Moto Gp Laguna Seca

[Allyc85]

Soo whos your money on for the win?

I cant help but think Spies could pull off something very special this weekend, but with the Doctor back, Honda seemingly on form, and Lorenzo plus Stoner there who knows!

[NinjaMaster]

Stoner to finally break through for his first win of 2010 I reckon. Here's hoping the race is a cracker.

1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 265.5 1'21.699
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 261.4 1'21.932 0.233 / 0.233
3 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 259.2 1'22.225 0.526 / 0.293
4 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 259.9 1'22.559 0.860 / 0.334
5 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 259.2 1'22.640 0.941 / 0.081
6 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 263.4 1'22.660 0.961 / 0.020
7 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 258.8 1'22.902 1.203 / 0.242
8 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 259.5 1'22.971 1.272 / 0.069
9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 257.9 1'23.021 1.322 / 0.050
10 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 253.9 1'23.693 1.994 / 0.672
11 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 248.8 1'23.825 2.126 / 0.132
12 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 247.1 1'24.002 2.303 / 0.177
13 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 247.3 1'24.326 2.627 / 0.324
14 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 254.8 1'24.615 2.916 / 0.289
15 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 252.8 1'24.710 3.011 / 0.095
16 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 237.4 1'25.031 3.332 / 0.321
17 95 Roger Lee HAYDEN USA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 253.3 1'25.432 3.733 / 0.401

The Suzuki's are really stinking it up after the first session. Roger Lee may well give them a serious hurry-up. Rossi is finding Laguna (unsurprisingly) a fair bit more painful than Sachsenring due to it's very physical nature. He will do well to finish top 5 after 30 laps around there (tho if anyone can...). Spies is fast earlier than normal which bodes well for a good result and should be a definate podium candidate. I look forward to seeing (hopefully) special liveries for Team Texas and also another special Rossi lid.

[Corny]

Should be a good race, finally.. Lorenzo and Stoner are quit equal in race pace, with Pedrosa and Dovizioso close behind. Can't wait, it's an amazing track isn't it?

[NinjaMaster]

1 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 262.1 1'20.978
2 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 266.1 1'21.169 0.191 / 0.191
3 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 260.1 1'21.617 0.639 / 0.448
4 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 260.9 1'21.655 0.677 / 0.038
5 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 258.2 1'21.679 0.701 / 0.024
6 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 262.8 1'21.688 0.710 / 0.009
7 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 259.0 1'21.920 0.942 / 0.232
8 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 260.6 1'22.217 1.239 / 0.297
9 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 255.1 1'22.300 1.322 / 0.083
10 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 256.9 1'22.366 1.388 / 0.066
11 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 258.6 1'22.407 1.429 / 0.041
12 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 256.0 1'22.647 1.669 / 0.240
13 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 257.9 1'22.712 1.734 / 0.065
14 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 251.3 1'22.770 1.792 / 0.058
15 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 250.1 1'23.127 2.149 / 0.357
16 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 260.1 1'23.226 2.248 / 0.099
17 95 Roger Lee HAYDEN USA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 262.8 1'23.764 2.786 / 0.538

Stoner and Lorenzo have been trading tit-for-tat all weekend and should have a great battle, provided no silly errors from Casey this time. The next four are all very evenly matched but Pedrosa always seems to find something else come race day and I'd expect him to fight for another win. I'd then expect a great battle between Dovi, Rossi and Spies for fourth.

[NinjaMaster]

Forgot to mention, Rossi's special helmet is a horrible gaudy affair that seems to have taken it's inspiration from the terrible Fiat 500 liveried bike from recent history:
http://resources.motogp.com/files/images/xy/2010/MotoGP/n512753_RossiHelmet.slideshow.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1310/657180992_de998b200b.jpg

Also, the Tech3 'Team Texas' paintscheme is a boring disappointment.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4820767978_88526ba50f_o.jpg

[Allyc85]

Just read on twitter that there will be no build up to the race on the BBC which is rubbish to say the least! Their coverage seems to be getting worse and worse with alot of mistakes, a poor lead presenter and repetitive commentary. Please give eurosport live coverage again someone!

[Rod Richardson]

Fairly predicable outcome apart from Pedrosa crashing and Rossi being on the podium. Spies continues putting in better performances as the season progresses.

1 99Jorge LORENZO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Jorge+Lorenzo)SPAFiat Yamaha TeamYamaha157.843'54.873
2 27Casey STONER (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Casey+Stoner)AUSDucati TeamDucati157.6+3.517
3 46Valentino ROSSI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Valentino+Rossi)ITAFiat Yamaha TeamYamaha157.0+13.420
4 4Andrea DOVIZIOSO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Andrea+Dovizioso)ITARepsol Honda TeamHonda157.0+14.188
5 69Nicky HAYDEN (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Nicky+Hayden)USADucati TeamDucati157.0+14.601
6 11Ben SPIES (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Ben+Spies)USAMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha156.7+19.03
7 95Colin EDWARDS (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Colin+Edwards)USAMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha155.4+40.721
8 33Marco MELANDRI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Marco+Melandri)ITASan Carlo Honda GresiniHonda155.1+47.219
9 6Mika KALLIO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Mika+Kallio)FINPramac Racing TeamDucati154.7+52.813
10 65Loris CAPIROSSI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Loris+Capirossi)ITARizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki154.7+52.814
11 95Roger Lee HAYDEN (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Roger+Lee+Hayden)USALCR Honda MotoGPHonda153.5+1'14.089
12 15Alex DE ANGELIS (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Alex+de+Angelis)RSMInterwetten Honda MotoGPHonda153.5+1'14.666

The casualties
41Aleix ESPARGARO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Aleix+Espargaro)SPAPramac Racing TeamDucati154.74 Laps
58Marco SIMONCELLI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Marco+Simoncelli)ITASan Carlo Honda GresiniHonda155.414 Laps
26Dani PEDROSA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Dani+Pedrosa)SPARepsol Honda TeamHonda157.621 Laps
40Hector BARBERA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Hector+Barbera)SPAPaginas Amarillas AsparDucati147.329 Laps
19Alvaro BAUTISTA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Alvaro+Bautista)SPARizla Suzuki MotoGPSuzuki146.030 Laps

[Corny]

There's just one thing I don't like about Lorenzo: his race winning-celebrations.. What was he doing yesterday then? Does he want anybody to laugh or? What's his goal with it, can't see the link with winning a motogp race

Funny: they [the organizers of Laguna Seca GP I guess] played the italian national anthem at the podium, haha how stupid can you be!

[Allyc85]

Lorenzos celebration just took too long, I was bored waiting for it to start and for him to get back to the pits!

Bit of a boring race really apart from Rossi passing Dovi around the outside at turn 1, amazing!!

[BobbyC]

Does the Beeb (or other broadcasters) use the stylised number plates that have been used on US television? Is this Speed only or MotoGP available(Speed uses the #46 graphic on the front of the bike for Rossi, the #27 for Stoner, et al; the style of motorsport graphic is prevalent in saloon cars, where it has become standard)? I've noticed Speed uses the stylised plates this year for their own package.