Laguna Recap

Well, I've managed to stager back into the office this morning after a rather draining weekend. I rode to the track mid-day on Friday after leaving the office, but missed FP2. So I enjoyed the AMA proceedings and relaxed a bit. It was warm, but bearable.

Woke up on Saturday morning excited and ready. Stepped out of the trailer at 6am and sensed that it was going to be a scorcher. And it was! Track temperature on Saturday for Moto GP qualifying was about 150 degrees Fahrenheit, or that is what they announced. Ambient was probably over 100. A lot of us were left to wonder if the 1:22.8 that Hayden set in FP3 was on a race tire or not. Certainly the track conditions were more favorable at the time. The AMA superbike race was decent. It was a Spies runaway, but the battle for the next four positions was pretty good.

Sunday morning was hot as well. We sought shade and stayed there whenever we could. My wife and son joined me at the track, so that was great. The action was good. Vermeulen took off, which I expected. The folks that knew he had done the double and secured pole in his only WSBK appearance at Laguna were not surprised at his pace. But we all questioned the Bridgestone tires on his Suzuki. Hayden ran him down and was solid the rest of the way. Nobody saw the Rossi retirement coming. Although, the 1:28 lap he ran when he started losing positions suggested something really bad. And so it was. My son managed to catch Melandri and Hopkins after the race, who both signed his hat. Pretty cool.

Made the three hour ride home by 10pm. Leaving the track on a bike was the preferable route. My wife and son along with some friends were stuck in traffic. She didn’t get home until 12:30. Anyways, it was a great weekend. I’m anxious to see the TV coverage so I can catch up on what I missed. Pardon the long thread, but thought I’d share.

Side Note: It's a real shame about the re-pave at Laguna. Firstly, they were trying to eliminate the bumps and had new bumps afterward. The general consensus was that there was more grip, but bumps. From what I've read, the riders seemed to like the safety improvements, which was nice to hear. I'm glad to see that the facility is focussed on being the best it can be.

Secondly, I think they should have tried to pave it earlier, and left on-track activity to a minimum prior to the Moto GP weekend.

Oh, and Dorna, PLEASE, can we have an earlier date?! :)

Great. Thanks for the on-site report :)

Great report.

Maybe with the repave you guys can get 125s and 250s now as well.

But it would be more fun if they go clockwise... :photo: :tenths:

Would the 125's get up the corkscrew? ;)

That was what I was thinking about :hobby:

Simoncelli could somersault backward :nyah2:

Come to think of it, could the 125s get up the hill normally?

:rofl:

Damn, I reckon 125 and 250 racing would be great around Laguna.

I would love to have the regular GP weekend. Bring it! Plus, the AMA guys get a raw deal playing the support roll. AMA Superbike were given one practice session on Friday (45 min), qualifying Saturday morning (30 min), with the race on Saturday afternoon. That is quite short of their regular program.

In the late 80's early 90's they had 250cc races at Laguna. I can't remember if the 125 was there as well.

What is the reason the 125 and 250 don't race at Laguna now?

costs probably ..

Don't they run the other fly away races?

All bar Laguna.

I think I've heard thay can (or want to) do one big bike race per season in Laguna. Thus, thay have to accommodate AMA with MotoGP, no room for 125cc or 250cc.

I don't remember the source, so I don't know what reliability it has.

((It even could be said in this forum, my God, then it would not have any consistence)) :p

You are tigh there buddy, AMA are only allowed one bike meeting a year at Laguna i think, and as the GP guys are "visiting" and the AMA guys want to run their reaces too, their plain isnt enough room to have 100 or so 125 and 250 bikes and trucks in the paddock aswell!
It is as simple as that,, I think it could be argued that the AMA made a mockery of the track changes, the track was claerly dangerous and for me they shouldt be racing ther anyway. Ahy not go to Barber or Sears Point for example, then to other classes could go. THe Yanks are utterly obsessed with Laguna! Yes its got the corkscrew and its in the west but hell they hae proved they cant get the safety thing right! Lets go somewhere a bit more modern!

Well, there's a bit more involved than all that. Laguna is allowed five weekend events with un-restricted noise. The rest of the year (trackdays and such) they are restricted to a certain noise level. Basically, the track is surrounded by pockets of residential development. And there is a lot of other local political and environmental constraint.

Currently, they have Moto GP, ALMS, Historics, Grand Am, and earlier this year A1 GP. I have no idea if A1 GP will return, because it had no attendance. I'd rather see AMA move to its own date and run Moto GP with 125s and 250's as a stand alone event. Ideally, I'd like to see WSBK return with AMA, which is how it was before. But, I hear that the WSBK promoter and the Laguna people do not get along. So that probably wont happen.

As for other track options in the United States the options are few. I doubt that someone else will come along and offer to pay the kinds of money that Yamaha and Red Bull have to bring Laguna up to snuff. The only possibility right now is Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, which just opened this year and hosted an AMA date. The track is new and is probably good enough. Personally, I'm hoping WSBK go there, or to the newly revamped Mid-Ohio (assuming they cure their issues).

That's probably a poor summary of it all, but that's my best shot.

Edit: Chunder, it's a bit unfair to yank Moto GP when you consider the investment that has been made already. It's probably not the best track in the U.S. for bike racing, but it's pretty good. It has certainly become better. And can get a bit better as well with some more small improvements.

I've heard Barber is great, but the riders do not like it. They barely have the room to stretch their legs and spend most of the lap in second or third gear. Or so I've heard.

But I'm a bit biased, as Laguna is 3 hours from me. :)

THe Yanks are utterly obsessed with Laguna! Yes its got the corkscrew and its in the west but hell they hae proved they cant get the safety thing right! Lets go somewhere a bit more modern!

To be honest, they should have done the re-pave earlier in the year, or had it done late last year. But they have a schedule to keep and get quite a bit of rain during the winter. They also got hit with record heat, which caused some problems with the surface.

They have met most of the safety requirements that have been asked for. The one biggy is that FIM would like a ring road around the track for better access. Well that's just not feasible given the topography. As for the bumps, they can be cured. And besides, these are the best riders in the world are they not?

As for us Yanks being obsessed with Laguna, I suppose we are. But I think that's natural. I suppose that's true for race fans from each country or local. If I lived in Wisonsin I'd probably be obsessed with Road America. We all have tracks that hold meaning.

Funny though, you get those that can't stand all of the new tracks being built around the world that seemingly look alike. And we have those that say out with the old and in with the new. Can't please everyone.

BTW, you're not a Rossi fan are you? ;)

Mid-Ohio and Elkhart Lake (R.A.) are two circuits I love. Elkhart is very possibly one of the best of the world, vastly better than most of current F1 tracks IMO.

But MotoGP running in one of those is just drool-dreaming, so I'm content with Laguna, that is a nice track for me :)

I don't know the particular case of Laguna but it's curious how many people apparently like to live near traditional circuits, just to pretend a posteriori to close them because there is "noise" (Monza is an amazing example, I think).

I doubt that WSBK will return to Laguna.

But never fear, remember that there were rumours that FIM wanted Elkheart upgraded to WSBK standard...

Now that would be AWSOME.

Mid-Ohio and Elkhart Lake (R.A.) are two circuits I love. Elkhart is very possibly one of the best of the world, vastly better than most of current F1 tracks IMO.

You got in there and said it before I could! Beautiful tracks.

Can anyone rememebr that didastrous round at Laguna in 98 i think when Yanagawa had that collision with Chandler and then half the field was decimated off the start line where for some reason the track is lined by a concrete wall! How stupid is that!

Am not really a Rossi fan no, I know he has moaned about the place but I have the pleaseure of reading comments from Neil Hodgson who likes the layouts but the safety of US tracks has always been terrible! Plus no one really knows whats goin on with the championshisp, its a real mess!

Anyway, I think there are plenty of tracks that could host a GP event, but you have to question whether any of the tracks have the necessary conditions to manage it, I think Lagune clearly doesnt!
It doesnt botehr me per se, the US is refreshingly cool about its tracks, you dont have hundreds of Tilke doems like we do in Europe now, but for bikes I have to say they are scary. What about the GP track at Indy! Find a way to chicnae the banking turn maybe??

Can anyone rememebr that didastrous round at Laguna in 98 i think when Yanagawa had that collision with Chandler and then half the field was decimated off the start line where for some reason the track is lined by a concrete wall! How stupid is that!


I do .. looked pretty bad