Rx3
04-19-2004, 07:24 PM
Here's the article from Cycle News:
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is now being considered as the venue for the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, while discussions are ongoing with Barber Motorsports Park, according to Dorna Chief Executive Carmelo Ezpeleta,.
“We still continue our conversations with Birmingham, but we’ve opened a conversation with Laguna Seca,” Ezpeleta said in Welkom, site of the season-opening betandwin.com Africa’s Grand Prix.
The key for Mazda Raceway is improving safety. Since the FIM instituted new homologation rules, the circuit has not been given the top grade required for grand prix circuits. One of the first moves Ezpeleta made was to call Kenny Roberts Jr., a member of the riders’ safety group. Prior to the March IRTA tests in Barcelona, Carlos Checa and Kenny Roberts Jr. inspected the circuit along with Wayne Rainey and two SCRAMP officials. “It’s up to Laguna to make the changes,” Ezpeleta said.
Rainey Curve, the fast downhill turn nine is the biggest concern for Roberts Jr. and other riders, including Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards, both of whom have recent experience on the track. Roberts Jr. said work was being done to add significant run-off, while making the area on the right of the track more attractive from a spectator standpoint.
“The first thing I did when I got the call from Carmelo (Ezpeleta) is I called Colin Edwards and Nicky (Hayden) and said ‘Give me red flags as far as what to look at.’ And their biggest concern was Rainey Corner,” he said. Not only will the run-off be added, and the bridge over the turn moved, but the plan is to add a sand trap on rider’s left in case of a freak accident.
Every inch of the track has been scrutinized and the planned changes are significant. Among them are removing the wall and taking back the hill over turn one.
“The wall’s going to be gone, the concrete wall, and then they’re going to take the wall as far back as they can cut it and gradually grade it back into the sand trap,” Roberts Jr. said. “So basically if you run off full throttle, you’ll end up in San Diego, but you won’t hit a wall.”
Wherever run-off can be added, it will, including in the final turn Roberts Jr. said. The front straight will be widened and the wall moved, but rumble strips will be added to keep riders from going to the edge. The run-off into and exiting the Corkscrew will be enlarged. The turn three run-off will be lengthened and the fences moved back. The curbing around the entire circuit will be modified in length.
Roberts Jr. made it clear more than once that his nationality won’t factor into his safety work. His responsibility is to his fellow riders.
“I’m trying to do the best possible thing without getting involved, because automatically it would seem I want to go there because I’m an American,” he said. “I don’t want any of us riders to get hurt anywhere. I can only suggest the most I can. The nice thing about Laguna is they’re doing curbings and stuff like that the correct way and on things they control they’re completely open and willing to do it with no stress and no confrontation. They’re more than happy to do things they can control.”
When he got to Barcelona for the test, Roberts Jr. showed the changes to some of the other riders on the safety committee, including Valentino Rossi, Nobu Aoki, and Sete Gibernau.
Ezpeleta said the Barber facility, which has the Bruno Group as its promoters, is in discussions with various state and local officials about the viability of the race. “In any case, we need to know if they want to organize the race,” Ezpeleta said. “If Laguna accepts first, we’ll go to Laguna,” he said.
Regardless of who steps forward, Ezpeleta was confident that a USGP would be on the calendar for 2005 and Dorna was doing all it could to achieve the goal. He said neither track would have to pay the usual fee. “In both cases we need to make special arrangements. It will be without the normal fee.”
To promote stability, Ezpeleta said the track would be offered a three or five year deal. “We need to be stable,” he said.
MotoGP would be the only class to participate at Mazda Raceway or Barber. Though he didn’t say what the support classes would be, the GP would likely be partnered with a round of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship. Should Laguna Seca come to terms with Dorna, it would likely mean the end of the World Superbike Championship in Monterey.
Adding the USGP would increase the calendar to 17 rounds.
If they don't get those surface issues fixed at Barber, Laguna just might win out....
I'm sure old man Barber isn't too happy with this development.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is now being considered as the venue for the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, while discussions are ongoing with Barber Motorsports Park, according to Dorna Chief Executive Carmelo Ezpeleta,.
“We still continue our conversations with Birmingham, but we’ve opened a conversation with Laguna Seca,” Ezpeleta said in Welkom, site of the season-opening betandwin.com Africa’s Grand Prix.
The key for Mazda Raceway is improving safety. Since the FIM instituted new homologation rules, the circuit has not been given the top grade required for grand prix circuits. One of the first moves Ezpeleta made was to call Kenny Roberts Jr., a member of the riders’ safety group. Prior to the March IRTA tests in Barcelona, Carlos Checa and Kenny Roberts Jr. inspected the circuit along with Wayne Rainey and two SCRAMP officials. “It’s up to Laguna to make the changes,” Ezpeleta said.
Rainey Curve, the fast downhill turn nine is the biggest concern for Roberts Jr. and other riders, including Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards, both of whom have recent experience on the track. Roberts Jr. said work was being done to add significant run-off, while making the area on the right of the track more attractive from a spectator standpoint.
“The first thing I did when I got the call from Carmelo (Ezpeleta) is I called Colin Edwards and Nicky (Hayden) and said ‘Give me red flags as far as what to look at.’ And their biggest concern was Rainey Corner,” he said. Not only will the run-off be added, and the bridge over the turn moved, but the plan is to add a sand trap on rider’s left in case of a freak accident.
Every inch of the track has been scrutinized and the planned changes are significant. Among them are removing the wall and taking back the hill over turn one.
“The wall’s going to be gone, the concrete wall, and then they’re going to take the wall as far back as they can cut it and gradually grade it back into the sand trap,” Roberts Jr. said. “So basically if you run off full throttle, you’ll end up in San Diego, but you won’t hit a wall.”
Wherever run-off can be added, it will, including in the final turn Roberts Jr. said. The front straight will be widened and the wall moved, but rumble strips will be added to keep riders from going to the edge. The run-off into and exiting the Corkscrew will be enlarged. The turn three run-off will be lengthened and the fences moved back. The curbing around the entire circuit will be modified in length.
Roberts Jr. made it clear more than once that his nationality won’t factor into his safety work. His responsibility is to his fellow riders.
“I’m trying to do the best possible thing without getting involved, because automatically it would seem I want to go there because I’m an American,” he said. “I don’t want any of us riders to get hurt anywhere. I can only suggest the most I can. The nice thing about Laguna is they’re doing curbings and stuff like that the correct way and on things they control they’re completely open and willing to do it with no stress and no confrontation. They’re more than happy to do things they can control.”
When he got to Barcelona for the test, Roberts Jr. showed the changes to some of the other riders on the safety committee, including Valentino Rossi, Nobu Aoki, and Sete Gibernau.
Ezpeleta said the Barber facility, which has the Bruno Group as its promoters, is in discussions with various state and local officials about the viability of the race. “In any case, we need to know if they want to organize the race,” Ezpeleta said. “If Laguna accepts first, we’ll go to Laguna,” he said.
Regardless of who steps forward, Ezpeleta was confident that a USGP would be on the calendar for 2005 and Dorna was doing all it could to achieve the goal. He said neither track would have to pay the usual fee. “In both cases we need to make special arrangements. It will be without the normal fee.”
To promote stability, Ezpeleta said the track would be offered a three or five year deal. “We need to be stable,” he said.
MotoGP would be the only class to participate at Mazda Raceway or Barber. Though he didn’t say what the support classes would be, the GP would likely be partnered with a round of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship. Should Laguna Seca come to terms with Dorna, it would likely mean the end of the World Superbike Championship in Monterey.
Adding the USGP would increase the calendar to 17 rounds.
If they don't get those surface issues fixed at Barber, Laguna just might win out....
I'm sure old man Barber isn't too happy with this development.