Tough racing at the Brickyard, but Arai riders come out on top.
DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: First Championship Position: Second
“WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB”
Dani Pedrosa rode to an emphatic win at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, piloting his Honda RC212V to victory ahead of home hero Ben Spies and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo. From fifth on the grid, an on-form Pedrosa was fourth into the first corner and quickly set about dispatching his rivals, starting with Nicky Hayden on lap two and Dovizioso two laps later. With only Spies now ahead, Pedrosa relentlessly closed down the Texan and passed him at the start of lap eight before easing out a comfortable gap of 5.5s – setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11 and then controlling the race from the front to come home 3.5s clear at the chequered flag. Pedrosa’s only real threat came from the circuit’s vicious bumps, which had caught out so many riders through the weekend, and the concentration-sapping heat, but the 24-year-old Spaniard was equal to the task and recorded his third MotoGP victory of the 2010 season. His 11th victory in MotoGP closes the gap by nine points to Lorenzo in the World Championship, his countryman’s lead now standing at 68 points with seven races remaining.
“I’m really happy with this win and it was an especially tough one because of the heat. I didn’t make the perfect start but I was quite quick through the first few tight corners and stayed close to the leaders. My rhythm was good and even though Spies was strong in front, I was able to close him down and make the pass. I’m really pleased with the performance of my bike because it was fast on the straights and was also working well in the corners. When I was out in front it was quite hard to stay focused and at the end of the race I was really tired – but I’m very happy because last year I crashed when I could have won and now I have made up for it. There were many crashes this weekend and it would have been easy to make a mistake in the race – you only need to go a little off line and you can be on the ground immediately, especially towards the end of the race when the tyres are worn. I’ve gone past the barrier of two MotoGP race wins in a season so I’m very happy. We are doing a good job and I hope we can maintain this momentum for Misano. I want to thank the team and all the people around me for this win.”
NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: Sixth Championship Position: Seventh
“I FINISHED UP WITH A HUGE HOLE IN MY LEATHERS…”
Nicky Hayden was out of luck at his home Grand Prix, the American losing his left knee slider early in the race; it is a small but crucial piece of equipment for riders because it helps them support the bike at full lean angle. As such racing on the limit was a near impossible task for Hayden, but he put in a valiant effort to bring his bike home in sixth place.
“I still can’t believe what happened – I am so disappointed. I was being careful over the first few laps because in that heat the track was very greasy. I lost the front slightly on the third lap and caught my left knee on a drain cover on one of the kerbs, right where the knee slider attaches to the Velcro. There are so many left-hand corners here... from that point on I had to take it really steady, I couldn’t push anywhere and finished up with a huge hole in my leathers. I am incredibly disappointed because we had the pace to put in a performance today.”
COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: DNF Championship Position: 11th
“THE TYRE CHOICE COST ME TODAY”
Colin Edwards had a tough afternoon at Indy after he was one of only four riders to select the hardest compound Bridgestone rear tyre available for the 28-lap race. With temperatures and humidity higher than at any stage during the weekend, Edwards hoped his choice would enable him to mount a strong showing in the second half of the race. But he opted to change to the softer compound tyre at the end of lap 11 and while his lap times instantly improved, the 36-year-old retired on lap 17.
“I went for the hard tyre because I’d done a 41.6 on that tyre on Friday and felt pretty comfortable and confident. I’d not been able to make the soft tyre last close to race distance. I’d started to have a problem after eight or nine laps with it, so with the temperature and humidity coming up I was getting excited about using the hard tyre. But I had a problem with edge grip from the start and was having an issue turning. I was riding on the limit but way off the pace so I pulled in for the softer tyre and did a few laps and my lap times were immediately better. The tyre choice cost me today but congratulations to Ben. He’s just riding at an amazing level and second in this field is something to be proud of.”
HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 12th Championship Position: 17th
“I HAD TO FIGHT EVERY SINGLE LAP”
Hiroshi Aoyama made his return to MotoGP racing at Indianapolis, following the nasty crash at Silverstone in June where he fractured his 12th vertebra. In qualifying Aoyama impressed with a 13th position on the grid and he continued with this performance in the race, finishing the U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis in a very respectable 12th place.
“Under the conditions here at Indy it was quite hard to finish the 28 laps. I had to fight every single lap. I could stay with the other riders, but didn’t want to risk anything. I had to find a compromise not to go too far, over my possibilities, yet still have a good race. Surely we can be better than that when I am 100% fit again and I am looking forward to that so much.”
The next MotoGP round is at Misano, September 5th.
DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: First Championship Position: Second
“WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB”
Dani Pedrosa rode to an emphatic win at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, piloting his Honda RC212V to victory ahead of home hero Ben Spies and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo. From fifth on the grid, an on-form Pedrosa was fourth into the first corner and quickly set about dispatching his rivals, starting with Nicky Hayden on lap two and Dovizioso two laps later. With only Spies now ahead, Pedrosa relentlessly closed down the Texan and passed him at the start of lap eight before easing out a comfortable gap of 5.5s – setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11 and then controlling the race from the front to come home 3.5s clear at the chequered flag. Pedrosa’s only real threat came from the circuit’s vicious bumps, which had caught out so many riders through the weekend, and the concentration-sapping heat, but the 24-year-old Spaniard was equal to the task and recorded his third MotoGP victory of the 2010 season. His 11th victory in MotoGP closes the gap by nine points to Lorenzo in the World Championship, his countryman’s lead now standing at 68 points with seven races remaining.
“I’m really happy with this win and it was an especially tough one because of the heat. I didn’t make the perfect start but I was quite quick through the first few tight corners and stayed close to the leaders. My rhythm was good and even though Spies was strong in front, I was able to close him down and make the pass. I’m really pleased with the performance of my bike because it was fast on the straights and was also working well in the corners. When I was out in front it was quite hard to stay focused and at the end of the race I was really tired – but I’m very happy because last year I crashed when I could have won and now I have made up for it. There were many crashes this weekend and it would have been easy to make a mistake in the race – you only need to go a little off line and you can be on the ground immediately, especially towards the end of the race when the tyres are worn. I’ve gone past the barrier of two MotoGP race wins in a season so I’m very happy. We are doing a good job and I hope we can maintain this momentum for Misano. I want to thank the team and all the people around me for this win.”
NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: Sixth Championship Position: Seventh
“I FINISHED UP WITH A HUGE HOLE IN MY LEATHERS…”
Nicky Hayden was out of luck at his home Grand Prix, the American losing his left knee slider early in the race; it is a small but crucial piece of equipment for riders because it helps them support the bike at full lean angle. As such racing on the limit was a near impossible task for Hayden, but he put in a valiant effort to bring his bike home in sixth place.
“I still can’t believe what happened – I am so disappointed. I was being careful over the first few laps because in that heat the track was very greasy. I lost the front slightly on the third lap and caught my left knee on a drain cover on one of the kerbs, right where the knee slider attaches to the Velcro. There are so many left-hand corners here... from that point on I had to take it really steady, I couldn’t push anywhere and finished up with a huge hole in my leathers. I am incredibly disappointed because we had the pace to put in a performance today.”
COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: DNF Championship Position: 11th
“THE TYRE CHOICE COST ME TODAY”
Colin Edwards had a tough afternoon at Indy after he was one of only four riders to select the hardest compound Bridgestone rear tyre available for the 28-lap race. With temperatures and humidity higher than at any stage during the weekend, Edwards hoped his choice would enable him to mount a strong showing in the second half of the race. But he opted to change to the softer compound tyre at the end of lap 11 and while his lap times instantly improved, the 36-year-old retired on lap 17.
“I went for the hard tyre because I’d done a 41.6 on that tyre on Friday and felt pretty comfortable and confident. I’d not been able to make the soft tyre last close to race distance. I’d started to have a problem after eight or nine laps with it, so with the temperature and humidity coming up I was getting excited about using the hard tyre. But I had a problem with edge grip from the start and was having an issue turning. I was riding on the limit but way off the pace so I pulled in for the softer tyre and did a few laps and my lap times were immediately better. The tyre choice cost me today but congratulations to Ben. He’s just riding at an amazing level and second in this field is something to be proud of.”
HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 12th Championship Position: 17th
“I HAD TO FIGHT EVERY SINGLE LAP”
Hiroshi Aoyama made his return to MotoGP racing at Indianapolis, following the nasty crash at Silverstone in June where he fractured his 12th vertebra. In qualifying Aoyama impressed with a 13th position on the grid and he continued with this performance in the race, finishing the U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis in a very respectable 12th place.
“Under the conditions here at Indy it was quite hard to finish the 28 laps. I had to fight every single lap. I could stay with the other riders, but didn’t want to risk anything. I had to find a compromise not to go too far, over my possibilities, yet still have a good race. Surely we can be better than that when I am 100% fit again and I am looking forward to that so much.”
The next MotoGP round is at Misano, September 5th.
For more news / information on Arai in the UK please visit www.whyarai.co.uk
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