MotoGP News Roundup
The MotoGP circus is headed to the US for the 10th round of the 2012 season at the iconic Laguna Seca course in Monterey, California. Jorge Lorenzo is coming off another command performance in Mugello where he won by over five seconds and extended his world championship lead to 19 points over Dani Pedrosa.
Australian Casey Stoner had his second poor result in a row at Mugello and now finds himself 37 points behind schedule if he is to end his MotoGP career with a world championship.
The Monster Tech 3 duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow are 4th and 5th in the standings, arriving ahead of three factory bikes in year one of the 1000cc experiment.
Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden are hoping their factory Ducatis will be able to make another step as they are 6th and 8th respectively and are due to have some long-awaited engine revisions available at Laguna.
Outstanding rookie Stefan Bradl jumped over Hayden last time out to land an impressive 7th in the overall points on his satellite Honda.
Alvaro Bautista is keeping close tabs on both Bradl and Hayden in 9th place with two points separating all three riders. Ben Spies rounds out the top 10 on the second factory Yamaha, seven points down on Bautista as he comes home to America hoping that finally his luck will change and the expected podium finishes start coming and even a win could be in the offing.
Pramac Ducati’s Hector Barbera will not be riding at Laguna due to a training accident that saw him break both bones in his left shin. The race in Laguna is likely too soon to field a replacement, but they will need to have one in place for the following round at Indianapolis.
The MotoGP rumor mill has spun and after reports of Pramac considering either Roger Lee Hayden (younger brother of factory Ducati rider Nicky) or Kenny Noyes, they have announced that Toni Elias will be Barbera's stunt double at Laguna. Elias rode for the team back in 2008 and recently separated from the Aspar Moto2 team he had been riding for this season.