Following a few days of rest after a positive season-opening race at Losail, Qatar, where the Pramac Racing Team finished ninth and tenth, the squad has arrived at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The track, which opened last year in Austin, Texas, is 5.513 kilometers long (3.426 miles) and has 20 corners (11 lefthanders and nine righthanders), along with an uphill of 41 meters (135 feet). Although the facility is making its MotoGP debut, it has already earned a reputation for being among the nicest on the calendar. Home rider Ben Spies (Ignite Pramac Racing Team) already had an opportunity to get a first impression of the Texas circuit while riding a Ducati 1199 Panigale R during that bike’s official press launch in March, shortly after a private test that was attended by Honda and Yamaha. Both riders now look forward to COTA’s first MotoGP free-practice sessions, which are scheduled to get started Friday at 9:55 local time. Ben Spies – Ignite Pramac Racing Team “I’m really happy to race at home; even just a few years ago, I never would’ve imagined that it was possible. The track is very challenging, but because I was able to do some laps here last month, I know something about what to expect, and I’ll try to take advantage of what I learned.” More, from another press release issued by Pramac Racing: Following a few days of rest after a positive season-opening race at Losail, Qatar, where the Pramac Racing Team finished ninth and tenth, the squad has arrived at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The track, which opened last year in Austin, Texas, is 5.513 kilometers long (3.426 miles) and has 20 corners (11 lefthanders and nine righthanders), along with an uphill of 41 meters (135 feet). Although the facility is making its MotoGP debut, it has already earned a reputation for being among the nicest on the calendar. Before arriving in Texas, Andrea Iannone (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team) traveled to Laguna Seca for a few laps (also aboard a Ducati 1199 Panigale R) at another circuit that is unfamiliar to him, and which will host the season’s ninth round on July 21. Both riders now look forward to COTA’s first MotoGP free-practice sessions, which are scheduled to get started Friday at 9:55 local time. Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team “Before coming here to Austin, I went to Laguna Seca to try another track that I’ve never ridden—the Corkscrew is truly spectacular! It’s a shame that I couldn’t do it more than just a few times. Now I’m ready for another new circuit, and it seems very fun and challenging.”