Racer Kenny Lee Roberts (a.k.a. “Junior”) led a parade of motorcyclists from downtown Indianapolis to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to announce the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, scheduled for September 14, 2008. Roberts rode a Honda streetbike in the parade, and was joined on the ride by former AMA 250cc GP racer Andy Leisner, now a partner in Hardcard Holdings, the consultancy hired by IMS to broker the MotoGP deal. Leisner is also a former AMA Pro Vice President and worked for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca before leaving to form Hard Card Productions with fellow former AMA Pro executives John Farris and Scott Hollingsworth. According to the announcement, construction will begin on course modifications to suit motorcycle racing immediately following the NASCAR race at the Speedway at the end of this month. Planned changes to the road course include four new infield corners inside Speedway Turn One, along with reconfiguring several existing road course turns to make them faster. Discussion are still underway regarding the layout of the final infield corner exiting onto the front straight of the Speedway. The track’s Joie Chitwood said the cost of modifications will be “millions of dollars.” According to Kenny Roberts, the final infield corner may be tightened up to reduce the angle of attack towards the Speedway wall. Roberts also said that the proposed layout of the infield could be one of the best on the MotoGP circuit for passing. Chitwood said that the track has a three-year deal to host MotoGP. DORNA CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said that in the past, multiple GPs in the same country have helped fuel interest in the series and boosted attendance at both events. Gill Campbell, General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, who also attended the press conference, said that the California track plans to continue hosting MotoGP for the foreseable future. The MotoGP event at Indianapolis will not include any AMA classes, and will instead include MotoGP, 250cc GP and 125cc classes. Priority parking areas for motorcycles will be available at the event. More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports: MotoGP confirms Red Bull Indianapolis GP for 2008 Motorcycle racing will return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in nearly a century with the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 for MotoGP, the world’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Officials from IMS and Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for MotoGP, have reached a multi-year agreement to stage motorcycle racing at the Speedway for the first time since an event on the 2.5-mile oval on Aug. 14, 1909, the year the facility opened. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP will take place on a new 16-turn, 2.601-mile (4.186 km) motorcycle road course at IMS that will feature the riders travelling counter-clockwise, the same direction as the facility’s oval events. “We welcome the excitement and passion of MotoGP racing and its fans to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP,” said Joie Chitwood, IMS president and chief operating officer. “The very first motorized race at IMS was on two wheels, so it’s only fitting that motorcycles are returning as we approach the 100th anniversary of the track. “Fans of MotoGP know just how thrilling this form of racing is, and our new road-course configuration will create even more side-by-side action and passing opportunities for the skilled riders.” The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP will feature three days of on-track action starting Friday, Sept. 12. The 125cc and 250cc classes also will compete as support series during the event. “We are very happy to be able to add this event to the MotoGP calendar because tradition and history play such a big part in our sport, and nowhere in the world has as much motorsport history as Indianapolis,” said Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta. “The U.S. is obviously a very important market to us, and when we returned to Laguna Seca a couple of years ago for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, it was an instant success. The next step was to come to Indianapolis, and now to be able to say we have two MotoGP events in the United States shows just how far our sport has come in recent years. We hope that the Red Bull Indianapolis GP will be another success story, and we are already looking forward to next year’s first event with anticipation.” MotoGP is the most sophisticated, prestigious motorcycle racing series in the world. Riders compete on prototype, 800cc machines from major manufacturers, including Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. MotoGP bikes, which create nearly 250 horsepower despite weighing only approximately 330 pounds (148kg), can reach speeds of nearly 210 mph. The 2007 series schedule features 18 races in 15 countries around the globe. Defending World Champion Nicky Hayden, from Owensboro, Kentucky, is one of five Americans who have scored points the 2007 MotoGP season. The others are 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr., Colin Edwards, John Hopkins and Kurtis Roberts. More, from a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA WELCOMES INDIANAPOLIS TO MOTOGP FOLD Historic Speedway to Host Second U.S. Round in 2008 MONTEREY, Calif. (July 16, 2007) Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/General Manager Gill Campbell attended today’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway announcement of the addition of MotoGP to its 2008 calendar to welcome the world famous circuit into the MotoGP fold. With Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca already hosting the immensely successful Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Campbell says, “Adding a second MotoGP event in the U.S. can only serve to enhance what we are doing in Monterey. The two races can feed off one another to help grow the World Championship’s American audience. “We are extremely pleased to have MotoGP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and we welcome the Indianapolis Motor Speedway into the MotoGP family.” The first year of the return of MotoGP to the states and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (2005) was such a success that Dorna Sports signed a five-year extension of the agreement with the world-renowned 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit. The present contract runs through 2010. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP event is scheduled for September 14, 2008. The date of the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be announced in the near future. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2007. The world-renowned raceway has been operated since its inception by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), a not-for-profit 501C(4) corporation. Each race season, SCRAMP donates its net proceeds to the volunteer groups that help put on the races. Last season, SCRAMP donated over $400,000 to those local charities and civic organizations. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s Golden Anniversary season features a world-class racing schedule including the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 20-22, the 34th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races August 17-19, the AMA Superbike Championships September 15-16 and the Monterey Sports Car Championships, the American Le Mans Series’ season finale, October 19-21. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP FANS CAN ORDER TICKETS NOW INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, July 16, 2007 Ticket orders are being accepted now for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, the first motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in nearly 100 years. The MotoGP race will be the first motorcycle event at IMS since 1909, the year the facility opened. Orders can be placed either online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com or by mailing an order form to IMS. The order form is available at the IMS Web site or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally. Ticket Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All tickets for this event are three-day tickets, with both reserved and general admission seating available. Anyone wanting reserved seats must request at least four choices of their preferred seating area with their order. All orders will be fulfilled at a later date. Fans of all ages wishing to have a reserved seat must purchase a ticket. Children age 5 and under will be admitted free when they accompany an adult who purchases a three-day general admission ticket. MotoGP fans are encouraged to order early, as tickets for past inaugural events at IMS have sold quickly. More, from another press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: NEW IMS MOTORCYCLE CIRCUIT DESIGN TO CHALLENGE RIDERS INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, July 16, 2007 Riders in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, 2008 will race on a new Indianapolis Motor Speedway motorcycle road circuit. The motorcycle circuit is 2.601 miles (4.186 km) long and will feature 16 turns (10 left, six right). The initial IMS road-course configuration, unveiled in 2000, had 13 turns in its 2.605-mile (4.192 km) layout. All three classes competing at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc will race on the new circuit. As motorcycles cross the “Yard of Bricks” to start a lap, they will be traveling counter-clockwise, the same direction as cars in the two IMS oval events, the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Cars in previous road-course events at IMS traveled clockwise. Construction has started on parts of the circuit. Paving of an estimated 13,300 tons of asphalt is scheduled to be completed by this fall, and the entire project is scheduled to be finished before Opening Day of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in May 2008, said Kevin Forbes, IMS director of engineering and construction. “This is like doing delicate surgery as opposed to massive reconstruction,” Forbes said. The major features of the new motorcycle circuit come adjacent to Turn 1 of the oval and in the infield. A four-turn complex is being built inside Turn 1 of the oval and will comprise the first four turns of the new road circuit. The entrance of this new complex is situated at the end of the front straightaway. This will create nearly 800 feet of runoff area for riders. The sweeping, left-handed Turn 1 is followed by a short straightaway into the 90-degree, right-handed Turn 2. Another short straight follows that into the tight, right-handed Turn 3, which leads almost immediately into the sharp, left-handed Turn 4. That turn leads riders onto the short chute between Turns 1 and 2 of the oval. Riders then re-enter the infield at Turn 5, a sweeping, fast left-hander just before Turn 2 of the oval. Turn 6 is a 90-degree left-hander leading into a short straightaway. Turn 7, a quick right-hander, flows into a short straightaway connecting to the left-handed Turn 8. Another short straight leads to the 90-degree, right-handed Turn 9, from which riders begin to power down the back straight adjacent to Hulman Boulevard in the center of the IMS infield. Riders then will brake heavily at the end of the back straightaway into the curling, left-handed Turn 10, which after a short straightaway leads to the flowing, 180-degree right-handed Turn 11. Another short straight leads into the quick, left-handed Turn 12, with a short straight running parallel to the nearby Hulman Boulevard leading into the sharp, left-handed Turn 13. Turn 14 is a sweeping left-hander in which riders will gain speed into the short straightaway leading into Turn 15, a 90-degree right-hander. Riders then will flick their motorcycles to the left almost immediately, skimming their left knees just above the asphalt, for the 90-degree, left-handed Turn 16 that exits onto the famed front straightaway at IMS. MotoGP riders then will accelerate to full power and cross the “Yard of Bricks” at approximately 200 mph to complete a lap. Other changes to the circuit will enhance safety for all IMS events, oval and road course. The guardrail inside Turns 1 and 2 of the oval is being removed, which will create more run-off area for motorcycle racers on the road circuit and auto racers on the oval. The ditch carrying the creek inside of Turn 1 of the oval is being filled and re-routed further into the infield of the track to accommodate the new four-turn complex and eliminate a possible safety hazard. “It’s going to improve safety, creating all of that new run-off area for oval race vehicles,” Forbes said. “I think it’s a great thing that we’re not only making this for use as a motorcycle circuit, but we’re improving the safety and the aesthetics of the oval.” Other facets of the construction project involve some excavation in the infield and relocation of spectator mounds adjacent to the infield portion of the new road circuit. The number of spectator mounds will remain unchanged. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Transcript RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP PRESS CONFERENCE Gill Campbell, Joie Chitwood, Carmelo Ezpeleta, Kenny Roberts Jr., Kevin Schwantz Monday, July 16, 2007, Indianapolis Motor Speedway RALPH SHEHEEN: I think you folks know all of our players up here, Kevin Schwantz, Joie Chitwood, Gill Campbell and, of course, Ken Roberts Jr. We’ll open this up for some questions. I’ll come around the room with a microphone so you guys can hear maybe best. We’ll, start right here, Robin. Q: Joie, can you talk about the length of the contract. Then if Gill can talk after you do about how long this thing can be here, because obviously that’s a key to helping this thing grow. JOIE CHITWOOD: The initial term of the contract is a three-year contract. We feel pretty good about that. One of the things that we had dialogue about was Gill and the event out there on the West Coast. I’ve been out there and visited, and really the energy and the passion for the sport out there really got me thinking about what could happen here. And I think in terms of what they do on the West Coast, what a great thing for us to focus on the East Coast. You look at how many folks own motorcycles in America. To think that there’s only two MotoGP events, when I think there probably could be many more than, it’s pretty amazing. So for us we hope to see it grow. We’ll be talking about the future, for sure. It’s going to be interesting to see that event next year, 100 years after the first one. For a Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock, I sensed an energy that I’m not sure I was ready for. I’d like to see the race maybe this September. I think it’s going to be a long time to wait. But I’m really excited by the reception so far. Q: Question for both Kevin and — CHITWOOD: Hold on, Gill was going to comment. Q: How long is your contract good for? GILL CAMPBELL: Our contract at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca goes through 2010, so we’re planning on being around for a long time. Yeah, it was a load of energy, wasn’t it? Q: When I talked to you on the phone a few weeks ago you said the best thing that could happen (inaudible) — CAMPBELL: Absolutely. This is one of those things, double your pleasure, double your fun. And having two MotoGPs in the United States, this announcement today, what a great day for America. We’re blessed to have two MotoGP events. As Joie says, we could have 17, and I think the fans would keep coming. It’s the best energy that you’ll see amongst race fans, I’ll tell you. Q: Just as a quick call — you were talking about the old days of CART and (inaudible) — over 50,000 people? CAMPBELL: We have about 50,000 people per day for the event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and that is by far our largest event, and we squeeze the last two or three people in here. We’re not blessed with all these grandstands, we have beautiful hills. Q: I have a question for Kevin and for Kenny. I know you haven’t seen the exact layout, but what you’ve seen of this racetrack, compare the difficulty of this racetrack against the other racetracks that you race on or have raced on. KEVIN SCHWANTZ: Want me to go? Just driving around it in the bus, like I got to a little bit earlier, and imagining kind of the layout of the track because there are walls up already. It looks to be great. It’s got some fairly fast corners, yet it has some fairly slow combinations of corners that are going to tie themselves together really closely, which is going to make things more difficult. Technically, you’re going to have to be more correct. It’s not a simple straight down, simple left turn, straight down, another corner. Everything kind of links itself together once you get off the front straightaway. Those four corners, the next chute, the next little combination of corners, kind of a drag race in between the section of corners. I think it will be a tough race for the guys to get set up for and physically quite challenging. Q: How different is it from the other racetracks that you have dealt with? SCHWANTZ: I don’t — Q: On a scale of 1 to 10 I guess. SCHWANTZ: On a 1 to 10 difficulty? Or 1 to 10 — it’s just like all the rest. It’s paved, it comes back around, it joins back together at the same place. One lap makes it complete. And you strive to do all of them before everybody else does.(Laughter) But they’re all a challenge in themselves; getting all those shift points right, getting all the turn-in points right, braking, making all that happen for an entire event, whether it’s 30 laps or 35 laps, is difficult. The asphalt is different. The atmosphere, everything about it, all the people that are here, the excitement that is going to be involved with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is what’s going to make this such a great event. KENNY ROBERTS JR.: I think that for the sport itself, a minimum of two Grand Prixs should be in America for the size of the U.S. I’ve grown up in California, and people that plan a vacation that go out there as going to some of the most beautiful areas, like Monterey and Carmel. And the type of physical effort and the demand that — especially last year, 158-degree ground temperature was the hardest, hottest race of my career. You can make up for a lot of machine shortcomings at Laguna Seca. You got the people on the hills, and you don’t have the grandstands so you feel more like you’re kind of at a — you feel, I guess it’s just a different atmosphere than anywhere else you go. They’ve done a lot of improvements for the safety, which allowed us to get there. It’s going to be a good race this year, the 800s are going to make it a little bit easier physically. When you come to a place like Indy, this is my first time here, so you’re basically on the other half of the U.S. to where we can get people that can’t make it out to California, come to a place like this, which seems like for me you’re coming to the mecca of motorsports anywhere in the U.S., from the side of Formula One to the NASCAR and Indy. It’s going to be a completely different challenge because now you’re moving into a technical racetrack, which means you’re going to have to have the horsepower required. You can’t physically make the bike go faster down the straightaway. And you don’t have that problem at Laguna Seca. So you’re going to need the quickest or second-quickest motorcycle, and you’re going to have to be precise. If the tire rules stay the same, you’re going to have to get lucky on your tire choice. And the safety aspect of it is going to be, from what I’ve seen today in talking with some of the staff here, is going to be at the level we need it to be. So it’s going to be two completely diverse racetracks with two different riding styles. Machine is going to be more important here. Of course, the atmosphere here is going to be, you know, you’re racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so it’s kind of intimidating in that sense. Q: Mr. Chitwood, could you please discuss the construction that’s going to take place in getting the track ready and the changes that are going to have to happen and maybe a timetable? CHITWOOD: As soon as possible. The minute our NASCAR event is done, we’re going to start. And probably our biggest challenge is inside of Turn 1. For those of you who don’t know, we do have a creek down there that we have to deal with and we have to get the appropriate permitting and all of those things to make the necessary changes. That will be the biggest addition that we have to make. Obviously, we already have some of the turns behind the Museum; we just have to, I guess, align them a little bit differently. The challenge for us is then accommodating our other events as we roll into next year; weather this winter, and then in the spring how much we can get done prior to getting set for the Indy 500. We feel pretty good that we have an appropriate length of time to do it, although there are some other factors we’ll worry about, weather and some of other things. But we’ve been under the gun before in some of our construction projects. We have a great staff here. We have a gentleman named Kevin Forbes, who is our director of engineering. I’m not sure many racetracks have their own engineer on staff. Whether it’s our historian or engineer, we typically have all the right resources. But I can tell you the Monday after the Brickyard we’ll be working pretty hard on getting it turned around. Q: Do you have plans to have a test? CHITWOOD: Well, at this point that’s going to be based on the construction schedule. Obviously, we’ll be working with our partners at MotoGP to determine what’s the next step and when the course is ready. I’m sure from the tire manufacturing component they’ll want to get some testing in. But obviously we’ll be working with MotoGP on the time needed for them to get out there and get prepared. Q: Joie, would you comment, put a dollar figure on the construction for this new course. Then would you continue that into the economics of hosting a MotoGP event compared with a Formula One event. CHITWOOD: Well, obviously, the investment we’re talking about is significant. We’re talking millions of dollars to make the improvements to get the track ready for MotoGP. Really it doesn’t make sense for me to compare the two. For us, it’s about adding world-class events to our schedule, and we’re excited that MotoGP is going to be on there. If it didn’t make sense for us, then I’m not sure we’d entertain the conversations. We feel very comfortable that it’s going to be good for MotoGP, good for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway financially as well as good for the City of Indianapolis. We think there’s a whole other clientele on the east side of the United States that will come to Indianapolis to be exposed to motorcycle racing, the highest form of motorcycle racing. So whether you’re a fan of motorcycles or a fan of the Speedway, I think we’ll have that unique content that makes us special. But at the end of the day it has to work financially not only for our partners with MotoGP but for ourselves, as well. Q: Joie, why did you choose to or why did you need to revamp the infield course? CHITWOOD: Well, obviously not that I’m the safety expert. We have our friends with FIM here. But motorcycles have different needs than four wheels. And probably the biggest thing is the runoff area. Obviously, concrete walls are not a good thing for gentlemen on motorcycles. So the ability to switch the road course, run it the other way, creating an opportunity of better runoff and safety areas. Some of the things that we’re putting in, when you looked at that diagram, you can see what we’re doing in Turn 1 to make sure that they have the appropriate runoff. One of the things we don’t do here, we do not compromise safety. That is very important to us. We have a world-class racing property. We would never do anything that wasn’t to the highest standard. Whether it was the first rear-view mirror ever used on an automobile was here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911. To the use of helmets, to the creation of the SAFER Barrier, we want to make sure that the competitors enjoy their experience here and feel very comfortable racing to their fullest potential. Q: Mr. Ezpeleta, could you talk about a second race in the United States and how that helps MotoGP grow. CARMELO EZPELETA: Well, the United States is the biggest, most important country in the world. Then we have been many years without being in America. And Joie explained clearly we are in the same position as Indianapolis and Laguna Seca, we can’t risk safety. Once we realized this was possible, first Laguna Seca make a great effort at changing many things in Laguna during the last three years to achieve the possibilities to be there. And it’s exactly the same. When we start to talk to Indianapolis in 2000, then we talk a lot. We are extremely happy to be here and to announce, because we realize how important Indianapolis is to the rest of the world. To have the possibility to have this collaboration with Indianapolis and to be one event interesting for Indianapolis. As Joie explained, it’s interestingly also economically, we will make the effort to make this event with a lot of spectators, with a lot of interest. For us, as Kenny said, America is big enough to have two events, for us is really, really important, this collaboration. And I also think one event will help the other. If one event is successful, the other event is also successful more than it was before. We have this experience in the countries where we were more than one time, and they are countries more than the States, Spain or Italy. Then we think it’s very important to have two events, and enough surprising the times to make possible marketing both Grand Prixs. But I’m sure the Indianapolis event will be important itself and also will help Laguna. Q: My understanding is in two thousand (inaudible) the 250s are coming? EZPELETA: Yes. Q: Different than Laguna? EZPELETA: We’ll, in Laguna like that was a different situation. But then when we start to talk with Indianapolis we decided to come with different categories. And with Laguna Seca we are speaking maybe in the future we will come with different categories. Q: Kenny, you said over in the Plaza that you probably hit 210, 215 on the front straightaway here. Would that be the fastest straightaway on the circuit? ROBERTS: China this year I was in kilometers so I’m not sure of the speed. 320, China. So it’s going to be one of the quickest. Certainly it’s going to be the quickest or maybe possibly the easiest to make a mistake braking. Because in China you slow down to a first-gear corner, so if you’re off line, you’re off line by five or 10K, or six, seven miles an hour, then you run two or three bike lengths. But if you’re doing 320K or 210 mile an hour and you miss the braking mark by 5 or 10 meters, then your speed that you’re trying to slow down to versus the line you’re trying to hit is going to be quite more significant. So I think it’s going to be an interesting corner. And as long as the camber stays to where you can run it off and you don’t have any type of camber change between the existing circuit and Turn 1, it’s going to be an exciting corner and one that you can gain a lot of time on when you’re behind somebody. Or one that you can really have an advantage on if you have a tire or a machine advantage. That should probably be one of the most exciting corners on the circuit. Q: Do you think this could possibly blossom into an Indianapolis bike week leading up to this? CHITWOOD: Well, one of the things I think that we’re proud of is that usually the events of the Speedway transcend and bring more people to the community, and it’s about what happens downtown and the other places around it. I’m sure that there’s going to be other opportunities as it relates to motorcycles. Who knows what might happen at the Fairgrounds and other things around the event. So yeah, I think this is going to be more than just what happens at the Speedway. Q: Kenny, one of the big complaints with the Formula One crowd here was there was no place to pass, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference in MotoGP as long as there’s some pavement, you guys seem to — does it matter if it’s flat or you have a lot of elevation changes? ROBERTS: Well, I’ve seen the layout now. The way that they’ve set up and actually modified the existing Formula One circuit is going to create even more passing than I think most of the tracks out there. Certainly you’re going to have double drafting down the front straight. If you have two equal bikes, if somebody gets a drive out of the last corner, they get passed, you’re going to have the ability to repass into Turn 1. And you’re going to have a double right as your first two right-hand corners. And there’s going to be areas to where you can actually block pass up in (Turns) 6 and 7 and areas like that. So I do see that it’s going to be one of the more interesting circuits to be able to do that. And again the machinery is going to be — if you basically just put Valentino on the back and then you have him passing through everybody to come toward the front, plus the machinery difference, it should be a good race. (Laughter) Q: Joie, if F1 were to return at some point, is the existing course still going to be there, or will it run on the new course or a combination of the two? CHITWOOD: One of the things that we did moving forward is we — I’m not sure if it might be the only time, but we had a joint FIM/FIA inspection. So any changes that are being made to the road course should Formula One ever return, we still could use those changes for Formula One. Q: What will you use for safety barrier on the outside of the last corner? CHITWOOD: I’m not sure we have any — ROBERTS: Who did I ride with today, who designed the track? Kevin Forbes, yes. So there’s still some discussion maybe about possibly tightening that turn up a little bit more to make sure that you come on to it accelerating out of first or second gear and maybe only 15 to 30-degrees towards that wall, which would be coming off of Turn 4. And they have the ability to do it. And if you can do that, that wall won’t be a factor. And then what you can do just in case there’s a real weird — which at the moment with the safety committee with Carmelo leading the way in Europe, what we’re able to do is use all types of different protection. Now what we’re doing is planning for the freak accidents, like throttle sticking or oil in the back tire, blah blah, blah. So what you could do there, you don’t want any type of A protection, which is your soft air bag. Because if you hit it at a sharp angle it catches you and continually keeps you into the wall. So you could use a conveyor belt with tires behind that. Or Indy themselves can come up with something that — you want something that has a lot of, you know, you don’t want any type of friction. So anything you can do along that. Because you’re going to be hitting it more of a glancing blow, not kind of straight into it. Especially if they’re able to make the modifications to that last turn. Q: Joie, there appeared to be some sort of discussion over the exact date of this event. Would you talk about the choice of September 14th. CHITWOOD: Well, for us we have a fairly busy summer. And as we started discussing the opportunities with MotoGP, obviously we still had Formula One on our schedule. But also taking into account their schedule in terms of where they’d be around the world. We started looking at late August and September as opportunities. I think one of the things in September, while working with MotoGP, is a little bit on the earlier side. We’ve hosted events here in late September, and once in a while the weather doesn’t cooperate. So all in all, I think that we’ve seen some very nice weather early September, and I think it will be a great opportunity for a number of folks to ride on down to Indianapolis and check it out. Q: I was wondering, how many teams and how many riders to a team? EZPELETA: Normally we have in total around 80 riders between the three categories. In MotoGP there are around 20. Q: Is that 20 teams or — EZPELETA: No, 10 teams or maybe 12, because there are two teams with one rider. But it’s 20 riders. Q: Joie, how big a crowd do you expect? Have you done any studies and projections or anything like that? CHITWOOD: I’m going to take a page out of the book of these two riders here, and I’m just going to tell you big. (Laughter) More, from another press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP ANNOUNCEMENT Joie Chitwood, Carmelo Ezpeleta, Vito Ippolito, Bart Peterson, Kenny Roberts Jr., Kevin Schwantz, Ralph Sheheen Monday, July 16, 2007, Indianapolis Motor Speedway RALPH SHEHEEN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Ralph Sheheen, and I am your emcee for today’s historic announcement here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On behalf of all the Speedway employees and the Hulman-George family, thank you for attending today’s event. And for all of you watching on the World Wide Web, welcome to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There are three segments to our program today, and segment No. 1 is already completed. At 2:45 p.m. today, more than 200 motorcyclists from around Central Indiana joined us on a ride from downtown Indianapolis to the Speedway to kick off this announcement. Their beautiful machines are parked outside in our Plaza. Riders, thank you for participating today, you did a wonderful job and brought some amazing machinery with you. How about a nice round of applause for our riders this afternoon. (Applause) Besides the people you will be hearing from here today, there are a few other special guests we’d like to take a few minutes to introduce. Terry Angstadt, IndyCar Series president from the Commercial Division; Bob Bedell, president of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association; Andre Lacy, chairman of Lacy Diversified Industries; Rick Fuson, executive vice president of the Pacers Sports Entertainment; Tamara Zahn, the president of Indianapolis Downtown, Incorporated; Johnny Capels from USAC; Duane Dreyer, owner of Dreyer Motorsports; Jordan Miller, Red Bull Motorsports Communications; and Kirk Hendrix, 500 Festival president and CEO. One of the reasons the Speedway’s PR director, Ron Green, told me that he wanted me to come here and emcee this event for you today was my knowledge of auto racing, and yes, motorcycle racing. You might say I’m a little bit of a motorsports historian. Now, I’m not quite up to the level of the great Donald Davidson, who is, without question, the historian of this amazing facility here in Indianapolis, but I can hold my own. And I can tell you that the Indianapolis 500 is without question the greatest race in the world. (Applause) SHEHEEN: And it was first run in 1911. Now, I can also tell you that the first running of the Indy 500 was two years later after the track was built in 1909. And to the surprise of many, the first motorized race of any kind here at the world’s most famous racetrack took place on August 14th, 1909, and it was a motorcycle race. And as a historian, I can tell you, history does repeat itself. (Applause) (Video clip) (Applause) SHEHEEN: That’s pretty awesome, isn’t it? That’s just incredible. Well, there you have it, the most talented motorcycle riders in the world will bring their MotoGP bikes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to race in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, September 14th, 2008. (Applause) MotoGP is the most sophisticated prestigious motorcycle racing series in the world. Riders compete on prototype 800cc machines from major manufacturers, including Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. MotoGP bikes, which create nearly 250 horsepower, despite weighing only 330 pounds, can reach speeds of nearly 210 miles an hour. The 2007 series schedule features 18 races in 15 countries around the globe. Defending World Champion Nicky Hayden from Owensboro, Kentucky, is one of five Americans who have scored points in the 2007 MotoGP season. This machine over here to my left was one of the bikes Nicky used to win the championship in 2006. Other U.S. riders include 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr., who joins us here today; Colin Edwards, John Hopkins, and Kenny’s brother, Kurtis Roberts. Other MotoGP superstars include five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi of Italy and current points leader Casey Stoner of Australia. Now, I know for a fact that the Speedway has been working on bringing a motorcycle race to the Speedway for quite some time. But let’s let Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and COO Joie Chitwood tell us how we got to this historic day. Joie, why don’t you join me up here on stage. (Applause) First of all, congratulations, I know based on the smile you have on your face all day this is a really big day for you. Tell us how it came about. JOIE CHITWOOD: It is. Thanks, Ralph. It’s a special day here today at the Speedway, but I have to tell you, working for a company like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway led by the Chief Executive Officer Tony George, his charge to us every day is to be an international leader in motorsports entertainment. I can’t think of anything about today that doesn’t live up to that. We are setting the stage for who we are and what we do, and to have MotoGP as part of that, it’s truly a great partnership and a relationship I couldn’t be more excited about, as well as the addition of Red Bull as the title sponsor, a company that’s known for its sports promotion. We think that those three, Red Bull, MotoGP, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will set the bar high for those who attain leadership in the motorsports entertainment field. Today truly is a special day, Ralph. SHEHEEN: So what made you think about bringing a motorcycle race to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? CHITWOOD: I have to tell you, you don’t have to look very far when you look at our rich history and the things we’ve done here at the Speedway. You know, in 1909 this wonderful facility was built, and to think that motorcycles were the first product we ever put on track and to actually have one of those motorcycles here today, of course, I’m not sure it would classify as a motorcycle in terms of we think it today, it looks more like a bicycle with some parts on it, but you think about what’s coming in our future. In 2009, we’ll celebrate our 100th-year anniversary of the property itself; 2011, the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, to look back into our history and to pull that forward, it is truly special. We’ve been looking at unique things we can do to set ourselves apart and to think about this event joining the wonderful schedule we have with our NASCAR event and, of course, the Indianapolis 500, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” I do have to point out we’ve had some staff working on it for a very long time. And is Mel Harder here? Mel, where are you? Where’s Mel? (Applause) If there’s one staff person who’s been so passionate about motorcycles coming to the Brickyard, it’s Mel Harder. And Mel has helped us lead the way. And I know he’s been our frequent caller to our friends at Dorna and working on today and getting it done. But in terms of bringing it forward, it’s taken us a couple of years and a number of visits at other venues, a number of phone conversations. All in all, though, I can tell you that the conversation was pleasant from the get-go. There are a lot of advantages to hosting this kind of an event, and it wasn’t really difficult when you thought about it, Ralph, it really made a lot of sense. And so for us, to be that international leader in motorsports entertainment, we announce the addition of this event right now. SHEHEEN: Well, if we’re going to make that announcement, I guess we need to make it official and sign some contracts, what do you think? CHITWOOD: I think we do. If we could have the Dorna CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, and IMS CEO Tony George please join us, bring the contract up here, that needs to be signed. (Applause) SHEHEEN: Now that we’ve gotten that all taken care of, Mr. Ezpeleta, would you please give us some comments. CARMELO EZPELETA: Good afternoon to all of you. For us, it’s a real pleasure to be here today to announce the second grand prix in the United States. Indianapolis is one of the most iconic names for all fans of motorsports, thanks to its unique history. MotoGP meanwhile is very proud of its own history. The FIM World Championship MotoGP is the oldest motorsport world championship in existence and has the biggest names in motorcycling competing for the world crown for over 58 seasons. One of the names missing from that history until now was the famous Brickyard at Indianapolis, and many people may not realize that the very first race here was a motorcycle race. With the Brickyard anniversary coming up in 2009 and our own 60th anniversary the same year, it seems the MotoGP and Indianapolis should come together at this time. Since MotoGP began racing in USA two years ago, interest of our sport has been continually on the increase. Thanks to the combined effort of Laguna Seca in the past two years, we have seen great racing in the States. And the grandstand filled with fans, I’m sure, the coming weekend we will enjoy another fantastic event in California. There are many fans of MotoGP, and we say thanks to them for the past 10 years. We are talking about legendary names, such as Kenny Roberts Sr.; Freddie Spencer; Eddie Lawson; Wayne Rainey; Nicky Hayden; and especially those who join us today, Kenny Roberts Jr., and Kevin Schwantz. However, by coming to Indianapolis, we hope to attract a new great of fan who can enjoy the history of the sport but still be astonished with the skills, the thrills, and the riders. Here today I have witnessed also the huge effort that we have undertaken to make this happen with the standards of the FIM. I am sure it will be one of the safest in the world. I am impressed with what has been done and have been planning to do. I expect it will be one of the best of the world. On behalf of the MotoGP family, we believe that to be able to run the races in the States represent a fantastic opportunity for the sport. Even with help and harmony in terms of growth, and we hope this is just the start of a long and happy partnership. I’d finally like to thank Dorna for their continued effort, of course, everybody here in Indianapolis, motorsports, Laguna Seca and TBS folks. Thank you very much. (Applause) SHEHEEN: Indianapolis is the racing capital of the world, and racing has a very enthusiastic mayor in this city. Please welcome to the podium Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. (Applause) Nice to see you, Mr. Mayor. Some thoughts? BART PETERSON: Well, good afternoon everybody. What a special day this is. I’ve got to tell you, there are times when you just have to rip off your mayor hat and just be a fan. And I am excited about this. I think this is going to knock the socks off of people when they see MotoGP right here in Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So it is with a certain amount of personal enthusiasm, a great deal of personal enthusiasm, but also a great deal of gratitude that I thank all of those responsible for pulling this together, and I want to begin with Tony George, just such an extraordinary leader in our community who has brought so much to the City of Indianapolis. And I know how hard he has worked on taking the Indianapolis Motor Speedway up a level, then up a level, then up a level, then up a level, and it’s remarkable. He just never seems to see a ceiling. And so Tony, I just want to say on behalf of all the people of Indianapolis, of central Indiana, and of the entire state of Indiana, thank you for everything that you do for us. (Applause) Carmelo, thank you, and welcome to Indianapolis. You know you’re going to find a very enthusiastic American audience here in the Midwest and in our city. We know that, as well, and I want to say thank you and welcome to you. And to Joie, thanks for all of your hard work on this and the entire Indianapolis Motor Speedway family. I can’t tell you how much this means to the City of Indianapolis. This is going to bring people from other countries to our city, this is going to bring people from around the United States to our city, it’s going to be an enormous boost to our strong hospitality industry here in the City of Indianapolis, but it’s also going to do that thing that the hospitality industry does for us, which is it not only brings people from elsewhere, but it gives the people here exciting things to do. That’s what the Indianapolis Motor Speedway does, it makes this a great place to live, and this is an even better place to live today with the announcement of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. Congratulations and thank you. (Applause) SHEHEEN: OK, now it’s time to talk some racing. Let’s bring Joie Chitwood back up here and discuss a little bit about the course the MotoGP bikes will be racing on. CHITWOOD: Thanks, Ralph. You know, we do have an existing road course, but essentially we’re almost creating a new motorcycle road course just for this event. You’ll see from the graphic ahead the Red Bull Indianapolis GP will take place on a new 16-turn, 2.601-mile motorcycle road course that will feature the riders traveling counterclockwise, which is the same direction as the facility’s oval events. The biggest physical change to the property will take place in the infield area of Turn 1 of the oval. Just as the riders get to the end of the pit lane, they’ll take a hard left-hander into the infield and negotiate Turns 1, 2, 3, and 4 before they come back onto the south short chute and pick up existing road-course tarmac. The other big change will come in the area behind the Hall of Fame Museum. The riders will go through Turns 7, 8, and 9 before entering the back straightaway. These three turns are new and faster than the old existing combination of turns in that area. In this area, we’ll also construct a temporary grandstand called Corner 7 Terrace. The rest of the course uses the old road-course tarmac, but it is essentially a new course because every right-hand turn becomes a left-hand turn and vice versa. So this is really a new road course. I can’t wait to see it happen, and I have to leave you with one final statement, Ralph. Bikes and bricks, I never thought they’d sound so good together. (Applause) SHEHEEN: Thank you, Joie. The 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP is going to be an extra special race for the reigning MotoGP World Champion. His name is Nicky Hayden, and he is already calling this event his home race because he hails from nearby Owensboro, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Evansville, Indiana. Now, Nicky is currently traveling between Germany and California, so he could not make it to Indy today, but he did record this message for us. NICKY HAYDEN (video): The news that we’re going to Indy is great. I mean, California is cool and that’s local enough, but Indianapolis is really in my backyard and, you know, I think it’s going to be great for the American fans who, you know, it’s hard for them to travel all the way to California. That Indy market is, you know, definitely central. There’s a lot of people not far away that, you know, I think they’ll get to come experience MotoGP. And, you know, to have them, you know, in our backyard twice will be great for me, less travel and also my friends and family. And I haven’t even seen the track yet, but I can’t find any negative. I think it’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. So hopefully they can put it together. I mean, Indy — you know, if you like racing, Indy is the spot. It doesn’t matter, cars or whatever, I mean, a lot of die hard racing fans there, and I think they’re going to get a good show.(Applause) SHEHEEN: Although Nicky couldn’t be here with us today, we do have two World Champions here with us. Let’s bring Kenny Roberts Jr., to the stage. Kenny is the 2000 MotoGP World Champion and has won eight MotoGP events. Sharing his name with his legendary father, please welcome California’s Kenny Roberts Jr. (Applause) Did you ever think you’d race a motorcycle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? KENNY ROBERTS JR.: No, I have grown up in the days where there’s spin and win (Danny Sullivan winning the 1985 Indy 500). Rick Mears was my hero back then, and to see motorcycles going around the circuit is going to be unusual, but it’s a nice fit. SHEHEEN: You had an opportunity to take a look at the racetrack design, the layout. What do you think? ROBERTS: Well, I have several hats on because I’m part of a safety committee and, you know, I’m up there in years and I think that they’ve done a fantastic job. One of the things is, just speaking with some of the people today, it’s ‘OK, well, maybe this could be improved,’ and then you go back and forth. But here it’s like, ‘OK, done.’ And that’s the type of thing MotoGP needs, and I think it’s a great fit. SHEHEEN: How about the front straightaway here at Indianapolis that is so legendary, what’s that going to be like on a motorcycle? ROBERTS: Fast. It’s going to be fast. No, it’s going to be nice. I got a tour of it, and it’s going to be, you know, if not one of the most exciting circuits for us, certainly the environment is one of the most exciting circuits. SHEHEEN: Obviously you haven’t really had a chance to get into gear here or anything yet, but what kind of speeds do you think we’ll see on that front stretch? ROBERTS, JR.: 210, 215. SHEHEEN: Did you ever think you’d do 200 miles an hour over a Yard of Bricks? ROBERTS: No, I never did. SHEHEEN: Kenny Roberts Jr., ladies and gentlemen. (Applause) Well, we’re lucky to have an individual who’s intimately involved in several forms of international motorcycle racing. He is the president of the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme. Let’s bring Vito Ippolito up to the stage, please. (Applause) VITO IPPOLITO: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, the mayor of the city, Mr. Ezpeleta, two fantastic drivers we have here, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Jr. And, of course, all the fans of motorcycle races invited in this nice, nice, amazing opportunity. On behalf of the Motorcycle International Federation, I can express that we are very satisfied and happy with this opportunity. Motorcycles come back to Indianapolis, where when Indianapolis started with this activity a century ago. And we are happy to have this opportunity. Thanks to the corporation, the Hulman-George family, our partners of Dorna, Mr. Ezpeleta, and many, many other people. The synergy and energy among these people, then this dream came true. I can’t really express my satisfaction. I feel some emotion for this opportunity that the motorcycle sport will have here in the United States, especially in Indianapolis. We have 18 rounds of the world championship around the world, but Indianapolis, I think, is very special. It will be very special. Congratulations and good luck to everybody. Thank you. (Applause) SHEHEEN: Thank you, Mr. Ippolito. Well, the next guy was always one of my motorsports idols, and he’s also a great friend. He’s also a former World Champion from America. Please welcome 1993 World Champion Kevin Schwantz. (Applause) Nice to see you, Kevin. OK, your thoughts on the racetrack layout. What did you think? KEVIN SCHWANTZ: It looks great. I don’t know that it’s quite enough to get me to come out of retirement, but it sure looks like a great track. SHEHEEN: Are you sure we can’t talk you into it? SCHWANTZ: I’m sure. SHEHEEN: All right. Kenny Jr., is telling us that maybe 210 miles an hour down the front straightaway. Can you put into perspective for those of us that will probably never do 210 miles an hour, let alone on two wheels, what that’s like? SCHWANTZ: Fast. Real fast. And then especially having to negotiate that first turn, those first combination of turns. I think Kenny said it better than anybody: It’s going to be a great challenge. It’ll be unlike any other venue that maybe we go to, and I think the race will be terrific. SHEHEEN: As you look at the racetrack layout, and, of course, as race fans we want to think about passing and where we should sit to watch the event from, what are your thoughts. SCHWANTZ: Well, that’s the neat thing about Indianapolis Motor Speedway is everywhere has got a perspective of the whole track. Maybe this new terrace they’re talking about in Turn 7 is going to be the ultimate spot, but any spot in the grandstand you can see 90 percent of the racetrack and, you know, that’s what racing is all about, instead of just being able to see them go by at 210 miles an hour one time, you can keep up with what’s happening the entire lap. SHEHEEN: Kevin, you’ve won all the over the world, you’ve done everything there is to do on two wheels. Can you put into perspective for a racer what the Indianapolis Motor Speedway means and what winning here would mean to you? SCHWANTZ: You know, it’s the only place that I go nowadays when I pull into this Speedway, and I noticed it just a little while ago when we drove in, you get goose bumps. It’s what motorsports is all about. It’s one of those places that I would have loved the opportunity to try and win here and, you know, the guys that are going to get to actually have that opportunity, I think, are going to feel that same, you know, that same special feeling. When they pull into the Brickyard, they’re going to think, “Oh, my goodness, we’re here; let’s see if we can win one.” SHEHEEN: Was I the only one that heard him say I would have loved to have the opportunity and then a little twinkle went on? We’ve got a year to work on him, folks. Kevin Schwantz, ladies and gentlemen. (Applause) Well, as Kevin said, no matter how many times you’ve been here, you do get goose bumps when you come through the tunnel into this historic facility. All you have to say is Indy or just the Speedway, and every racer around the world gets that twinkle their eye, and they know exactly which racetrack you’re talking about. They all dream of winning here at the Brickyard. And the greatest names in motorsports have stood in the most hallowed of all victory lanes right here at the Brickyard. They’ve done it at Nomex, and now they’re about to stand there in leather with knee pucks on. Today was an incredible moment in racing history. I can only imagine how amazing it will be when we all return here to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway September 14th, 2008, for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The sights, the sounds, and, of course, the speed of the world’s best motorcycle racers on top of the world’s fastest and quickest road racing machines, all on the world’s most famous racetrack. It will be an experience you will not want to miss.
