MotoGP preview: Laguna Seca

Round nine (MotoGP only): Laguna Seca, America, July 19-21
Venue: Laguna Seca Raceway, 167km south of San Francisco
Circuit: 3.61km and 11 corners -- 7 left and four right
Lap record: MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 1:21.229 (160km/h), 2012

Background
A circuit that was already a classic before MotoGP ventured there for the first time 1988, thanks to vision of American stars such as Kenny Roberts, Randy Mamola and Eddie Lawson going toe-to-toe in domestic racing. Laguna Seca has one of the most famous corner in the world, the Corkscrew, which has produced numerous tales of triumph and tragedy over the years. Laguna hosted MotoGP racing from 1998-1991, made a brief return in 1993-1994, and has now been on the calendar every year since 2005 -- always hosting just the MotoGP race as the smaller world championship classes take a break. Since December 2004, the circuit has undergone major changes, primarily to increase track safety. The first phase of modernisation included an expanded exit lane, replacement of the kerbs and widening of the main straight, while more recent changes involved moving back walls to create bigger run-off areas. The circuit’s principal features, however, remain the same, with 3.61km of track and 11 curves.

Preview
Regular MotoGP watchers still look back on the 2008 race at Laguna Seca as the stuff of legend, when Australia’s Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi went and hammer and tongs for the whole race, with the Italian – once a timid soul around the Californian layout -- even taking to the dirt at one stage as he tried to gain an advantage any way he knew how. Rossi eventually prevailed and went onto win the world championship – while Stoner was left fuming.

But there’s no doubt that Laguna Seca was one of Stoner’s favourite tracks during his MotoGP career, winning in 2007, 2011 and 2012 – his pass around the outside of Jorge Lorenzo at turn one last year an absolute beauty. Stoner’s three wins is only equalled by the great Wayne Rainey, while American Nicky Hayden is the only other multiple winner.

Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) will be the only other Laguna Seca winners lining up on the grid in this Sunday’s 32-lap, 115.5km race – if they make it that far. Both will certainly fly across the Atlantic, but the biggest question mark is over Lorenzo, who is still recovering from a second bout of surgery on his injured collarbone, which forced him to miss last Sunday’s GP at Sachsenring.

 “Finally we have decided to go to Laguna Seca,” Lorenzo said. “Following the final medical check and after speaking with Doctor Rodríguez, we are going to try. At the beginning I seriously thought that it might have been convenient to take the necessary time to recover and be back at Indy (Indianapolis), but over the last two days I have felt much better so now I want to be there, although I will try to not take too many risks.

“I want to be there also for the fans, for the championship but especially for my team that is waiting for me. I want to thank everybody for all of the support I have received so far and I want to say ‘thank you’ to the doctors who took care of me after the crash at the Sachsenring, both at the Clinica Mobile and at the Hospital General de Catalunya, especially Doctors Rodríguez  and Cots.”

Pedrosa, who saw teammate Marquez snatch his world title lead at Sachsenring, is in a far better physical shape than Lorenzo.

“After a disappointing weekend in Germany, I'm happy to be feeling better again and thankful that my shoulder wasn't completely broken, even if a fracture is still not the best thing to happen!” Pedrosa said. “Now I need to get back on-track to see what condition I'm in and hope we can have a good weekend.”

Meanwhile, Laguna Seca will be another new challenge for championship rookie Marquez (outside of some laps around the circuit on a road bike), but as he’s already proven beyond doubt he doesn’t get intimated easily – a rare attribute for a 20-year-old.  He currently leads the title by 2pts (138 to 136) over Pedrosa, followed by Lorenzo (127), Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 107) and Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing, 101).

Crutchlow is in the form of his life, having last weekend stepped onto the podium for the fourth time this year after a brave ride following some nasty scrapes and bruises from crashes on Friday. He managed to beat Rossi, who will be looking for an improvement at Laguna Seca after expecting more from his outing at the Sachsenring.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, who led for a significant part in his home race last time out, can head to the US with a sense of optimism after matching his best result of fourth, while Hayden, as a past winner, obviously knows the fast away around Laguna Seca – but whether his factory Ducati can carry him along is another thing.

Australia’s Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) was all at sea in Germany, including a crash three laps from home, so he will at least be looking to stay upright at Laguna Seca and bring his bike home in one piece.