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/200817
ROUND 17/OCTOBER 27, 2013 TWIN-RING MOTEGI/MOTEGI, JAPAN MOTOGP P48 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ninth by six seconds. Wild card Nakasuga was a lone 11th. Earlier in the race, Aleix Espargaro had leapt off his Power Electronics ART at speed at the same place, when he ran out of brakes. This handed another top CRT 12th to Colin Edwards. He had to work for it, under pressure from second Power Electronics rider Randy de Puniet until the closing stages. Iannone was more than a second back; another 10 away from teammate Yonny Hernandez, who gained the last points-scoring 15th from a fading Hector Barbera with three laps to go. And now the title permutations. Marquez has 318 points, Lorenzo 305. With 25 on the table for a win and zero for a crash, it could go either way. Pedrosa has 280 points and not enough wins to beat Lorenzo; and the next two places are fixed in stone: Rossi (224) fourth, Crutchlow (188) fifth. Bautista (160) and Bradl (146) still have some doubt over the next two spots. CN MOTEGI CONTINGENCY A history of race disruption at Honda's showpiece circuit gained a new chapter on the weekend, when the troubled Motegi circuit found a new way to keep riders grounded and fans watching an empty circuit. The cause was the outskirts of Typhoon Francisco; but the actual reason for cancellation of all Friday and Saturday morning free practice was one stage removed. Although the circuit was streaming wet riding would have been possible, but a low cloud cover surrounding the hilltop venue meant that the medevac helicopter was grounded. With the official hospital more than an hour away by road, it was deemed too risky to continue in case of the need of serious emergency treatment. On Friday, the helicopter wasn't even there, and although only five minutes flying time away, Japanese aviation regulations are very strict, and it was not allowed to take off. With little prospect of improvement, on Friday evening Race Director Mike Webb spoke of various contingency plans - including shipping the helicopter in by road; while provisions were made to run MotoGP 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2. Marc Marquez (Honda) 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 4. Alvaro Bautista (Honda) 5. Stefan Bradl (Honda) 6. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 7. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 8. Bradley Smith (Yamaha) 9. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 10. Andrea Dovisioso (Ducati) The Japanese all practice and GP was hit with qualifying on race a typhoon, an Sunday, should earthquake and the problems run plenty of fog. on into Saturday. This suggested a 6 a.m. start, unpopular with teams, most of whom are at themselves an hour or more away from the Twin Ring circuit, in its isolated mountain fastness. Happily flying conditions improved on Saturday and the chopper arrived first thing. However hoped-for free practice was again called off. This time the potential landing site at the hospital was closed by fog. The weather was clearing, however, presenting a chance for a final solution: one session for each class, timed for grid positions. The smaller classes got 55 minutes apiece, MotoGP 75 minutes. They were run in slowly drying conditions, with the last out – Moto2 – even enjoying sunshine, although still obliged to use wet tires. Race management had been kept busy even before the meeting, with unfulfilled fears that the typhoon would bring winds high enough to flatten the tent-box pits used by a number of lesser teams. A plan was in place to disassemble them if necessary, and find other accommodations for the teams. Motegi has an unfortunate history. In 2009 Saturday was lost to torrential rain, with grid positions taken from Friday's free practice; in 2010 the race had to be rescheduled from its early-season slot when all flying was suspended for fear of an Icelandic volcanic ash cloud; and likewise in 2011, when Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.