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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Jeff Belskus
wants to keep the annual MotoGP weekend on the schedule – if the
two sides can work out some of the tricky details.
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The current one-year deal expires after this season. Belskus said
this weekend that MotoGP’s commercial rights holder is trying to
package the American races into a narrow window that would help
defray team travel costs. Under the current format, the
European-based motorcycle series goes to Laguna Seca in California
in late July, then runs in the Czech Republic in early August
before coming to Indy in late August.
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MotoGP also has a 10-year contract to compete at the new Formula
One track in Austin, Texas. The first race will be held there in
2013, though no dates have been announced.
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Negotiations for a new deal in Indy continued this weekend, though
nothing was announced.
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“We’re still negotiating with them, we do have some date issues,”
Belskus said. “They would like us to be closer to Laguna Seca so
they don’t have to travel back and forth so much.”
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Moving the Indy race to an earlier August date or even before
Laguna Seca could cause additional problems for the
speedway.
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If the motorcycle race were closer to NASCAR’s Brickyard date,
traditionally late July, speedway officials may have trouble
getting the track ready for a road-course race.
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Another option: Moving Laguna Seca’s date closer to Indy’s regular
date, which could allow MotoGP to be in the U.S. for all of August.
It’s unclear whether MotoGP officials can or would make that kind
of change.
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Riders have frequently complained since the first race in 2008
about Indy’s narrow track, its difficult surface and the tight
corners. The speedway recently repaved 1.5 miles of the course, but
the complaints remained.
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“Instead of corners opening up, they just keep tightening up,” said
Casey Stoner, Sunday’s winner. “This facility could be unbelievable
with the history that it’s got. I just don’t enjoy riding it as
much as I enjoy other circuits.”
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Sunday’s attendance was announced at 64,151, a slight improvement
from 62,794 last year.
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The three-day total of 134,766 was the lowest of its four-year run
in Indy, well below the 170,000 from 2008 and it’s not even close
to some of the crowds in Europe.
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But Indy does have something riders like.
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“For me, it’s a home race. It’s in front of the home crowd,”
third-place finisher Ben Spies said. “I’ve had good results here. I
think it’s more important for America to get involved with MotoGP
to grow in the states, so I would like to see it come
back.”
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HAYDEN’S ROUGH DAY: Nicky Hayden’s tire risk failed.
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Hayden was the only rider in the MotoGP race who chose
Bridgestone’s medium compound for his front tire – the rest chose
the hard compound for both front and rear. After a fast start, his
race ended during the 26th of 28 laps because of tire
wear.
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“There was no rubber left, and then it was out of balance and I
could not even ride,” he said. “Tough day.”
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Hayden entered the weekend optimistic about riding a new bike, and
the Ducati rider left it hoping to salvage something.
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“Hopefully, we can take some of the data that we learned from this
weekend on that bike.”
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Hayden, from Owensboro, Ky., wanted a better finish in his home
country. Instead, he got the kind of result that has plagued him
all season.
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“It was a disaster,” he said. “It has been going on for quite a
while, so it’s not fun. I have a lot of fans here in America who
came here to support me and I let them down.”
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ROSSI STRUGGLES AGAIN: Ducati rider Valentino Rossi found himself
in an unfamiliar place during Sunday’s MotoGP race:
last.
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The seven-time MotoGP champion started 14th out of 17 riders after
a poor qualifying effort on Saturday, then he overshot turn one on
the ninth lap during Sunday’s MotoGP race and fell to the back of
the pack.
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“I made two or three mistakes in the first corner,” he said. “I
wanted to stop, seriously, but I did not want to give
up.”
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Rossi rallied and finished 10th.
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“It was very bad,” Rossi said. “The bike was so difficult to ride.
I didn’t have any grip. The front pushed, and after some laps, I
had problems with the gearbox.”
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SPAIN RULES MOTO2: Marc Marquez led a Spanish sweep in a Moto2
event. Pol Espargaro finished second and Esteve Rabat finished
third.
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Marquez earned the pole, then fell behind Simone Corsi for several
laps before taking the lead for good in lap eight of the 26-lap
race.
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Espargaro has finished on the podium in all four Indianapolis Grand
Prix. His previous podium finishes all came in 125cc: first in
2009, second in 2008 and third in 2010. His previous best this
season had been sixth at Portugal.
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German Stefan Bradl finished sixth and remained in the points
lead.
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TEROL WINS AGAIN: Spain’s Nicolas Terol won the 125cc class for the
third time in four Indianapolis events.
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Terol also won the event in 2008 and 2010. This year, he became the
first rider to win the event from the pole.
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“This victory is incredible in this moment of championship,” Terol
said. “I want to thank my team because their work for the weekend
is perfect.
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Spanish rookie Maverick Vinales finished second, and Germany’s
Sandro Cortese was third.
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Terol now leads France’s Johann Zarco 191-165 in the point
standings. Zarco finished fifth on Sunday.
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XDL WINNERS: Bill Dixon and Dena Sodano claimed the men’s and
women’s XDL season championships in downtown
Indianapolis.
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It was the fourth consecutive year the final event of the stunt
motorcycle riders’ season was held in Indianapolis as part of the
Indianapolis GP weekend.
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Rafal Pasierbek won the FMF Cup Final to win the Indianapolis
event, but Dixon accumulated enough points in the previous four
events to claim the season championship.
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Dan Jackson won the Wheelie Teach Wheelie Race, Brian Bubash won
the K&N Circle Challenge and Sickest Trick Award, Jesse Toler
claimed the Racing 905 Speed and Style Showdown and Sodano won the
Startso Women’s Cup.
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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot contributed to this
report.
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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/cliffbruntap
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