**SPOILER** Laguna Seca MotoGP Results

[Marknz]

1. Nicky Hayden (US) Honda 45 mins 04.867 secs
2. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 45:08.053
3. Marco Melandri (Italy) Honda 45:15.796
4. Kenny Roberts Jr. (US) KR211V 45:16.808
5. Chris Vermeulen (Australia) Suzuki 45:32.306
6. John Hopkins (US) Suzuki 45:43.687
7. Carlos Checa (Spain) Yamaha 45:49.692
8. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Ducati 45:53.393
9. Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 45:58.095
10. Sete Gibernau (Spain) Ducati 46:11.146

No idea where Rossi finsihed at this stage, if indeed he did finish? Anyone have any news on that??

[Paulus]

DNFed (mechanical).

[Marknz]

I can now answer my own question... his engine expired and he had to park it up on the last lap.

[SimJen]

As far as I know he retired, he got to 4th and looked like possibly making it to 3rd or even 2nd but then he disappeared from the timing sheets

[Paulus]

FIM MotoGP World Championship
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, California
July 23
Race Results:

1. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), Michelin, 32 laps, 45:04.867
2. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -3.186 seconds
3. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -10.929 seconds
4. Kenny Lee Roberts (Hon KR211V), Michelin, -11.941 seconds
5. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -27.438 seconds
6. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -38.820 seconds
7. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -44.825 seconds
8. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -48.526 seconds
9. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, -53.228 seconds
10. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -66.279 seconds
11. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -71.941 seconds
12. Randy De Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, -74.407 seconds
13. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -79.283 seconds
14. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -101.277 seconds, crash
15. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -1 lap, crash
16. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -1 lap
17. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1, Michelin, -4 laps, DNF, mechanical
18. Shinya Nakanao (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, -17 laps, DNF, mechanical
19. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -18 laps, DNF, crash


MotoGP World Championship Point Standings (After 11 of 17 races):

1. Hayden, 194 points
2. Pedrosa, 160 points
3. Melandri, 150 points
4. Rossi, 143 points
5. Capirossi, 126 points
6. Stoner, 91 points
7. Edwards, 84 points
8. Roberts, 79 points
9. Hopkins, 74 points
10. Nakano, 67 points
11. Tamada, 64 points
12. Elias, 59 points
13. Gibernau, 58 points
14. Vermeulen, 57 points
15. Checa, 53 points
16. TIE, Hofmann/De Puniet, 21 points
18. Ellison, 20 points
19. Cardoso, 8 points

[SimJen]

Rossi could still do it. He always thought he'd be up against it at Laguna, the yanks are damn fast there. He said that Colin passed him at the corkscrew last year and he had no idea how he did it....some special line or something.
If he can scrape it back from this point, it'll be amazing. If anyone can do it Rossi can.
I was so surprised that his Yammy failed, not something you see everyday......

[Cajun]

good to finally see the suzukis starting to get there shit sorted out

[Matt Bleck]

emaN owes me a beer!!!!

[gav]

Apparently Rossi's rear tyre chunked, he slowed down just to try and finish and his engine over heated running so slow, and expired!

[Ghost Lemur]

Go Pedrossa!!!

If Rossi doesn't win this season, I'd rather see Pedrosa do it than Hayden.

Hayden's got some skill, but Pedrosa is like Rossi. A freak of nature. Pure talent.

I want to know who put the bikers curse on Rossi. It's not like he's been riding bad, or in poor form. Or even that the others have got better. No. First race he gets taken out first bend. Has a shredded FRONT tyre (when the hell did that last happen to anyone, let alone Rossi), and two Yamaha's blow up.

Damn it, this is turning into a season sweet highs (Mugello, Sashenring, etc) and gutrenching lows (take your pick).

Anyone got a torrent (not that I'm sure I'll ever want to watch that race again).

[Motu]

For all the hype (from guess who) it was the most boring race of the season,specially after last week.The bikes were strung out with a few battles here and there,but no close tight buches swapping places several times a lap.But we need different tracks for variety...just a bit disapointing really.

As expected Hayden won - but he had to work for it,and had some battles with KR Jnr and Pedrossa,then had to reel that bloody Suzuki in.Everyone knew the Suzuki wouldn't last the distance,but Vermuelen took it further than anyone expected,Hayden must of been worried for a while there seeing him disapear,but then the tide turned.

An outstanding performance from Pedrossa - there are still people saying he's too small to handle a real bike,that he doesn't have the stamina to last a race...I hope they will shut up now.His first year in MotoGP,his first ride on Leguna Seca,and he puts in an outstanding performance....this is the guy who will be the sucessor to Rossi.Stoner? Kinda expected,but this is his learning year,lets hope he is.

It was just too much for Rossi to close up with them all strung out,fried a tyre,fried an engine - nothing to do with Rossi,it's still hard to fault the guy...really tough luck.

[merv]

This frying the engine because he was running slow because of the tyre seems a bit of a story surely?

[James Deuce]

I see my predictions weren't too far from the mark, except for the Edwards bit of course. Oh, and the Roberts Jr one. Does anyone know if Rossi tried to "kick start" his bike a la Hopper?

[Paulus]

Some interesting facts:

MotoGP pole time 1:23.168 (Vermeulen)
AMA SBK pole time 1:24.946 (Spies)

MotoGP pole time 1:25.420 (Gibernau)

The fastest AMA SBK rider would have out qualified Sete Gibernau by half a second.

[skelstar]

Ive only just got into this motoGP watching (saw Turkey onwards) but bloody hell that corkscrew must be one of the most scary corner combinations that Ive seen! There must be a tonne of weight on the front wheel through there. Guess you could easily shag a tyre on that corner alone.