Round 10 - Laguna Seca MotoGP

Good evening and welcome to the legendary Laguna Seca circuit in

sunny California, around 10 of the MotoGP World Championships. You can

see they are getting fired up, the riders are about to go out on their

warm-up lap. Let us headed to our commentary team of Steve Parrish

gorgeous here in this national park. There are the guys on the grid, and

in pole position, Jorge Lorenzo who had a massive crash here yesterday

after a practice. Clearly doing a good jobs. He can barely walk but

he can ride a motorcycle as he proved this morning.

Let us look through. On the front row, Jorge Lorenzo was a triumph

getting pole position. Beside him is Casey Stoner and his team-mate

Dani Pedrosa. The top three of the Year and the top three on the grid.

Ben Spies is in the second row with Marco Simoncelli. In rose 3, we

tell you is that only one rider in the first two Rose, Ben Spies, has

gone for the softer option 4th tyres. -- for tyres. It will be

interesting to see how that pans out. There are the standings, it is

tight. Remember, it is 25 for a win. He could lose it all today. The

most important thing at the start of the fourth row is Hal Crutchlow

and Colin Edwards. Baptiste the Ben Bostrom making his debut at the

is injured. The Pramac Racing boys are

struggling this weekend. We are getting ready for our first

race state side. Red flag. Last rider moving into the back, the

safety car following them around. Perfect conditions. Put your hot

dogs down, for the start of the from Jorge Lorenzo. Pedro are sir

macro is normally the fastest. Casey Stoner tried to get around

the outside. Jorge Lorenzo hangs on to it. Marco Simoncelli tried to go

them. Look what happened to Dani Pedrosa. A great start from Jorge

time. A launching pad. Down they go, everyone through cleaning. Jorge

Lorenzo, in front of everyone else. This is Chichi into the last turn.

they climb up the hill. Nicky Hayden. Jorge Lorenzo, brave on

that first lap. Can he hang on? Valentino Rossi cut its back. He

shuts the door on him. That was close. He is all over the place but

clinging on. He doesn't want to drop further back. At the top end

of the circuit, Corkscrew. Ben Spies of having another look on the

outside. Rainey Curve, one of the most scary parts of the circuit.

Ben Spies is all over, he can taste that Ducati. Turn 11, down the

straight. Down we go. Valentino Rossi had another moment.

Struggling for grip. 700 metres but there is a bend. One of the only

places where you get into sixth gear. Pedro's urgent macro is

closing in on Jorge Lorenzo. -- Pedro are sir macro -- Dani Pedrosa

is closing down. Remember he was the man in Germany. Look at the gap

they are putting on Casey Stoner. He said yesterday... Marco

Simoncelli. He has gone through. He has gone for the softer tyre. There

back and sides from the local boy. What a fantastic view. And dirty

corner. -- Andretti Hairpin. This is the corner which caught a number

of riders out yesterday. Ben Spies went down at that point in the

qualifying session. Casey Stoner has set the fastest lap so far. He

held the lap record last year. is almost a second behind the race

is down. A nightmare. He was running 10th just behind that

easter macro. That was expensive. But he looks OK. -- just behind

closer. Not quite as quick the last time around. Almost an identical

time for Dani Pedrosa. A fantastic the hill, under the bridge. Into

the final corner before they go over the top, you cannot sue the

corner, you are blind. Trying to keep it as straight as possible. If

you get the first part of this wrong, you get the second and third

part as well. 65 kilometres an hour. His team-mate Steve -- Andrea

Dovizioso. Marco Simoncelli wants to come and play. Valentino Rossi

has a handful on. But look at the gap that Ben Spies has made on

Valentino Rossi. Ben Spies did not get away so well. With the greatest

of respect, you are holding up Nicky Hayden. Valentino Rossi is on

the different rear suspension system. Nicky Hayden opted for the

older system, he reckoned he would get a bit more grip, he wasn't

comfortable with the new bike. we know, all the technology is the

best. It is what you get used to. The one-hour of qualifying is not

enough time. Casey Stoner still chipping away. These two at the

front charging hard. Half a dozen laps down now. They can see Ben

Spies making headway. The team has been thinking all the time, he led

the race in Germany. He is having tyre at issues. It looks like he is

overworking his tyres. Maybe Casey is tried to take things easier

earlier on. This is a shorter circuit. Casey Stoner needs to have

some tyres at the end of the race. When you listen to him, nobody gets

on the power as early as he does out of the corners. Talking to some

of the greats here, it has been a real treat. Kenny Roberts. They all

say this circuit, the cannot afford to be aggressive. Oh no, Simon

to him last year. Goes around the faster. These U2 are holding each

other up at full speed. We know now the much quieter Jorge Lorenzo, the

world champion who won last year by sheer consistency, by being very

solid, as he has been this year. He has got a pace he is happy with. He

will, he is not in his best physical condition. Because of the

crash yesterday. He will have to put a bit more weight on his arms.

These motorbikes, you do not release it, there is not enough

time. -- you do not really sit on The climb up the hill is something

else. It is very steep. When you stand in the middle of the track,

you do not think it is the shortest, it seems quite big. It is a weird

experience. It is so good to watch. In certain places you can see most

of the circuit. He lost a little bit of time there. On that corner.

That was where Nicky Hayden went down from the Corkscrew. A

different corner to where he crashed last year. I guess he does

not have many engine hours up. the teams have been saying it does

not affect them now because they have a fortnight to get these bikes

sorted out. The biggest problem is when one of these bikes crashers --

crashes, it fills the bikes up with sand and dust. There was a lot of

late boil burned here last night sorting out these bikes. He has

inherited a bit of space there, especially with the Simoncelli

crash. He started 12th and is now eight. -- 8th. This will be a long,

hugely demanding physical afternoon for these guys. You do not get a

breather. Casey has dropped back a this weekend. Sadly quit early.

went of the track and decided that was the end of it. So poor old Ben

Bostrom, who has not had a particularly great time will be

this weekend, he was off the pace by about four seconds, not unusual

never having ridden a MotoGP bike before, at the age of 27, it is a

shock to the system. Want to tick off the list. Here's qualified

about sixth fastest as he retires. I hope he does not used the MotoGP

ride in his Superbike race, that would be chaos. Hope not, because

these have carbon brakes. Jorge Lorenzo. Five seconds back from

Dovizioso. He has to get his head down now. Colin Edwards, one of the

family favourites. Your top Yanks are bends be used in fifth, -- Ben

times, which are good. This is Ben Spies, in that same kind of time as

the frontrunners. But he is far back, about five seconds back on

Dovizioso. His time, last lap 23: a bit of a moment somewhere.

will keep an eye on that. It is only a minute or so and they're

back round again. This is so technical. Complicated, tricky,

then it becomes very natural and much softer. That was a replay of

changes sooner be Ducati, they have run out of options, they have

changed every component they can. If they cannot fix the bug may be

the best change they could do is give Valentino some binoculars so

we could see whether front rowers. -- so he could see. The am not

making much progress. It is always half a second off the pace. It is

worth expanding on what they have done with this new bike. They were

trying to use next year's set up but this year's engine but it kind

of backfired. It has because of a set the stall out with it for next

year it is not looking good. Jorge Lorenzo absolutely nailed it from

Jorge Lorenzo. And he was so quick on the brakes. Nice and neatly

through there. Valentino Rossi sneaking around with Ben Spies. It

was not good for him because you can see him losing lots of ground

there. That was really not a good past you. All that hard work that

took place in the hour-long qualifying session. Ben Spies

started in for. Ben Bostrom started last but has had to pulling what

Bad luck. What happened? It it was not bad luck, but rider error. I

was having trouble putting it back into second and first gear, going

in. I kept going off the track. That his rider error. -- that is.

The bike is the nominal, much better than me right now. I have

never ridden something that turns so well. I cannot thank The Bhoys

enough, they did a phenomenal job. I feel bad retiring but when you

are that far back... Talking of rider error, we just saw as well...

To they seemed to be getting it together. It helped him move up to

13th place in the championship. The only bright light in the Suzuki

camp at the moment is that John Hopkins is back in the next round,

two riders, two bikes in the next As we listen to Dani Pedrosa, is he

stalking Lorenza, just sitting in having breathers and then coming

minute. Colin realises that, goes round the outside and jams it up

night in our research meeting, in the bar! Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Stone

are the three. We are getting big battles between Hayden, Rossi and

Battista, he was out of it. Then there is Spies and Dovizioso.

Disclosing into these really interesting groups. They do not

fail to disappoint. The elder Three Musketeers, as such. To bits here

and Spies are just clinging in Puniet was a non-starter through

speeds here. It is so tight. final corner, turn 11, they come

out of that, then a drag race up and over the hill and a slow corner

at the bottom. One of the shortest the bike from first up to sixth

Gear. Possibly the bike is coming back to him a bit. 21 litres, these

bikes, it is all they are allowed to carry. They would like to use

more because it would be faster but those are the rules. We are going

to see whether Pedrosa is falling back to Stoner, or Lorenzo is

clearing up. I think Stoner was the faster Guy last time round. Lorenzo

has responded. Lorenzo has the hammer down. Last time he dropped

up a bit now. It looks like Stoner circuit like this the Yamaha is so

competitive. That Honda has so much squirt, it was a big problem early

in the season but with recent form it has been a match. We are over

half race distance. I personally believe for me get to the next

is no coming back from the Corkscrew. Slap-bang in there, no

dilly-dallying there from Casey Stoner. He got himself committed,

had Dani Pedrosa waiting in there. their from Casey Stoner. He has

decided he will go and see if he can play with the Spaniard as his

dear wife watches on. The whole crew will be impressed with that.

Championship leader is in second place there. If they finish as they

are now he will still go away from here leading the championship, but

only by 10. This is the championship we are watching here.

moment, they should do, all three of them have gone for the harder

option. The suspension and work that has gone into the rear is

phenomenal. The way they grip and develop, you were talking to London

30 brake horsepower, and that is limited. It could be more. That is

what the power is when they give it maximum. There are lower gears

there with and he's been and traction control. -- and to spin. -

weekend. Generally it has been 10 the rear tyres and eight front

tyres for every rider. There is Karel Abraham having a fairly

reasonable run, in tenth position. He has been a giant slayer, Karel

Abraham. He is developing a habit of popping off the bike before he

has finished. He will be a force to accident on the Repsol Honda

machine. His first time here, having missed this race last year.

Because of his injury. Loris Capirossi is in pain. Meanwhile,

back at the front, Casey Stoner is on the warpath. He sure is. He is

really pressing on. Casey Stoner said yesterday, he thought he had a

race pace. But look at the statistics. Jorge Lorenzo will be

thinking he kept it up his sleeve. When we get to the faster circuits,

to the next one in the Czech Republic, it is a more high-speed

flowing circuit, and Indianapolis witches and in between one. Honda

is still the horsepower machine. It still proves it was very hard when

Jorge Lorenzo was chasing. When you get more horsepower which he seemed

in a house, it floats at that point. It is in mid- air, you are changing

direction. A I do not know how they do it. Extraordinary. Over this

flat section of the circuit. Peculiar how the corners

drastically changed. When you start climbing the hill back around, 5

and 6, you can carry a lot more corner speed. 11 laps remaining.

Then, up the hill, it is like a road circuit, at a mountain circuit,

really tough. We have sadly lost Simon chilly.

The another disappointing race, what happened?

I was pushing a lot, to try to stay with the leading rider. I do not

know, I lost it. There was no warning. I am sorry and

disappointed. But we will come back in Brno. I will give 100%. Casey

Stoner is giving us 100%. There is something fundamental with the

Marco Simoncelli's riding staff. is a big guy. He calls the bike

around. He is still learning and try to stay with the leaders. I

would say he is in a bit too much of a rush. These guys, every single

lap, every corner, they are at the limit. Going know there is such an

easy job. Trying to stay with them and not fall off is nearly

impossible. They have so much ability and talent. Marco is on a

similar bike. It is a factory speck bike. Of course, he hasn't quite

got the experience of these riders. The he is ever so enthusiastic.

Very enthusiastic. This is one of the best chances that Casey Stoner

has got, getting out of there. Using the Hondas advantage. They

have a lot of respect, the crowd here. Standing up. I was expecting

Dani to be on the pace. Maybe he is still sore. He is the only person

who knows whether he is tight but he looks like he has given up the

fight with nine laps remaining. Casey Stoner is on the back wheel.

Casey Stoner has got to get past or he will drop another five points.

Jorge Lorenzo, coming in a round Casey Stoner. Jorge Lorenzo has

been chipping away. Only 15 points. That gap has evaporated. He had a

healthy lead after that Silverstone crash for Jorge Lorenzo. It has

been chipped away. Yamaha one with another rider, Ben Spies. 25 points

would be neat for him. What a series it has been for him. Winning

in Qatar. First in France. In the UK. Second in Netherlands, third in

Italy and Germany. He has been so solid. Casey Stoner is really

starting to wind this up, over that crazy left-hander. There is Dani

Pedrosa. He is really quick around here as a rule. In third place.

Andrea Dovizioso is 15 seconds back from the guys at the front.

Spies is looking at the timing board. He had been a long way back.

He has come back four seconds. He has been lapping faster. A

wonderful shot there, the Bridgestone have been forced into

the ground. It has to be. A lot of the riders have said, coming here,

riding the MotoGP for the first time, they cannot get over pushing

the tyres hard enough to get the heat. A horrible situation. How

hard is he trying and working? really rings it out like a rag.

Where is Casey Stoner? Going up the hill, at Casey Stoner was really.

The Corkscrew. It is about horsepower, and getting around the

corner. Managing to get the bike stood up, up right. Letting go just

a tiny little bit. One of his passes will almost certainly be

instigated the corner before. and a half laps. Jorge Lorenzo will

be on maximum defence. How about that? Ben Spies just making his way

past. Over the top of the hole. Casey Stoner is really close at

that point. -- the top of the hill. The to make a pass around here, we

have seen it at the top of the Corkscrew. The majority of passes

will be on the final corner. The Yamaha is good in the corner, so it

is Jorge Lorenzo. Casey Stoner has the drive. He has to go higher and

wide. Trying to politician. He is carried so much more speed. --

move over the top. Out of turn 11. I tell you what, that is a

frighteningly fast corner. And he blind. The most surprised person

out there will be Casey Stoner. He said this morning he looked more

There are still six laps remaining. The crowd stand again. You remember

when we were talking about Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, when

Jorge Lorenzo really got his eye in, of Valentino Rossi raised his game.

These are two opponents, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo are taking

each other to a new level. I am wondering, has Jorge Lorenzo said,

I am beaten up, I cannot go faster. He can barely walk. Maybe he has

ever done things. Fair play, he will still end up with 20 points.

What to a move from Casey Stoner, around the top. Into the Andretti

Hairpin, look at the body move, he flings himself into the right.

Where they pleased or angry? I can't make it out. Jorge said, I

can hardly walk, but I am fine on the bike. It is the difference

between getting a fast lap in... The pit crew need to see how much

he has pulled out. He is still pushing really hard. Toni Elias

letting anyone past. The difference between a really fast that and

hanging out for a race distance. We only have four laps left. That is a

lot of punishment. In a lap and a half... Look at this. This is for

fourth position. At front, Jorge Lorenzo needs to settle the pace.

These two have been having a belting race, but in each other

under enormous pressure. Andrea Dovizioso. And Ben Spies on the

Yamaha. Dani Pedrosa somewhere in the middle. Still under pressure

from Nicky Hayden. It looked as though Nicky Hayden was going to

monster him a little while ago. Yamaha verses Honda. What has Ben

Spies got? He has caught Andrea Dovizioso. And he has local

knowledge. He was racing Superbikes here only a handful of years ago.

Spies could not get close. Spies is known for his ability to

ride on will warn tyres. Interestingly, Ben Spies has the

softer option rear tyres. He was debating what to use. He was in a

50-50 situation but whatever he has used has the durability because he

is still very much on the pace and looking like he is going to pass.

You are right. Casey Stoner has a Casey Stoner put on Jorge Lorenzo.

If he is going to make a move, this is a good time. At eight Ben it is

more likely to do it into turn 11. Is this the move? He has done it,

Ben Spies has done it. A big there. In to turn 11, Ben Spies is

good on the brakes. Jammed it on the inside. Once you have it in the

inside there is no way Dovizioso could go round from that stage. A

perfect racing move down the inside of someone, even though you

compromise your race by going into the corner, it does not matter.

There is your race leader. Remember him, we have not seen him for a

while. 3.5 seconds in front now of Jorge Lorenzo, eight seconds in

front of Dani Pedrosa. All we have to do is roll it around from here.

What a beautiful place. Casey Stoner now coming into that left

hand side. He will be counting down because we are about to go on the

last lap. Jorge Lorenzo said there is nothing more I could do, you

could see the body language from him. It is still within a race win.

I spoke to Lin Jarvis yesterday after the accident we were talking

about and he thought it was season over. He has not had a sudden spurt

of speed. Two riders lap to there. It is not helpful on a trap this

on, give me a break! Are wonder if he will have a hometown hero dive

won the final corner, just bring it for you, probably! And absolutely

and the team already. Casey Stoner across the line! Brilliant ride

from the Australian. The Jorge Lorenzo, great staff. One poll,

carrying his injuries through. -- in fourth, ahead of Dovizioso.

Valentino Rossi beats his team-mate Nicky Hayden. You would have

Casey Stoner, can you? It looks like his year. Bowe was his best

lap. -- that was his best lap. There is Barbara, getting across

the line in ninth. He will be the... A Colin Edwards made it eight. --

Colin Edwards made it eightth. -- and will be best pleased with

themselves. He did a fantastic job under trying circumstances. We all

thought it was over yesterday. thought he had broken his leg, the

way he landed. But he dusted himself off and hobbled over to the

bike, went out and it knew he would fourth place in the championship,

displacing Valentino Rossi by two Casey Stoner has finished on the

podium in every race except for one where volunteer out --, where

Valentino Rossi knocked him off. thought we were entering up the

exhaust pipe of the Yamaha there, fortunately it has a silencer on to

stop that happening. He could smell the blood of, I think. They will

have to lift him off. That was a belting ride. Certainly was.

Sensational for Casey. Maybe finally closure for 2008, that

defeat to Valentino Rossi, that famous accident on the Corkscrew,

he returned the favour. Here he takes the congratulations of his

was in the race. He put in one lap, called himself a one-lap wonder in

the press conference yesterday. His race pace has been nothing like all

weekend, so I leave it with you Ben Spies will be disappointed. If

he had not got swamped at turn one it would have been a different

story. If he got off the line I think he would have run with the

guys. He would have had a chance with Dani Pedrosa there, for third

place. I feel for him. He did a good job, it was useful. He has a

nice Gabba now, maybe a holiday and some Californian sunshine to sort

himself out. He might go for some The Mannheim that victory is with

me now. We spoke to Casey last night Eddie said he did not feel

the had the race pace yesterday, so He probably found the rhythm are

more and more to make a race like this. In the end he did a wonderful

race. What was it that you found? We know his action ring was a

problem. Were you concerned? At the general he struggled a bit with the

front because it is bumpy. worked mainly on this problem.

* owner did a fantastic job. -- Stoner. Congratulations.

Disappointing not to take the win, what was it in the end? The injury?

I am disappointed because I waited for victory. Casey has been faster

than last. Mainly at the end, he was more fresh, so he deserved the

victory. The pain in the back, in my arms was not good for us at the

end of the race. When I saw Casey going so fast I just threw in the

towel and finished second. It is fair to say that Lorenzo was at

least 10 feet of the ground at the height of that. He landed very hard

indeed. On his back, on his side really. It looked like he was more

hurt than he was. It was terrifying fall in Jarvis. Paul Dani Pedrosa

will be thinking what am I going to do? Congratulations. You could not

keep up with the others in the end. In the middle of the race I was

very tired. Physically I could not It was hard for me physically. The

bike was speeding on the rear. Basically I dropped because I was

not ready physically. But I am happy to be back on the podium

again, just after might come back. It is great to keep up the pace

with these guys. I'm just hoping to get something us back for the next

race. His fitness is still coming back. Obviously it is a very

physical circuit. Much more so than it was in Germany last time. That

was an easier circuit. In terms of Not happening at the moment for Cal

Crutchlow. It is the antithesis of Three beautiful looking motorcycles

there. That is the last time will see those red and black colours on

the other half. They look absolutely stunning. -- on at the

We saw almost top bikes have the same compound tyres. Ben Spies ran

a soft option. A decent over lap there from a bridge don't point of

view, who have been under stick recently for having tyres that do

not see the temperature of the circuit. That is being addressed

from the next race. There is the poor old Simoncelli dust field bike.

Ben Spies may well have been the top American but the top Australian

is Casey Stoner. Congratulations. You really did it today and learnt

that win. We have had a tough weekend. The last few races were

tough, we have had the pace but not pulled it off. This weekend we

never had the pace until warm-up, then we found something we were

more happy with. I went into the race with more confidence. At the

start we decided to be patient, but I did not feel good at the

beginning, so I was happy to make most of my time up on the brakes. I

want to get the bike towing as good as I could. Slowly the bike started

to get better, I got better feeling. I saw everybody else struggling a

bit. That is when I decided to move forward, try to get to Jorge

Lorenzo, once I was behind him I want to see what he was able to do.

For me it was a few laps to go, I decided to go and try to make a

gapped. It was a great weekend for us to come from such a disaster,

yesterday, qualifying looked good but the race pace was not there. So

today was a big turnaround. Thank you. It was the bike coming his way,

that fuel load making the bike more manageable. Some times even a tyre

going away from you makes the bike more stable, I know it sounds

ridiculous but sometimes too much grip can harm you. Once the fuel

load drops off and the suspension has settled in nicely and you get

used to the track, it can come back more. A lot of it was going away

from Jorge Lorenzo. We have still got it really tight at the top. But

we also have it tight between Honda and Yamaha. The brawl they were

having all year continues. They were level with 65 victory siege,

now Honda moves in front. -- 65 victories each. They are talking.

They did not used to like each There you go, Casey Stoner breathes

a sigh of relief as he gets on to the podium. Lucky Lorenzo did not

win because it would have been a step too far to climb with that

The Constructors' Championship is still red hot and is being led by

One more trophy to go. He has been waiting for this. Casey Stoner on

the top step of the podium. A fantastic result. Five wins from 10

for Casey Stoner so far this weekend. Six races in the space of

eight weekends. A couple of weekends off now but back in Europe

on 14th August for around 11 of 18. See you then. From the US Grand