U.S. Grand Prix - PREVIEW
Laguna Seca Circuit, United States (GMT-7)
 THE
TEAM PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP AT LAGUNA SECA IN THE UNITED
STATES
This weekend, there will be the eleventh round of the 2006
MotoGP World Championship on the circuit of Laguna Seca, in
the United States. The race is reserved to the MotoGP class
and is the last one before the summer break. ALEX HOFMANN,
after the unlucky race during his “home GP” in
Germany, is ready to make up for it; the German rider knows
the track and wants to make a good result. JOSE LUIS CARDOSO
will discover the track with a MotoGP bike for the very first
time and his aim will be to conquest more points for the general
classification.
The first session of free practice will be on Friday 20th
July, at 10:00 a.m. (GMT-7).
LUIS D’ANTIN (Team Manager): “This
is the last race before the summer break and that’s
important for us to make a good result. The Team is working
very hard to allow both our riders, HOFMANN and CARDOSO, to
be in the best conditions and express themselves in the best
way during the race. Our aim is to obtain good positions during
the race, this is very important for the Team and for all
the sponsors that are following us this season”.
ALEX HOFMANN #66: “This round in the
United States makes me very enthusiast. The atmosphere is
fantastic and there really are a lot of passionate people.
I like the track, I raced there last year. I really like the
“Corkscrew”, this is a spectacular corner! I really
can’t wait to go on track and begin to make the practice.
I hope to get a good result, especially after the bad luck
I had in Germany where I was forced to retire myself”.
JOSE LUIS CARDOSO #30: “I already
raced in Laguna Seca but in 1994 and with a 250cc. I have
to admit I don’t remember much of it, it will nearly
be as discovering a new track, with a really different bike.
I’m enthusiast, I hope I will be able to conquest more
points and that I will go on improving my performances. I
will make my best with the whole Team and, with a good result,
I will be able to go happier on holidays”.
CIRCUIT DETAILS
The MotoGP World Championship returned to the United States
in 2005, at Laguna Seca. The circuit of is situated near Monterey,
California and hosted Grand Prix from 1988 to 1994. Then advancements
in MotoGP required the event to be moved elsewhere while the
track was modified and adapted to meet present day safety
requirements. The track is still the same but there have been
many changes as an expansion of the exit lanes, the replacement
of the kerbs and the widening of the main straight. Its structures
can host about 150.000 spectators.
The circuit is 3.610 meters long and has got 11 corners (7
to the left and 4 to the right).
Its configuration is very different from the other tracks
of the World Championship. As one of the most famous parts,
there is the “Corkscrew”, a spectacular chicane
that many riders do like a lot. The arrival straight is a
critical point as well, it’s really short and composed
by two small direction changes. Before the “Corkscrew”
there is another level variation where the wheels of the various
bikes do have problems to remain on the ground. Getting to
the “Corkscrew”, the braking is quite hard, then
the riders go down in a very spectacular manner and there
are two corners that lead, going down, to a very slow corner
just before the arrival straight. A good opportunity to overtake.
Longest straight: 966m
Wide: 15m
Pole Position: right
Direction: clockwise
MotoGP - Circuit record: 1’23.915 (Colin Edwards - 2005)
MotoGP - Fastest lap: 1’22.670 (Nicky Hayden - 2005)
2005 MotoGP race: 1. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2. Colin Edwards
(Yamaha) 3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
|
