Miguel DuHamel for Laguna!

[Cleve]

Remember what happened the last time another old man had a one off appearance at a MotoGP round? He won it!

Troy Bayliss last race of 2006.

[k14]

Remember what happened the last time another old man had a one off appearance at a MotoGP round? He won it!

Troy Bayliss last race of 2006.

I think you'd have to say that was slightly different. Bayliss having already cleaned up the superbike champs and also having 3 seasons in motogp. Will be interesting to watch though.

[denill]

CycleNews: reports that Nicky's brother, Roger Lee Hayden recently returned from a four-day trip to Japan to test the Kawasaki MotoGP machine in preparation for would looks like “an 80-pecent chance” he’ll be riding at Laguna Seca.

“I went over with Mike Preston (Kawasaki U.S. team manager) for four days, two of which were set aside for riding,” said Hayden from his Kentucky home. “It rained the whole first day and the morning of the second, but we were able to get in a good amount of time, probably 60 or so laps, to get a feel for it the second day.

“The carbon brakes took some getting used to, but overall the bike was really good. It’s smaller than even my 600 and the traction control and wheelie control work well. It wasn’t that hard to ride at all – not nearly as bad as I had thought. It’s definitely a little slower than the 990 I rode last year (at Valencia following the final race of the season) and overall it’s better. It was good to get things figured out. I was riding an engine setup from Randy de Puniet and coming from 250s he runs it with zero engine braking, so they played with the computer and were able to add some to fit my style. Just little things like that.”

Hayden wouldn’t say for sure if the ride at Laguna was going to happen, or what the future held for him in MotoGP after Laguna, but he was excited about the prospect of racing with the world's best and is going into the GP weekend with an open mind.

“If it does happen, which I would say it’s about 80-percent, I really don’t want to put any goals or expectations on myself,” continued the youngest Hayden brother. “I just want to go out there and feel the experience out and see how it goes. They have talked about some stuff down the road but who knows. I just want to learn as much as possible and make the most of the experience.”

If Hayden does ride, as well as both Roberts brothers and now Miguel Duhamel on the Gresini Honda, it would make for a total of seven Americans in the field.

[denill]

So who's goin to win at Laguna??

CycleNews: has a poll.

[k14]

Yeah that will be a jackpot. Three americans that could win (Edwards, Hopkins and Hayden) and then there's rossi and stoner (outsider I'd have to say). Maybe Vermeulen with his worldsbk experience around there too. Not sure who I think.

[BarryG]

No question, it will be a jackpot! I'm glad I'm not a betting man. The Americans must have some slight track knowledge advantage, but Stoner and Rossi are the class of the field still, methinks. If Nicky is as comfortable on the Honda as what the last two races indicated, then he's for sure in with a shout for a third win, but my guess is his luck will run out, and the tyre regs will throw a few spanners in the works.
I think I'd go out on a very fragile limb and put my money on Colin for the win.
We still have to get through Sachsenring, which could throw even more doubt into prognostications for Laguna.
I love this stuff!
Cheers
Barry

[Cleve]

Yeah that will be a jackpot. Three americans that could win (Edwards, Hopkins and Hayden) and then there's rossi and stoner (outsider I'd have to say). Maybe Vermeulen with his worldsbk experience around there too. Not sure who I think.

That's right Kirk. EVERY race is a different circumstance...

[denill]

I think I'd go out on a very fragile limb and put my money on Colin for the win.
We still have to get through Sachsenring, which could throw even more doubt into prognostications for Laguna.
I love this stuff!
Cheers
Barry

Yeah, funny you should say that but when I saw all the names in the poll I thought it could well be Edwards day. He would WANT it badly!!

And yeah - it is great stuff.

[denill]

Friday Practice:
1. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 1:23.410

2. Marco Melandri (Honda) 1:23.597

3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1:23.692

4. John Hopkins (Suzuki) 1:23.753

5. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1:23.754

6. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 1:23.962

7. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) 1:24.311

8. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 1:24.516

9. Alex Barros (Ducati) 1:24.552

10. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 1:24.584

Other Americans

16. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 1:25.550

19. Kurtis Roberts (KR) 1:26.058

[denill]

Saturday MotoGP Practice:

1. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 1:22.365

2. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 1:22.723

3. John Hopkins (Suzuki) 1:22.756

4. Marco Melandri (Honda) 1:22.821

5. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 1:22.839

6. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 1:22.860

7. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1:23.049

8. Makoto Tamada (Yamaha) 1:23.263

9. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1:23.272

10. Carlos Checa (Honda) 1:23.282

11. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 1:23.285

12. Anthony West (Kawasaki) 1:23.313

13. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) 1:23.333

14. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1:23.361

15. Sylvain Guintoli (Yamaha) 1:23.468

16. Shinya Nakano (Honda) 1:23.734

17. Alex Barros (Ducati) 1:23.930

18. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 1:24.626

19. Kurtis Roberts (KR212V) 1:24.928

20. Chaz Davies (Ducati) 1:25.219

[denill]

MotoGP Qualifying

Stoner 1m22.29
Pedrosa 1m22.50
Vermeulen 1m22.59
Hayden 1m22.62
Rossi 1m22.68
Capirossi 1m22.91
Hopkins 1m22.93
Edwards 1m22.94
Nakano 1m23.00
Melandri 1m23.01
Tamada 1m23.03
West 1m23.09
De Puniet 1m23.11
Guintoli 1m23.20
Checa 1m23.26
R Hayden 1m23.42
Barros 1m23.55
Roberts 1m23.66
Duhamel 1m23.92
Davies 1m24.09

MotoGP Top Speeds in Qual - km/h

Stoner 255.9
Hopkins 255.4
Capirossi 254.8
Barros 254.7
Vermeulen 254.4
Roger Lee Hayden 254.2
Davies 253.9
De Puniet 253.7
Melandri 252.1
Rossi 251.3
West 250.0
Pedrosa 248.6
Edwards 248.5
Nakano 248.4
Duhamel 247.6
Nicky Hayden 247.5
Tamada 247.3
Guintoli 247.3
Roberts 246.5
Checa 244.1