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/1545725
W inner of the inaugural M o t o G P a t M a z d a Raceway Laguna Seca last year, Nicky Hay- den has a special way of going around his home circuit, born of years of experience - and the boost of his home fans. Laguna is a subtle circuit, and at the same time quite the opposite. You have to let it flow, but at the same time you have to attack. And it helps if you know a few little secrets too. Here is how he does it: TURN 1 The front straightaway is pretty routine until you get to turn one. It's not flat out, because it's over the hill and the bike unweights a lot and wants to spin. And it also wheelies. The gearing is short, so it'll wheelie in every gear. It's probably the most gnarly corner on the whole circuit - it's got everything that makes a corner tricky. It's fast, there's not a lot of run-off. And the bike's real loose. But it's also quite important for a lap time. I'm in sixth gear. Over the hill, you crack it back a little bit. You don't close the throttle all the way, but just roll out of it over the top, then open it back up a little bit before you get on the brakes for turn two. TURN 2 You're braking downhill, and you really have to have some confidence in the front if you trail-brake into a downhill corner. This is a really a crack corner. I normal- ly get in a little bit too hot, carrying a bit too much speed, so you run wide, then just bring it back at the exit to clip the inside curb. A late apex. I'm back to sec- ond gear for it. TURN 3 I get third out of two, then shift back to second for three. Three and [turn] four are the two easy corners on the track. They are pretty standard - though getting into three, you see a lot of guys crash. But there's really not a whole lot to them. Being that the track is so small, lap- time-wise only 1:22, every corner is so important. It's not like you can afford to be slow in a couple of corners and think, "Oh, I'll pick it up on a couple of other ones." That's why you have to be quite aggres- sive everywhere. Even though it's impor- tant to be smooth and let it flow, through five and six you've got to attack it too. TURN 4 It's just a flat corner, but it's really fast, so it's important to the lap time. It's deceiv- ing how fast we really go through that corner. We carry a lot of good speed. I get fourth gear on the exit, but you hardly really straighten it up for turn five. You're on the edge of the tire, and the bike is moving a lot, even as you're shift- ing, all the way. TURN 5 You brake right there under the bridge, and go back to second. Five and six both are important cor- ners, because they lead onto uphill straightaways, so it's really important to get a good drive out of both of them. I think it's better to give up a little bit on the way in and make sure you get a really good drive on the way out. JULY 19, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 26 He's the defending U.S. GP Champion. We figure he knows his way around Laguna. BY MICHAEL SCOTT PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE TURN 6 Up to fourth gear on the straight, then back to second. Six is a really tricky cor- ner. I mean they're all tricky, but on the way in it's blind. Also in the mornings, the trees hang over there, and under the bridge - it normally stays clouded there in the morning, you know the fog and stuff. So you've got to watch that corner in the middle, for the damp. If it gets foggy, it doesn't dry. TURN 7 The straight is really uphill; you really feel the climb. And it's blind. You've just got to have a bit of faith as you aim over the brow, getting up to fifth gear. That's how it used to be; I don't know what it's going to be like now. The way I understand it, the bump has gone and it's just straight, so A Lap of Laguna Lapping Laguna With Nicky