MotoGP at Indy?

[Mushroom_Farmer]

It was announced on the evening news tonight that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway brass are in talks trying to get at least 2 MotoGP races in 2008. The world Speedway is keeping August 2008 free for a possible second US-based round of the MotoGP World Championship. "We've always planned [MotoGP] as a fourth event [for the facility]," The Indianapolis Star reports track president Joie Chitwood as saying. "At that point, the dates are limited."

I'm wondering what took so long. It should be very popular in this area as there many motorcycle enthusiasts in the mid-western/mid-atlantic U.S.

[BMan1113VR]

Wonder what it feels like riding at high speeds around a steep banked turn like that. . .

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Hi Bman. The Speedway officials already figure the riders will refuse to use that part of the track. A new section will most likely be built to somehow avoid it. However, the AMA riders do take the high banks at Daytona, so who knows.

[Chris_F]

[quote] Hi Bman. The Speedway officials already figure the riders will refuse to use that part of the track. A new section will most likely be built to somehow avoid it. However, the AMA riders do take the high banks at Daytona, so who knows.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Hi Chris. Here's a link to a map and info on the AMA Superbike course.

[Craig.]

nice!
I wouldn't mind seeing F1 run that Daytona course.
I dont think the indy banking would be that bad for the bikes, my only concern is the course as a whole, I though riders preferred more sweeping corners rather than sharper ones which indy is made up of. Please correct me if i'm wrong, I dont really watch the motogp series.

[Chris_F]

nice!
I wouldn't mind seeing F1 run that Daytona course.
I dont think the indy banking would be that bad for the bikes, my only concern is the course as a whole, I though riders preferred more sweeping corners rather than sharper ones which indy is made up of. Please correct me if i'm wrong, I dont really watch the motogp series.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't think rider preferences are really considered when choosing race venues for events of this calibur.  Safety is certainly a concern, but nobody really cares if the riders are having a good time.  What organizers do care about is whether or not the event will be a commercial succes, which means it can draw a big crowd, someone is willing to pay for the TV rights, and sponsors are happy.  Indy is pretty much the ultimate venue in the US (perhaps the world.  It is after all home to the world's oldest and some say most prestegous motor race), and the US is a HUGE market for a racing series so Indy is a shoe-in for any series with enough draw to justify running there.  But safety will always be a consideration and if Indy isn't safe for MotoGP then either it will be made safe or they won't run.

[Sir_Crashalot]

Wonder what it feels like riding at high speeds around a steep banked turn like that. . .

That is no problem at all. Since the corner is banked you don't need to steer to bike around the corner as you normally would. You can take corners like that at very high speeds. It's like riding straight on except for the G-forces pushing you into the bikeseat. Never tried it myself but I was told it's like that....

Crash

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Good news: Last week IMS President Tony George announced that a Moto-GP event will be run at Indianapolis in mid-September of '08. The Grand Prix track will be reconfigured a bit to suit the wishes of Moto-GP.
Bad news: There will not be a US Grand Prix at Indy in '08. The future of a US Grand Prix at Indy after '08 remains uncertain.

[Craig.]

time to revamp either laguna seca or watkins glen. Preferably the glen for F1.
Indy needed to sign motogp.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Would dearly love to see them back at the Glen, on a configuration similar to the original. With modern safety measures implemented of course. I would also be happy with either Laguna or Sears Point.
Current talk is of New York or Las Vegas, if they appear at all in '08. Vegas was tried once before in the 80's, nobody came.  ::)