fleming
01-06-2009, 06:07 AM
It was only fitting that one of the greatest riders of all time would make history at the historic return of motorcycle racing to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ninety-nine years after the first ever motorcycle race at the Brickyard, Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi survived hurricane-like conditions to win the red flag-shortened inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix before a crowd of 91,000 diehard fans at the fabled oval in the American heartland.
The seven-time world champion did it by passing early leader and crowd favourite Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) on the 14th of 28 scheduled laps, then hanging on as the track was lashed first by the rain and wind of Hurricane Ike, then debris on the track that included signage, Astroturf, and nearly the remains of Yamaha's display tent, which was destroyed.
Rossi later admitted he was hoping to see the red flag every time past across the famed Yard of Bricks at the start-finish line. It would fly.on lap 21, after the first six riders had crossed the line, with scoring reverting to the 20th lap, eight laps short of completion. Such was the damage to the facility that it was impossible to run the 250cc race, postponed from earlier in the day until after the MotoGP race, before being cancelled.
The win was Rossi's fourth MotoGP race in a row, a first, he believed. More importantly, it was his 69th career MotoGP victory, putting him alone atop the all-time list, one ahead of fellow legend Giacomo Agostini.
"So I'm the first one in 100 years," Rossi said of winning the first motorcycle race at the Speedway since 1909, when the first motorised race was for motorcycles. "It is quite special, yes. So it's important. It is something right on the history. But especia lly I'm so happy because I like the track, and I think in the next years we can make, we come back, so is important to have another good track instead of a bad track. I learn the track during the weekend very early, so especially I'm so happy for this." The win came at the right time, not only historically, but on the day.
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Rossi's seventh victory of the year, coupled with a fourth place finish by Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro), gives Rossi an 87-point advantage heading to the 15th round of the championship in Motegi. He'll certainly regain the title he lost in 2006 to Nicky Hayden, the hard luck Repsol Honda rider who had a career day a few hundred miles from his home in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Riding with a still broken right heel and in treacherous conditions, Hayden gave the home crowd everything they wanted. On the second lap he drafted by Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot) for the lead, knowing full well Rossi would be coming.
Rossi was up to third a lap later and the fastest rider on the circuit. He went up the inside of Dovi in turn 15, then set out for Hayden as he and Hayden took turns setting the fastest lap. Four times Hayden would set the fastest lap, only to be upstaged tenths later by Rossi. The pressure was relentless, but Hayden was resolute. It took until the 14th lap for Rossi to find an opening on the inside in the left hander at the end of the infield straight.
Hayden did his best to stay close, but the gap went straight over a second on lap 15, when Rossi set the final fastest lap ofthe race. On lap 19 the lead increased to three second, then nearly six, with Hayden under attack by Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) just prior to the red flag. Still, Hayden couldn't stop smiling after his first podium of the year and in front of his hometown crowd.
Hayden was given a brief glimpse of hope when Rossi had a moment after touching the white line at the head of the back straight. When Hayden saw that he said, "'You know what? Maybe I'm OK. When it started to rain heavy again, it was so gnarly.
Ninety-nine years after the first ever motorcycle race at the Brickyard, Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi survived hurricane-like conditions to win the red flag-shortened inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix before a crowd of 91,000 diehard fans at the fabled oval in the American heartland.
The seven-time world champion did it by passing early leader and crowd favourite Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) on the 14th of 28 scheduled laps, then hanging on as the track was lashed first by the rain and wind of Hurricane Ike, then debris on the track that included signage, Astroturf, and nearly the remains of Yamaha's display tent, which was destroyed.
Rossi later admitted he was hoping to see the red flag every time past across the famed Yard of Bricks at the start-finish line. It would fly.on lap 21, after the first six riders had crossed the line, with scoring reverting to the 20th lap, eight laps short of completion. Such was the damage to the facility that it was impossible to run the 250cc race, postponed from earlier in the day until after the MotoGP race, before being cancelled.
The win was Rossi's fourth MotoGP race in a row, a first, he believed. More importantly, it was his 69th career MotoGP victory, putting him alone atop the all-time list, one ahead of fellow legend Giacomo Agostini.
"So I'm the first one in 100 years," Rossi said of winning the first motorcycle race at the Speedway since 1909, when the first motorised race was for motorcycles. "It is quite special, yes. So it's important. It is something right on the history. But especia lly I'm so happy because I like the track, and I think in the next years we can make, we come back, so is important to have another good track instead of a bad track. I learn the track during the weekend very early, so especially I'm so happy for this." The win came at the right time, not only historically, but on the day.
499
Rossi's seventh victory of the year, coupled with a fourth place finish by Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro), gives Rossi an 87-point advantage heading to the 15th round of the championship in Motegi. He'll certainly regain the title he lost in 2006 to Nicky Hayden, the hard luck Repsol Honda rider who had a career day a few hundred miles from his home in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Riding with a still broken right heel and in treacherous conditions, Hayden gave the home crowd everything they wanted. On the second lap he drafted by Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot) for the lead, knowing full well Rossi would be coming.
Rossi was up to third a lap later and the fastest rider on the circuit. He went up the inside of Dovi in turn 15, then set out for Hayden as he and Hayden took turns setting the fastest lap. Four times Hayden would set the fastest lap, only to be upstaged tenths later by Rossi. The pressure was relentless, but Hayden was resolute. It took until the 14th lap for Rossi to find an opening on the inside in the left hander at the end of the infield straight.
Hayden did his best to stay close, but the gap went straight over a second on lap 15, when Rossi set the final fastest lap ofthe race. On lap 19 the lead increased to three second, then nearly six, with Hayden under attack by Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) just prior to the red flag. Still, Hayden couldn't stop smiling after his first podium of the year and in front of his hometown crowd.
Hayden was given a brief glimpse of hope when Rossi had a moment after touching the white line at the head of the back straight. When Hayden saw that he said, "'You know what? Maybe I'm OK. When it started to rain heavy again, it was so gnarly.