Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix

For the IndyCar Series event, see Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Venue Indianapolis Motor Speedway
First race 2008
Last race 2015
Most wins (rider) Marc Márquez (5)
Most wins (manufacturer) Honda (7)

The Indianapolis Grand Prix was a motorcycling event held on the combined road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, as part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The first edition took place in 2008, and was sponsored by Red Bull. The event was held through 2015.

The addition of a motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway loosely coincided with the track's Centennial Era, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909) and the 100th anniversary of the first 500 (1911). The motorcycle race represented a "throwback" to the early days of the Speedway, as motorcycle races were in fact the first competitive racing events held on the track in August 1909.

Track layout

The circuit used was a modified version of the combined road course used for the Formula One United States Grand Prix from 2000-2007. The circuit was reversed to a counterclockwise orientation, and a new complex of corners was added inside the infield of oval turn one. The new "Snake Pit" section, as it became known, was nicknamed for its location where notorious revelry once took place during the 1970s. The new series of corners precluded the bikes from using any of the banked oval corners. The double-hairpin at the Hulman Straight was replaced with more traditional esses. Furthermore, the motorcycles stayed low in the south short chute (approaching the Snake Pit section) between oval turn 1 and 2, using the pavement of the warm-up lane rather than the oval track's short chute.

The circuit was re-profiled in 2014, with three new motorcycle-only sections: one in the Snake Pit (which has become a prime overtaking spot), a more open entrance to Hulman Straight, and the final esses leading to the pit straight was changed to be more open and flowing.

History

The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP took place 99 years after the previous motorcycle race at the track, in 1909.

The first motorsports event at the track consisted of 7 motorcycle races, sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), on August 14, 1909.[1] This was originally planned as a two-day, 15-race program, but ended before the first day was completed, due to concerns over suitability of the track surface for motorcycle use.The Rider with most victories at this grand prix is Nicolas Terol with three victories in the 125cc two-stroke class, followed by Dani Pedrosa and Marc Márquez with two victories each. and all the others have only one victory. This grand prix has been won only by Spanish, Italian and Australian riders.

Motorcycles on Meridian rally

The race has become part of a major motorcycle event organized by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Motorcycles on Meridian motorcycle rally, held on Meridian Street near Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, attracting approximately 10,000 cyclists each night.[2] Various dirt tracks will hold flat-track motorcycle races during the weekend which has become analogous to midget car racing's "Night Before the 500" held during the Indianapolis 500, often drawing star MotoGP riders in attendance.

Winners of the Indianapolis Grand Prix

Multiple winners (riders)

# Wins Rider Wins
Category Years won
5 Spain Marc Márquez MotoGP 2013, 2014, 2015
Moto2 2011, 2012
3 Spain Nicolás Terol 125 cc 2008, 2010, 2011
2 Spain Dani Pedrosa MotoGP 2010, 2012
Spain Álex Rins Moto2 2015
Moto3 2013

Multiple winners (manufacturers)

# Wins Manufacturer Wins
Category Years won
8 Japan Honda MotoGP 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Moto3 2014, 2015
4 Germany Kalex Moto2 2013, 2014, 2015
Moto3 2012
3 Italy Aprilia 125 cc 2008, 2010, 2011
2 Japan Yamaha MotoGP 2008, 2009
Switzerland Suter Moto2 2011, 2012

By year

Year Track Moto3 Moto2 MotoGP Report
Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer
2015 Indianapolis Belgium Livio Loi Honda Spain Álex Rins Kalex Spain Marc Márquez Honda Report
2014 Indianapolis Spain Efrén Vázquez Honda Finland Mika Kallio Kalex Spain Marc Márquez Honda Report
2013 Indianapolis Spain Álex Rins KTM Spain Esteve Rabat Kalex Spain Marc Márquez Honda Report
2012 Indianapolis Spain Luis Salom Kalex Spain Marc Márquez Suter Spain Dani Pedrosa Honda Report
2011 Indianapolis Spain Nicolás Terol Aprilia Spain Marc Márquez Suter Australia Casey Stoner Honda Report
2010 Indianapolis Spain Nicolás Terol Aprilia Spain Toni Elías Moriwaki Spain Dani Pedrosa Honda Report
2009 Indianapolis Spain Pol Espargaró Derbi Italy Marco Simoncelli Gilera Spain Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Report
2008 Indianapolis Spain Nicolás Terol Aprilia Cancelled - Hurricane Ike [note 1] Italy Valentino Rossi Yamaha Report

NOTE: Moto3 was known as the 125cc class until 2011, when the FIM changed the formula from 125cc two-stroke engines to 250cc four-stroke engines. Moto2 was known as the 250cc class until 2009, when the FIM changed the formula from 250cc two-stroke engines to a one-make 600cc four-stroke Honda engine class (chassis are open competition), with the FIM planning in 2016 to open the 600cc engines to multiple manufacturers.

Notes

  1. ↑ The 2008 250cc race was initially postponed after the MotoGP race due to torrential rain & winds caused by Hurricane Ike just before the start of the race, it was subsequently cancelled for the same reason.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.indianareflections.com/index.asp
  2. ↑ Gamers and bikers take over Downtown, Indianapolis Downtown Inc., 2014, retrieved 2014-08-14

External links

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