Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Mozdo Ro.errroy Lagunq CA chance to Sain championship points. 'And I was like, 'Why did he have to crash?' " Edwards asked. "Try and keep it going, do what I could do." Then he ran into the same rear tire problem as Rossi, about 20 laps in. "l come off turn one flat out, fifth Eear, just before I knocked it back, I kind of hit the hill, it snapped sideways. Went over the hill and saved that and went, 'man, something's wrong.' Came into turn three and looked back and I only had tq glance back. lt was finished." To the point that he lost eighth to Capirossi two laps from the end. But he had plenty on Gibernau, who said he was "done after eight laps and I didn't want to ride with anyone else because I was stru8- gling to get the bike stopped." Gll Carey Ston.r (l:23.651)i 8. shinya Naka.o (l:23.656); 9 l.4,rc6 Melandr (1.23.750). l0 Valenriao Ros, \l:24-o47)t ll. C..los Chea (l:24.153)i lZ. Toni E,iar (l:2,{.230)i 13. Loris Capirorti (l:2a.268): 14. a&koto Tamada (l:2,+.578): 15. Rand/de Puniet (l:2,1.592)i 16. SeteGibernau (1,24.614): lT.Alex Hofmann(l:25.420)i 18. lem6 Ellkon (l:25.763); 19. Jose Luit Cardoso (l:26.576). MOTOGP: l. Ni.ky Hayden (Hon);2. D.niPedrota (Hon)i L tlarco Mel.ndri (Hon): {. Kenny Robensl. (KR2l lv)i 5. Chrk vermeulE. (Su!): 6. lohn Hopkins (suz)r 7. carl6 Checa (Y.m): 8. LorG capirGsi (DucJi 9. colin Edwards (Yam): 10. sete Gibdnau (Du.)i ll. Hakoto Tamada (Hon): 12. Randy de Plniot (K!w): 13. jam€s Ellison C/e): 14- Alex Hofmann (Duc): 15. Toni Eli8 (Hon)i 16.lore Lui, Cardoso (Duc). Timd ,15 min..4.497 *c. Oirt.nc.r l2 laps, 71.622 mileg Aver.tc Sp..d: ,5.324 mph trlar8ln o, Vi.tory: 3 . I 86 se.onds I'IOTOGP WORLO CHAI{PIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After ll of 17 r.cet); L N'Gky Halden (194):2. DaniPedroe (160):3. t'1.r.o tlelandri (150): 4. vale.tino Ro*i (l4l): 5. toris Capirosli (126)i 5. cas€y Stoner l9l)r 7. colin Edwards (84): 8. Kenn, Robens Ji (79)i 9- lohn Hopkins (74)i 10. Shinya Nakano (67)i ll. Hakoto Tamada (6.1)i 12. Toni Elid (59); IL Sete Gibernau (58): Ia. Chris Vermeulen (S4: ls. c.rlor Che.. (51)r 16. Alex Hofman. (11): 17. Randy de Ponlet (21)i 18. James Ellisn (20)i 19.Jo* Mazoa LacuNA Slct nacrwAY MorrErEY, CauroRNlA Rrsurrs: JurY 23, 2l)06 UPCOMING ROUNDS Round 12-Brno, Czech Republic, iloTocP QUALIfYING: t. Chrir Vermeulen (l:23.168)r 2. Colin Edwards (l:23.321)i l- Kenny Rob.ns li (l:2l.al0): 4. Dani Pedrora (l:21.490)r 5. lohn Hopkins (l:21.,198):5. Nicky Hayde. (l:23.516)i7. Round )3 .Sepong, Moloys 9 28 AUGUST 2, 2006 CYCLE NEWS L_.1 Round I I tuly 23, a@6 "-/ -- I ,,TME= lwi:il7rr,'EtiiEfllr, EtrF(aCE e-.- ,J .a a .l t: t^ Augusl { \ I a I ) t L 7 f- H '=-rE 1 I -rr ,v nosli gotr rhe meotboll flog telling him to cqll q doy on his smoking Yomoho. MOTOGP Track Trouhles Even before the HotoGP bikes took to the recently r€paved road course there were ominols rumbiints from dle AMA Superbike riders. Bumps everpvhere and lack of tr-action had transformed the maSical Monter6y circuit imo a seaond rate go-kart track, and worse, tlrey sald. The safety was bet- teG they agreed, blt the pric6 was too hlgh. So it came as a somowhat pleasant surpaise that the MotoGP rideE wercn't as \ocal in their displea$.lre, thouSh there was no question that the repaving was unacceptable. "You know lt's not great," tr.ck record holder Niclry Hayden said on Friday aftemoon, "l'm a.tualt a little bit dis- +pointed also for... you know it's nqt really my track or riy thin$ but people come home and a brand-new track already having patches and stuff in it;s not cool. I kno , the treck, l'm sure they hate it - they must leel terrible about iL I can't con- taol the bumps or nothing else, but I can iust worry about braking a little deeper or tettinS on the 8as a linle harder, things I can control." Then tfie caveat that would become increaaingly familiar. "l think it's safer delinitely. That's what we asked for. They made some chanSe6 in tum one that... derinitet more room there. More room up into the Corkacrew, So as far as run-ofl, I dont really have any issues with anythinS." Carnel Yarnaha's Valentino Roasi said the new surface had betrer $ip than last year, despite being dirty. "We need to use maybe some harder tirei compared to last year and I think for Sunday, for artive in Sunday, wfien the dirt go away, is tone, we are okay about grip," Rossi said- Rossi is a member of the GP Rider Salety Commission who requested the extensive traak upgrades. The final cost was in exaess of$7 million, "l'm happy about all the work because more run-off for tum one, a lot more space in the Corl6€rew," he said- "l'm h+py about the modifications because on the Corkscrew is a little more flat and the bike is rnore easy to atop. Also it remains a crilical point anyway. But they make a good work. Unfoftunatet in two or three points, especiajly after the Corkscre\ /, the bumps remain too hard, too stront, because they put the new surface, the new asphalt on the top, and is normal that the bump remain-" Rossiwas misinforrned on this point. Two inches of the old track were ground off and the remaining asphalt llat- tened before the new surface was laid. The other problem areas for Rossiwere "Turn nine, turn 10, to go do\rn on the last hairpin. After the Corkscrew have a left and after a right and after the hairpin, all this part remain-is the part that last year is more bad about bumps and remain. Especiall/ exit from the Corkcrew, bit bumPs. But anyway, is a good step is better on the turn one, is better on the Corkcrew, so I think we make a bi8 step compared to last year about safety." Kenny Roberts jr., another memb€r of the Rider Safety Commission, was nearly speechless in describint his home track. "lr's bad, it's r€ally bad," he said. "l can't believe it's that bumpy. I don't know what to say." s it tie worst track he'd ever ridden on? ''Bumpwise. yeah.' he said. "lt's unreal. lt's not so much the bumps, it's that in one meter, a three-foot area, there could be a dip ofsix inches or four inches. so that the fall betlveen l2 inches is like three. k's not a normal bump. lt's almost like waves and dips.' Robens Jr rhouEht rhey might have to repave yet a8ain, "ifthat makes sense." The most contentious ofthe track modifications was the run to rhe Corkscrew, rhe trapdoor left-ritht that's the track's signature corner. Until this year the turn had been preceded by a pair ofdips in the track that were large enough for the bikes to catch air. This year it was runway smoolh. bw with a different line into the Corkscrew. A num- ber of riders, including Rossi and Sete Gibemau, ran off at the Corkscrew searchinS for the best line. "Yeah, I think it's better and I think every MotoGP guy you're toing to talk to think it's better because we're iust wheelyinS all the way up there," Roberts.lr. said. Our front wheel's never on the ground. And we're so much power out, we're urint the hiShest rain seting available." Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa waa gelting his first ta5te of the track. He liked the layout: rhe bumps, not so much. "l've never been here before, so I come alread),, with bi8 change on the taack on the safety thin8," he said after setting the third fastest time on Friday. "Yeah, I feel quite Sood with the track.lust there is a lot of bumps. Unbelievable. I dont know last year, but for sure is the most bumpy in the world Championship." Told it was the most bumpy track RobertsJr. ha5 ever r,d- den on, Pedrosa responded, "Me too. Similar." Who was responsible for the mess? The answer is a bit complicated. The Spons Car Racint Association of Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) operates the track and runs the mces. They were responsible for the safety improvements. But because the track is a county park, Monterey County is responsible for the paviflg. Graniterock, an award-winninS Central California construction company did most of the preparation and Gran- iterock's Pavex Construction Davision laid the asphalt. The final paving was llnished 30 days before the GP weekend. SCRAMP CEO Gill Campbel! said that the count), is responsible for paving the (mck. "We're responsible for safety," she said- "The contract is between the counry and the paving company..Just two pavin8 companies can do the iob. Beyond that. it's black stuff to me." The (mck was deterioratin8 so badly during Sat'rrday afternoon's World Superbike race that Arnericai Honda's Miguel Duhamel predicted the MotoGP riders \ /ould be reluc6n( to ride. "l don't know ifthey're SoinE to be racint this weekend, he said. because "the track's comint apart-"

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