Last weekend the AMA Pro Racing series was joined by the MotoGP at Laguna Seca for three days of non-stop racing action. 135,000 fans made their way to the Mazda Raceway to see Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, and Dani Pedrosa battle it out in the MotoGP and Josh Hayes and Blake Young fight over the last remaining points in the AMA Superbike series. Racing fans were also able to get a glimpse into the future as Steve Rapp and the rest of the TTXGP /FIM e-Power series showed just how fast an electric motorcycle can go.
After a few morning practice sessions on a cold California track, the AMA Supersport riders were greeted with sunny conditions for the first qualifying session of the weekend. Honda rider Benny Solis would top the time sheets ahead of David Gaviria and Tomas Puerta to claim the provisional pole.
The Daytona Sportbike riders hit the track for their first qualifying session on a cold and foggy Saturday morning. The DSB session was actually postponed about ten minutes because visibility was so low in the Salinas hills. Josh Herrin was able to peer through the haze to find a few extra tenths to take the provisional pole ahead of Danny Eslick.
Benny Solis was able to keep his Honda at the top during the second qualifying session for the AMA Supersport riders.
Casey Stoner topped the final free practice session for the MotoGP, but the talk around the paddock was all focused on Jorge Lorenzo. Lorenzo took a nasty high-side in the final minutes of the closing free practice session, putting his weekend in jeopardy.
When the Daytona Sportbike riders hit the Mazda Raceway for their final qualifying session, it was Jason DiSalvo who made it to the front to claim the pole position. DiSalvo was joined on the front row by Josh Herrin and Danny Eslick.
Lorenzo proved that he wasn't in too bad of condition with a superhero qualifying session to take his second pole position of the season.
When it was time for the first race of the weekend, the Supersport riders put on a helluva show for the fans in California. Benny Solis ran away with the lead, but a late race mistake almost turned disastrous for the Honda rider. Solis was able to keep his bike upright to take the final win of the season. Behind Solis, Tomas Puerta, Corey Alexander, and David Gaviria crossed the line with just .3 seconds between them. Gaviria would miss out on the podium by .003 seconds, but Gaviria did walk away with the Supersport West championship. [See the Supersport gallery here.]
When it was time for the Superbike riders to decide the grid, it was no surprise to see Josh Hayes turn up the speed to take the pole position. Hayes has taken every pole position this season but one, and those points add up. With just two wins in 2011, Hayes is still Blake Young's prime contender for the title.
Once the MotoGP and AMA action was complete, the TTXGP / FIM e-Power series hit the track for an electrifying session. Steve Rapp captured the pole position with a record breaking lap at Laguna Seca lap. Rapp dropped 10 seconds off of the previous electric motorcycle record.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. It was race time in California and more than 50,000 fans made it through the gate to watch the action. The electric motorcycle racing series went first, and it was no surprise to see Steve Rapp at the top of the podium. [See the full TTXGP / FIM e-Power gallery here.]
The DSB riders were next on the track. Josh Herrin, Jason DiSalvo, and Danny Eslick started the race in typical high flying action. But Herrin would soon have to retire with a mechanical error, leaving DiSalvo and Cameron Beaubier to try to fend off Eslick. But the Suzuki rider could not be stopped. Eslick took the Laguna Seca win, and now holds a large lead over Herrin and DiSalvo. [Check out the full Daytona Sportbike gallery here.]
For the MotoGP, it was Jorge Lorenzo who proved the man to beat. Lorenzo took the lead early and held it until there were just five laps remaining. But Lorenzo couldn't hold off Casey Stoner, who extended his lead to 20 points in the overall standings. [See the MotoGP gallery here.]
The AMA Superbike racers closed the weekend with another exciting race. Blake Young, Tommy Hayden, and Josh Hayes rode at the front per usual, but it was Tommy Hayden who was able to snag the win. Hayes took second, shrinking Young's lead to just five points as the AMA Superbike riders head to the final race of the season. [Check out the full Superbike gallery here.]
The Laguna Seca round saw some great racing action, thousands of fans, and of course, beautiful girls. You can see the grid girl gallery here.
