Moto GP - Durkalicious

My favorite Moto GP photos at Sportsshooter

Moto GP day 2 photos

A few of my favorites. See more at uspresswire.com

Moto GP - US Grand Prix - Laguna Seca photo update

Im spending the weekend in Monterey, CA at the awesme Lagun Seca racetrack covering the Moto GP bike race. Truly amazing athletes in person. A few of my favorite photos from today below. See more at uspresswire.com

Stoner: Schumacher just having fun

MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner does not believe that Michael Schumacher was doing anything more than "having fun" during his recent escapades on two wheels.

The former seven-time Formula 1 champion recently tested for Ducati and took part in two bike races in Spain and Italy.

“Michael’s not testing anything. He’s just riding a bike, he’s having fun," the Australian is quoted as saying by Speed TV.
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“No matter how much experience he has in F1 he would need to learn to ride a bike a little faster before he started giving advice on electronic systems and suspension.

“But from what I hear his improvement as a rider is quite exceptional. He’s done very well considering he’s doesn’t have a lot experience on a bike.”

Former MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi previously tested for the Ferrari Formula 1 team two years ago, though nothing came of the speculation linking the Italian with a full race drive.

And while Stoner admits that he would love a similar opportunity, some practice on four wheels would be needed first.

“When I get a bit more experience in cars I would like to have a go in an F1 car but I’m not going to jump in one when I haven’t really driven a car around a race track,” he added.

“When I retire I’d like to have a go in touring cars and maybe do something closer to home in Australia.”
source: sentanta sports

Qatar to herald new era in MotoGP - racing under lights

Qatar's dream of being the first nation to hold the motorcycle Grand Prix race at night is set to come true.

The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation declared that it would host the historic race next year at the Losail International Circuit (LIC) during the evening.

According to reports reaching here from the Misano circuit, Italy, QMMF President Nasser bin Khalifa al Attiyah announced in a press conference that the forthcoming 2008 Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on March 9, the season opening race, would be held at night.

The project to light the entire circuit is likely to be the biggest one, even undertaken in the world for any sporting event. Musco Lighting, who will commission the floodlighting, has assured a total visibility for the race which will move to a Sunday evening slot.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, Musco Lighting's President Joe Crookham and Vice-President Jeff Rogers, QMMF President al Attiyah and FIM President Vito Ippolito were all present at the press conference.

Making the announcement, Mr. Ezpeleta explained why Dorna is interested in the night race. He remarked: "Changing the Qatar race to a night time schedule allows for a better synchronization with European television schedules, where the race can be made available in the primetime Sunday slot. This is obviously a big boost for the broadcasters, and a landmark moment for MotoGP."

Al Attiyah commented from Misano in telephonic talk: "This is obviously a very prestigious project for Qatar and we are proud to say that we will hold the first Grand Prix event under lights.

The base work has already started at the LIC. Soon the strategic layout will be finalized for the lighting.

"Our focus is zeroed in on the commissioning of the project. We're are extremely hopeful the track will be ready for the landmark race," added al Attiyah.

"We're hopeful that we'll be able to finish the lighting at least one or one and a half months before the start of the race on March 9.

"Whilst this is great for the country's image as a whole, it also means our track can be used in the hot summer months and we hope this will open up more opportunities for other motor sports events in the future," said the QMMF President.

Experts in providing lighting services for racetracks and all kinds of sporting venues, Musco President Crookham described the complex system as "the biggest lighting project in the world for any sporting event."

He added: "The system will incorporate over 3700 separate light sources across every section of the circuit, which will eliminate shadowing on the track and in the run-off areas. The quality of the light is the same as any premium lighting system at any other major sporting venue. Based on our experience in other motor sports events, the riders will be able to see as well as during daytime and may even come to prefer it."

FIM President Ippolito hailed the announcement of the first night Grand Prix.

"I would like to express my thanks to the QMMF and Dorna for the hard work which has seen this project move forward. Before it was just something to talk about, but now it is very real and it is great to see MotoGP changing for the better. It is positive news for motorcycling as a whole."

The possibility of a night race at the Losail International Circuit was examined at the last year's Grand Prix when MotoGP Safety Commission members Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi and Kenny Roberts Jr. rode the track. But they had used only street bikes.

(Source: AIPS)

Indianapolis to host round of MotoGP championship

Indianapolis will host a round of the MotoGP world championship next year, bringing motorcycle racing back to The Brickyard for the first time in nearly a century, organisers said on Monday.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) said in a statement that they and Dorna, commercial rights holder for MotoGP, had reached a multi-year agreement starting with the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sept. 14 next year.

The race will be the second U.S. round of the MotoGP championship, with the U.S. Grand Prix held at Laguna Seca in California.

The 2.5 mile oval, home of the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Brickyard 400, last hosted a motorcycle event on Aug. 14, 1909.

Monday's announcement followed confirmation last week that Formula One would not return to Indianapolis for the U.S. Grand Prix next year.

The MotoGP circuit at the Speedway will be a new 16-turn 4.1km road course, with riders racing in an anti-clockwise direction.

"The very first motorised race at IMS was on two wheels, so it's only fitting that motorcycles are returning as we approach the 100th anniversary of the track," said IMS president and chief executive Joie Chitwood in a statement.

MotoGP's current world champion is American, Honda's Kentucky-born Nicky Hayden.

"The United States is obviously a very important market to us, and when we returned to Laguna Seca a couple of years ago for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, it was an instant success," said Dorna chief executive Carmelo Ezpeleta.

"Now to be able to say we have two MotoGP events in the United States shows just how far our sport has come in recent years," he added.

(Source: Reuters)