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July 13, 2005

MotoGP at Laguna Seca

Rossi threads a corner. Thanks to Andy for the photo.

By now you've all heard the news from California. The Italian superstar Valentino Rossi had to settle for third place behind two Americans, Nicky Haden and Colin Edwards. This was a weekend of firsts. The first time Nicky had qualified for a pole position, the first time Nicky had a Grand Prix win, the first time Rossi had raced on American soil, the first time this writer had the good fortune to see a MotoGP event live, and the first time a MotoGP had been held in the United States since 1994.

The course is best described in Nicky's own words,

The track has a good mix of corners. Turn 1 isn't a real corner but its on the crest of a hill and the bike goes light but you have to get it slowed for turn 2 which is a double apex where you sort of let the bike drift out then pull it back to line up the right hand turn 3. I really like turn 4 it's a fast right probably the only corner you really work the tyre hard. You leave the infield section on a quick left, which used to be a dangerous corner but it’s got a good run off now." "It leads up the hill to my all time favourite corner, the Corkscrew. It's an incredible feeling when you tip it in, left, right then another left with the track dropping away from you all the way. It's amazing. Down hill from the corkscrew can be pretty hard on the front end but if you get the combination from the corkscrew down through turns 9 and 10 you can make up a lot of time. But when the front goes off late in the race it's real difficult to hold your line through 9 and 10.

It was an amazing event that brought motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the world. Hells Angels with beards & bandandas admired gleeming display bikes lined up on Ducati Island alongside weekend racers in their leathers and Sidi boots. At one point, the Honda booth fired up the engine on a classic 1964 GP racer which quickly brought together a crowd of fawning gearheads. After the five minute symphony of the machines deafening roar the Honda mechanic cut the engine and the crowd broke out in spontaneous applause.

Dymag wheels were on display at the Cycle Cat booth which drove it's rolling display out from Ohio on a three-day tear to make the opening. The display of multi-colored wheels drew interest from serious riders like moths to a flame. We had to turn folks away who wanted to buy the wheels right off the display rack for fear we wouldn't have anything left to show for the rest of the weekend (UPS had wisely set up a booth in the vendor area to for just such an occasion). No worry, Dymag wheels can soon be purchased online by anyone interested from Cycle Cat's new web site, oncycle.com.

Posted by Ian at July 13, 2005 10:49 PM

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Rossi threads a corner. Thanks to Andy for the photo. By now you've all heard the news from California. The Italian superstar Valentino Rossi had to settle for third place behind two Americans, Nicky Haden and Colin Edwards. This was a weekend of firsts. The first time Nicky had qualified for a pole position, the first time Nicky had a Grand Prix win, the first time Rossi had raced on American soil, the first time this writer had the good fortune to see a MotoGP event live, and the first time a MotoGP had been held in the United States since 1994. The course is best described in Nicky's own words,

The track has a good mix of corners. Turn 1 isn't a real corner but its on the crest of a hill and the bike goes light but you have to get it slowed for turn 2 which is a double apex where you sort of let the bike drift out then pull it back to line up the right hand turn 3. I really like turn 4 it's a fast right probably the only corner you really work the tyre hard. You leave the infield section on a quick left, which used to be a dangerous corner but it’s got a good run off now." "It leads up the hill to my all time favourite corner, the Corkscrew. It's an incredible feeling when you tip it in, left, right then another left with the track dropping away from you all the way. It's amazing. Down hill from the corkscrew can be pretty hard on the front end but if you get the combination from the corkscrew down through turns 9 and 10 you can make up a lot of time. But when the front goes off late in the race it's real difficult to hold your line through 9 and 10.

It was an amazing event that brought motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the world. Hells Angels with beards & bandandas admired gleeming display bikes lined up on Ducati Island alongside weekend racers in their leathers and Sidi boots. At one point, the Honda booth fired up the engine on a classic 1964 GP racer which quickly brought together a crowd of fawning gearheads. After the five minute symphony of the machines deafening roar the Honda mechanic cut the engine and the crowd broke out in spontaneous applause. Dymag wheels were on display at the Cycle Cat booth which drove it's rolling display out from Ohio on a three-day tear to make the opening. The display of multi-colored wheels drew interest from serious riders like moths to a flame. We had to turn folks away who wanted to buy the wheels right off the display rack for fear we wouldn't have anything left to show for the rest of the weekend (UPS had wisely set up a booth in the vendor area to for just such an occasion). No worry, Dymag wheels can soon be purchased online by anyone interested from Cycle Cat's new web site, oncycle.com.