Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128385
PrevieYlf MOTOGP PREVIEW ~ Picking the U.S. GP Winner Who do they think will win? And more. o simple questions, .many complex answers. The first question WIll 'tb predict the top three In the Red Bull U.S. GP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Not surprisingly, Valentino Rossi was the runaway winner, as he's been at most races this year. And sometimes-challenger Sete Gibernau came second, as he's done all too often. Out of the American pool of riders, Colin Edwards got the most mentions. The logic was his success at Laguna Seca in World Superbike and his familiarity with Michelin tires. The second and more thought. provoking question was to predict the lap time for the pole position. The answers varied Widely. The responses were based on the existing lap record (a 1:24.833 turned in by Troy Bayliss in 2002 World Superbike qualifying) and the AMA record of I:24.906, set by American Honda's Ben Bostrom last year. Some tried to compare MotoGP to World Superbike at the tracks they share, but the World Superbike Pirelli-spec tires against the preeminent Michelins of MotoGP discredited that comparison. The consensus was that the MotoGP 990s would be about two-seconds-a-Iap faster than the AMA Superbikes. Half the difference is down to the Michelin qualifiers - Dunlop doesn't supply qualifiers to the AMA Superbike runners - and the rest is because the MotoGP machines are lighter, faster and have better brakes. But, as more than a few acknowledged, the undulating nature of the 2.2-mile course means the MotoGP crowd won't be able to use its 2S0-plus horsepower. ier, maybe not having qualifying tires, is an easier bike to go fast on. It might even be dDser than that. It seems that new places they go to, 8fid&estone's been SQlmbIIng across some pretty good stuff. Hopper Uohn Hopkins] might sit on pole. T 38 JULY 6,2005 • CYCLE NEWS KEVIN SCHWANTZ 1993 500cc World Champion I. Rossi 2. Edwards 3. Gibernau Edwards is the last American guy to have a really good race there. He seems to be running, at least a couple of weeks ago, somewhere near the front. It's his home track. I think the knowledge that he has being so close with Michelin and doing all the testing will make a difference there. I still think Rossi and Gibernau are maybe the two best out there. Gibernau could have, like Motegi was last year, he could really struggle there in qualifying. I think everybody in four hours, 20 minutes will get the hang of it. Pole Time: 1:23.4 It will be a 1-2-3-4 [I :23.4]. I think that's a hard place to take much time off. If they get to the high 22s, I'll be really, really surprised. I don't think the weight and the acceleration is going to be huge. I think the Superbike, probably being a little bit heav- FREDDIE SPENCER 1983 & 1985 500cc World Champion, 1985 250cc World Champion I. Rossi 2. Edwards 3. GlbemaulHayden I think Valentino, Colin. Gibernau, and I'd say Nicky, too. The key's going to be who qualifies well, because it's going to be a hard track to pass on. As much horsepower as those bikes accelerate with, there's only going to be a couple places they can pass - going into five, going into I I, and then going into the Corkscrew. I think coming over the rise to turn one in the same conditions is going to be... that's where they're not going to be using their top-speed advantage, because they're really going to have to get out of the throttle and come at it at such an angle because of how hard they're going to be coming over the hill. They're actually going to have to make the thing sharper than a Superbike. I think going up into the Corkscrew, wheelying is going to be an issue. The thing that will be in Colin and Nicky's favor is that they're both going in knowing that this is a great opportunity to do well and win their first race. I think everyone wants to win the first U.S. GP back in the MotoGP era. Pole Time: 1:22.7 It's all going to be based on how hard those bikes are to ride around there. With that much horsepower, even though they can change the individual gears, they're going to be a handful around there. It depends on the conditions, too. Let's say mid- to high-22s with qualifiers. But it's also going to depend on the weather. If it gets hot and it gets slippery, that's going to be an issue, too. You can't utilize the horsepower there. MAT MLADIN Five-time AMA Superbike Champion I. Rossi 2. Gibernau 3. Edwards