for one-offs. Sebastien Bourdais raced for Starworks Motorsport and Paul Tracy for Doran Racing. That's it. Sure Indy Lights drivers James Davison and Sebastian Saavedra were in a Corvette but they do not move the needle.
No big name sports car or IndyCar drivers showed up like they do for the 24 Hours of Daytona. No All-Star, once-in-a-life time driver line-up, none of it. And the Nationwide race was not any better. The usual Cup guys who run Nationwide Series races showed up. The Busch brothers, Keselowski, Logano and Hamlin were there but it didn't draw the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart or Mark Martin. The thrill of winning the first Nationwide race at the Speedway wasn't as great as some first thought.
Moving away from Indianapolis Raceway Park (currently known as Lucas Oil Raceway) not only took a great Saturday night short track race off the Nationwide schedule but killed a pretty good Friday night Truck race as well. In an effort by both NASCAR and the Speedway to help bring more people to the track, their "Super Weekend" was not able to do what they hoped it would. It only saturated the greatest race track in the world with a few more minor events.
While the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge brought a very nice size field of car, the main event on Friday saw only thirty-four entries for the Rolex Sports Car Series, eleven being for the Daytona Prototype class. The race also did not entice drivers to come be apart of the first sports car race at the Speedway or car owners to field an extra car or two. Chip Ganassi added a second car for Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Dixon but that was it for one-offs. Sebastien Bourdais raced for Starworks Motorsport and Paul Tracy for Doran Racing. That's it. Sure Indy Lights drivers James Davison and Sebastian Saavedra were in a Corvette but they do not move the needle.
No big name sports car or IndyCar drivers showed up like they do for the 24 Hours of Daytona. No All-Star, once-in-a-life time driver line-up, none of it. And the Nationwide race was not any better. The usual Cup guys who run Nationwide Series races showed up. The Busch brothers, Keselowski, Logano and Hamlin were there but it didn't draw the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart or Mark Martin. The thrill of winning the first Nationwide race at the Speedway wasn't as great as some first thought.
Moving away from Indianapolis Raceway Park (currently known as Lucas Oil Raceway) not only took a great Saturday night short track race off the Nationwide schedule but killed a pretty good Friday night Truck race as well. In an effort by both NASCAR and the Speedway to help bring more people to the track, their "Super Weekend" was not able to do what they hoped it would. It only saturated the greatest race track in the world with a few more minor events.
Can An American Win The United States Grand Prix?
Yes. Will an American win? That question does not have as easy as an answer.
With the depth of the current MotoGP field, Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and Colin Edwards do not have their work cut out for them as they head to Laguna Seca for the United States Grand Prix. Edwards' hopes of winning are already hampered by being on a clearly slower CRT bike and a win by the Texas Tornado would rank as one of the largest upsets in sports history let alone racing history.
Hayden has won two United States Grand Prix. He held off Edwards and his current Ducati teammate Valentino Rossi in 2005 at Laguna Seca for his first MotoGP victory and would go on to win again in 2006 on his way to win his first World Championship. That 2006 victory is however Hayden's last win to date in MotoGP and his best finish at Laguna Seca since 2006 is fifth. Hayden has showed a good pace at the last two events only to end with finishes of tenth and seventh respectively. Hayden's mind should be at ease somewhat this weekend after signing an extension with Ducati through next season.
Ben Spies' mind may be at a different place. After announcing he would be leaving the factory Yamaha team at the end of the 2012 season, his plans for 2013 are not as clear. After winning last year's Dutch TT in his first year with the factory Yamaha team, he would go on to miss two of final three races after accidents at Australia and Malaysia but would rebound and finish second at the final race of 2011 at Valencia. But no momentum carried through to 2012. No podiums so far and he has finished outside the top ten in four of the nine races this season. In his three previous United States Grand Prix, Spies' best finish is fourth but that is after finishing eighth as a wild card entry in 2008 and sixth on the Tech3 Yamaha in 2010.
The 2012 season has been dominated by Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner with Andrea Dovizioso in their shadow, scoring four third place finishes in the last five races. Dovizioso's Tech3 teammate, Cal Crutchlow is fifth in the standings ahead of Valentino Rossi and Stefan Brandl, who has had two great races heading to Laguna Seca. Ducati has not won at Laguna Seca since 2006 with Casey Stoner who won last year with Honda. The last four U.S. Grand Prix have been won by four different riders, split between Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi. Americans have a good track record in the U.S. Grand Prix, winning seven of the fifteen runnings as a World Championship event.
The American riders could take their home race and steal the headlines. Spies and Hayden were fourth and seventh after Friday practice, sixth tenths of a second and a second and a third respectively off the fastest time set by Pedrosa. Hayden's 2005 win from pole was a surprise. Could another surprise be in store? We shall see.
With the depth of the current MotoGP field, Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and Colin Edwards do not have their work cut out for them as they head to Laguna Seca for the United States Grand Prix. Edwards' hopes of winning are already hampered by being on a clearly slower CRT bike and a win by the Texas Tornado would rank as one of the largest upsets in sports history let alone racing history.
Hayden has won two United States Grand Prix. He held off Edwards and his current Ducati teammate Valentino Rossi in 2005 at Laguna Seca for his first MotoGP victory and would go on to win again in 2006 on his way to win his first World Championship. That 2006 victory is however Hayden's last win to date in MotoGP and his best finish at Laguna Seca since 2006 is fifth. Hayden has showed a good pace at the last two events only to end with finishes of tenth and seventh respectively. Hayden's mind should be at ease somewhat this weekend after signing an extension with Ducati through next season.
Ben Spies' mind may be at a different place. After announcing he would be leaving the factory Yamaha team at the end of the 2012 season, his plans for 2013 are not as clear. After winning last year's Dutch TT in his first year with the factory Yamaha team, he would go on to miss two of final three races after accidents at Australia and Malaysia but would rebound and finish second at the final race of 2011 at Valencia. But no momentum carried through to 2012. No podiums so far and he has finished outside the top ten in four of the nine races this season. In his three previous United States Grand Prix, Spies' best finish is fourth but that is after finishing eighth as a wild card entry in 2008 and sixth on the Tech3 Yamaha in 2010.
The 2012 season has been dominated by Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner with Andrea Dovizioso in their shadow, scoring four third place finishes in the last five races. Dovizioso's Tech3 teammate, Cal Crutchlow is fifth in the standings ahead of Valentino Rossi and Stefan Brandl, who has had two great races heading to Laguna Seca. Ducati has not won at Laguna Seca since 2006 with Casey Stoner who won last year with Honda. The last four U.S. Grand Prix have been won by four different riders, split between Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi. Americans have a good track record in the U.S. Grand Prix, winning seven of the fifteen runnings as a World Championship event.
The American riders could take their home race and steal the headlines. Spies and Hayden were fourth and seventh after Friday practice, sixth tenths of a second and a second and a third respectively off the fastest time set by Pedrosa. Hayden's 2005 win from pole was a surprise. Could another surprise be in store? We shall see.
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