Submitted by David Emmett on
Dani Pedrosa continued his reign of the MotoGP class at Laguna Seca this afternoon, adding the fastest time in FP2 to his quickest time in FP1 this morning. Where the Repsol Honda man only just held off Jorge Lorenzo in FP1, he stretched his advantage to a much more comfortable third of a second in the afternoon, getting under the race lap record and closing in on the pole record as well. Lorenzo took 2nd again, just as he did this morning, while Casey Stoner was also once again 3rd fastest, though the Australian closed the gap on Lorenzo significantly.
Ben Spies was 4th, and just as this morning the Factory Yamaha rider led a brace of Monster Tech 3 Yamahas, Andrea Dovizioso ahead of Cal Crutchlow. Crutchlow took a very nasty tumble towards the end of the session, destroying his Yamaha M1 and ripping his leathers, causing him to lose some skin on his upper right leg. After Valentino Rossi also crashed in the same place a few minutes later, the session had to be red flagged, Rossi's Ducati sliding into the air fence, causing it to deflate. Rossi walked away from that crash unhurt, though.
Nicky Hayden grabbed the 7th fastest time, the factory Ducati rider holding off LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl, with Valentino Rossi taking 9th spot, having closed the gap a little on Pedrosa, but significantly on Lorenzo and Stoner. Alvaro Bautista ended the session in 10th, having crashed in the same place as Crutchlow and Rossi earlier in the session. Aleix Espargaro took top CRT spot with the 11th fastest time, the two Aspar Aprilias now working correctly after being sidelined for a large part of the morning session with electronics problems.
Results:
| Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Diff | Diff Previous |
| 1 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | HONDA | 1'21.088 | ||
| 2 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | YAMAHA | 1'21.422 | 0.334 | 0.334 |
| 3 | 1 | Casey STONER | HONDA | 1'21.457 | 0.369 | 0.035 |
| 4 | 11 | Ben SPIES | YAMAHA | 1'21.708 | 0.620 | 0.251 |
| 5 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | YAMAHA | 1'22.021 | 0.933 | 0.313 |
| 6 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | YAMAHA | 1'22.258 | 1.170 | 0.237 |
| 7 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | DUCATI | 1'22.434 | 1.346 | 0.176 |
| 8 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | HONDA | 1'22.568 | 1.480 | 0.134 |
| 9 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | DUCATI | 1'22.772 | 1.684 | 0.204 |
| 10 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | HONDA | 1'22.853 | 1.765 | 0.081 |
| 11 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | ART | 1'23.835 | 2.747 | 0.982 |
| 12 | 14 | Randy DE PUNIET | ART | 1'23.870 | 2.782 | 0.035 |
| 13 | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | SUTER | 1'24.732 | 3.644 | 0.862 |
| 14 | 24 | Toni ELIAS | DUCATI | 1'24.739 | 3.651 | 0.007 |
| 15 | 68 | Yonny HERNANDEZ | BQR | 1'24.774 | 3.686 | 0.035 |
| 16 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | DUCATI | 1'24.849 | 3.761 | 0.075 |
| 17 | 54 | Mattia PASINI | ART | 1'25.000 | 3.912 | 0.151 |
| 18 | 51 | Michele PIRRO | FTR | 1'25.065 | 3.977 | 0.065 |
| 19 | 77 | James ELLISON | ART | 1'25.166 | 4.078 | 0.101 |
| 20 | 22 | Ivan SILVA | BQR | 1'25.405 | 4.317 | 0.239 |
| 21 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | IODA | 1'25.422 | 4.334 | 0.017 |
| Not qualified (Out 107%) 1'26.764 | ||||||
| 15 | Steve RAPP | APR | 1'28.016 | 6.928 | 2.594 | |
Comments
crashes
Crutchlow went down in the fast downhill right handed turn 10. Rossi crashed in the deceivingly flat turn 3.... Bautista had earlier crashed in Rossi's spot.
Dani and Jorge.
Dani's time is really good, but Lorenzo was doing 1.21's a lot more. We'll see, hopefully Stoner can make it a 3 bike race.
Cmon Dani!
I hope Dani get his bike up to speed for the race. For now Lorenzo is again scary fast and consistent. I hope this will not be replica of the last race.
AMA Yamaha
as piloted by Josh Hayes posted 1.24.991 in first session out on track, that time would slot him in .15 behind Karel Abraham's satellite Ducati. Interesting to keep an eye on the gap between AMA Superbike & MotoGP times.
Looks like Steve Rapp may not
Looks like Steve Rapp may not make it this weekend. He needs to find a couple of seconds somewhere or all that work Attack has put into the bike will be lost. Very sad.
Rapp outside the 107%
That's sad.I thought he would show the way to some CRT's that were experiencing the track for the first time,instead they show they're all world class riders and beat a local.I wonder if the bike was ready or if he's having issues.
no
Steve Rapp should have never of turned up.
Its sad to see these CRT bikes go around the track slower than the Superbikes, with steel brakes.
Steve should have tested at Laguna first and know that he could get with in 2 seconds of last years times before entering the race.
The plug will be pulled after this. A big bore moto2 bike would have been faster.
I have to agree here...
he's actually slower on the CRT bike than his superbike, which isn't saying too much since he's currently almost 3 seconds off Hayes' pace on yet another underdeveloped bike.
I think this was a one-off
I think this was a one-off for them anyway.
Rapp is also struggling in Superbike. Bottom of the pile, but still a second faster than on the CRT. I think Attack bit off a little more than they could chew.
'big bore'
A plain Moto2 bike would probably be faster. But we'll never know.
I think with a couple of years of development the CRT guys will be doing just fine. Once they figure out how to make the most out of the extra three liters of fuel, it should get closer.
Agreed
I laughed when I read they were testing it for the first time this week and expected to ride at the same level as the other CRTs. It's a prototype bike with almost no testing. Some of the CRTs on the track now are still working out issues from the beginning of the year. Colin was talking about scrapping his bike completely because it was so terrible. They want to get it working in a few days? That's ambitious but completely irrational.
They already announced that
They already announced that they'll be at Indy so don't expect the plug to be pulled so quickly.
I think it's ridiculous
...that people still think like this. How can you comment without at least following the history of the situation up to this point? Attack had exceptionally limited opportunity to test due to tire availability. They're doing amazingly well given the limited exposure they've had to the tires.
Second, once they get the electronics refined (as usual), I think they'll see very large improvements. Rapp isn't slow. The bike is probably very capable. They simply need some time to gather data and get the setup sorted. And they haven't had the opportunity until now. Give them a break.
You said it
Completely agree - people seem to take these things so personally. It's a bunch of guys having a shot at the big time, and good luck to them as far as I'm concerned. Why not support their efforts, it actually takes less effort to write something positive than negative...
Even if you are running outside the 107% level of MotoGP, you are still trucking! regardless of how fast you get your regular ride around the track. Has anyone considered the enormous differences between a Superbike and a CRT? Different tyres for starters... and if there's one thing that it takes time to acclimatise to, it's tyres.
Why do people who could barely get around a track at 200+% of these guys feel the need to get so narky about this sort of thing?
its a shakedown test for the attack bike
This is the first time the Attack CRT is on any track and the first time on the BS tires so it is literally a shakedown test on a world stage. That is brave. I'm impressed the bike was running in both practices and didn't puke its guts out. So far that is better than most other CRTs did on their maiden race weekend.
Hopefully they will be able to get more wild cards and start a trend in other countries. If Attack can build a frame and bike that can qualify on the grid (hopefuly-they are close) then others can and should.
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=49170
Chris
moto2-usa.blogspot.com
If what they're saying is
If what they're saying is true, they shaved off almost 1.8 seconds between FP1 and FP2, their very first time on a track with the bike. hopefully they can shave off a couple more during FP3 and QP.
Rapp
From what I read, some parts were promised but not ready for the bike. The team had to use some AMA parts to make the race. It also seem they only have one bike. Not read for sure on that issue.
It is unfortunate things developed this way. While I am sure they would still be at the back of the pack with no developement time, I'd hope the gap would have been reasonable here at Laguna and then have a real race at Indy
Both Rossi and Bautista had
Both Rossi and Bautista had very odd-looking tumbles, as though they lost the front the SECOND they touched the brakes. Crutchlow's crash in Ten was mega; that turn is plunging downhill and it's banked, and I'm not even sure you brake for it very much at all, so you really just stick it in there and the front is planted - usually. Glad he walked away from that. Tough guy.
Newsflash: 2-Strokes in Action at Laguna Seca
LOL at the tweet from SuperbikePlanet during the red flag to repair the air fence...
"FINALLY THE SOUND OF TWO STROKES BACK IN GP! Leaf-blower used to re-inflate airbag was two smoker. DO A PLUG CHOP."
As it was mentioned above
As it was mentioned above David; do you know the stats? How have the CRT bikes been comparing to a Superbike on the same few circuits in the same conditions? I guess more comparisions can be made after Silverstone next weekend.
I'm sure that when I did some nerdy checking up last year (I really must find better things to do) I noticed Checa was clocking very good times on his 1098 compared to the prototypes, certainly beating the satellites.
Three words
Tyres, tyres, tyres. Or, tires, tires, tires. Oops, that was six (seven?) words, but that's all that's needed to explain the difference between WSB and MotoGP.
FP1 times 2010 vs 2012
Stoners FP1 time in 2010 was faster than all riders this year from place 4 on down.
So much for 1000 cc bikes being bigger, faster and meaner. And so much for the aluminum frame Ducati being an improvement over carbon fiber.
Comparing FP1 to FP1 for both years, not qualifying times in 2010 vs FP1 in 2012.
COLIN EDWARDS
Thank you Colin Edwards for ragging on the CRT concept. Well done.
More and more riders need to speak out on this sorry concept of what MOTOGP should be. As a fan of MOTOGP I slam the very concept of "filling the field" with unconpetitive bikes just to fill the grid.
Ragging ?
I enjoyed Colin's 'smackdown'. Were it another persona it would be trashed as 'whining'.
Anyway,proof of the 1000cc pudding is in the eating thereof.
800cc prototype racing was the pinnacle of GP 4 stroke prototype racing in my book.
Long may the GPC adjustment rules continue in their quest for boring racing.
Anyone of 3 or 4 combatants have opportunity to win a race per season and a title.
However,we continue to follow the circus and hope it all comes good.
Despite the expectation,GP2012 is a huge tyre deflation. Tyre blowout more appropriately. Fuel depletion. All within the quest for viewership and entertainment and make a buck.
800 HRC bike did 350 in Mugello,1000 HRC bike came close but no cigar.(eh? Dani).
The CRT are an entertaining sideshow.
Of course I will be glued to the screen later,but I'm starting to question my motives.
Lets face it
If CRT is the future and they are slower than SBK then MotoGP is dead
Sure but CRTs are already as fast as WSBK
After just 6 races of development, Randy lapped during the race on the ART 1 thousandth from WSBK lap record (set by Crutchlow on the R1 in 2010).
And that was 3 tenths faster than last WSBK race fastest lap.
Race laptimes are already on par with WSBK lap records 6 GPs into CRTs first season.
Moto2 used to be slower than World Supersport too
a lot slower the first year but that is very much not the case now
It's still early days, give the CRT teams a year or two and then pass judgement
Futuremoto2 stars
Even if pol espargaro, Andrea ianone and redding come up.. Are they gonna ride crt's because I heard they will be around next year and u can't kick out most of the riders for new riders on prototypes.. Why don't they just put a prototype engine like the Honda rc213 on the crt's make them more competitive and close to the gap...
Prototype engines
The reason they don't put prototype engines in the CRT bikes is the same reason that we don't see last year's satellite bikes on the grid this year: the factories won't supply them. There was a proposal in 2010 for the factories to supply engines, but they wanted 70% of the cost of a complete bike. It wasn't financially viable, building and designing a chassis around the engine would have made it more expensive than leasing a satellite bike.
The problem is that the factories do not want to lose control of their technology, so they don't want to sell the bikes. They also do not want to have supply different specs of bike. Keeping the tooling in place and supplying parts would be too expensive for them.
attack
While it's true that it's not particularly helpful to be negative about attack's results, I personally feel they should have seen this coming. qualifying within 107 percent of the best motorcycle ever built by man ridden by anyone of three riders who are probably all in the top 10 fastest riders of all time with an untested bike is just pointless. The crt bikes are not allowed to drink as much fuel as the SBK bikes and yet they lap are just as fast if not faster. They have stupendously sophisticated electronics that have been developed from world super bike and then have had another six months of motogp testing on too of that. Plus their riders are a lot more competitive than attack's guy.