MotoGP – The stars and stripes world championship

The world championship returns to the United States after ten years, the last US GP was held in 1994 when Luca Cadalora won on Yamaha ahead of John Kocinski (Cagiva) and Mick Doohan (Honda). From then until last year the only international event hosted on the Californian track was the SBK race, the circuit record in fact belongs to Noriyuki Haga with 1'25”475 (year 2002). A purely indicative reference data because the MotoGP riders will find a modified track compared to the one on which their Superbike colleagues raced.

The fascinating Laguna Seca track, famous for the "corkscrew", an area where the track twists downhill and forces riders to exhibit not only technique but also courage, has undergone a profound transformation. During the winter, the work requested by Dorna and FIM began to create new and more adequate escape spaces and remove some walls.
The intervention project, which cost 2 million dollars, changed the appearance of the track from a safety point of view: the works, which began in January, involved 3610 meters of the track: the escape routes were increased and curbs replaced.
The most substantial interventions concerned the expansion of the escape areas (more than 15.000 tons of gravel were used during the works), the new positioning of the bridge at curve 9 and the excavation of the hill in the part exiting the curve to create the escape.

Upon completion of the works, last June 16 the Laguna Seca track received FIM approval to host MotoGP races.

“The inspection went very well,” he commented Claude Denis, official inspector of the FIM, “the works we requested were carried out completely. In addition to the existing structures, air fences and straw bales will also be installed before the race.”

“The most substantial interventions were made at turn 1 after the pits, at the beginning of the corkscrew, at turn 9 and at the last corner before the pits” he comments Franco Uncini, IRTA Safety Delegate, “also the curbs have been changed. In Laguna we will now find all standard MotoGP curbs, FIM approved, i.e. negative 2.5. Structural work has also been completed and the garages are now ready to host the MotoGP. The circuit is beautiful in terms of design and sufficiently safe. I am sure that Laguna will be a spectacular race.”

More than positive opinions also came from Kenny Roberts Jr. who, as a driver representative of the safety commission, visited the circuit. “Laguna did 100% to make this track safe. The intervention plan was widespread, so much so that each curve underwent modifications and improvements. In my opinion they did an excellent job on the curbs, the best in the entire world championship. As a representative of the safety commission I think that Laguna has become a very safe circuit.”
The eighth round of the world championship will see MotoGP as the undisputed protagonist. In fact, only the premier class will race on Sunday 10 July. MotoGP will share the paddock with the American AMA championship.

Gresini Racing team