Narrow and Narrower

After the Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, the MotoGP circuit moves on to the Red Bull US Grand Prix in Laguna Seca, the eleventh of altogether 17 races in an exhilarating MotoGP season.

The racetrack in Leguna Seca is no stranger to more mature motorcycle fans. From 1988 to 1994, the course—narrow even by motorcycle racing standards—played host to grand prix events. As time went by, however, Leguna Seca was unable to keep up with the requirements of MotoGP. In 2004, extensive renovations finally brought the facility into the present day: wider access roads, brand-new curbs, a wider straightaway and enlarged run-off areas.

In principle, however, it’s still the same track, including the notorious “Corkscrew.” And the MotoGP-readiness of the 3.5 km long course—the slowest on the GP circuit, with average speeds of just 155 km/h—was proven beyond a doubt last year, in terms of both racing and fans. Over 157,000 spectators, including Michael Jordan, Brad Pitt, Matt LeBlanc and Adrien Brody, watched a perfectly organized race with a very appropriate conclusion: US youngster Nicky Hayden celebrated his first series victory.

More broadly than usual

As the current leader of the World Championship ranking, Nicky is definitely one of the favorites going into the race. The most consistent rider this season, he has picked up points in all ten races to date—and he won the race in Holland. At the spectacular, recent race at the Sachsenring, he lost by just a hair’s breadth to Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri. This season, though, the word “favorites” has to be defined far more broadly than usual: Hayden, Rossi and Melandri, as well as Loris Capirossi and Dani Pedrosa—each of these five riders has already managed to up their WM points by the maximum of 25 in a single race.

Nicky Hayden is also, by the way, one of the seven riders who took a detour to Hollywood the Tuesday before the Grand Prix. Hayden was joined there by Colin Edwards, Sete Gibernau, John Hopkins, Shinya Nakano and Casey Stoner, and part of Hollywood Boulevard was even closed so that the riders could present themselves to photographers and fans in front of the Chinese Theatre.