MotoGP: The Red Bull Indianapolis GP will bring excitement for the second year in a row to the legendary Brickyard. Will Rossi once again reign and enhance his chance for a seventh championship title?

Ron Lieback
AllAboutBikes.com Content Editor/Staff Writer

Last year over 90,000 people were at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the inaugural MotoGP race, arriving in droves despite the tumultuous conditions from Hurricane Ike.

Race-winner Valentino Rossi commented on the conditions, saying “Last year I had a great win, but like everyone, I really hope that was the only hurricane we ever have to race in and that this time the conditions are more 'normal.”

With weather predictions so far clear, hurricane conditions should not be a problem for the Fiat Yamaha rider this year; the only problem “the Doctor” may encounter is his teammate Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard, who had recently re-signed for 2010 with the Fiat Yamaha Team, is still a contender in the World Championship, a mere 50 points behind Rossi.

Lorenzo crashed out of the past two races (Brno and Donington), but took third at last year’s Red Bull Indianapolis GP race behind American Nicky Hayden. As for Hayden, last year’s Indy race was only one of two podiums he had in the last two years on the Ducati Marlboro Team; he finished 5.972 seconds behind Rossi after battling with a broken heel.

Hayden said, “Indianapolis is probably the race I look forward to most. It’s just three hours from my house, and MotoGP now is becoming very popular. Last year it was a great weekend for me, the crowd was great, and Indy did a great job in organizing their first race and made us proud of it. I would love to have another good weekend like that one. So far we have had a tough season, and I would like to go there in a more confident mood.”

Hayden’s teammate, Casey Stoner, was the only other rider with a good shot at the title, but the 2007 World Champion will miss the next two races (Indy and Grand Prix of San Marino) due to a “strange” illness. The Australian has been plagued by severe fatigue since June.

After winning four of the past six races, with an easy one at Brno, Rossi may be on the path to his seventh world championship with a win at Indy, a circuit containing 16 turns in 2.621 miles. Rossi, who has started on the pole in the last three races, has finished in the top three in 18 of his last 20 starts, including 11 victories.

Rossi said, “2008 in Indy was something special because it was the first time we had been there, and it is definitely the most famous racetrack in the world. We didn't really know what to expect, but our bike worked very well and we were fast from the start, in the wet and the dry…as I said in Brno, it would be stupid for us to relax and consider the championship won. Anything can happen, and we know that (Jorge) Lorenzo will be very strong this weekend and determined to make up for the last two races. We must keep focused.”

If all goes well for Dani Pedrosa, the Honda rider may also be a competitive element for Rossi this weekend. The Repsol Honda rider has been consistent in the past four races, which include one win and two podiums.

As for the other American looking for a win in his country, Colin Edwards has accumulated points with top-15 finishes in 19 consecutive races, dating back to last season. Going into Indy, the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider is fifth in the points race for the championship.

It has been a tough year for the Texas Tornado, but he has a passion for Indy, the second stateside GP race including Laguna Seca: “It’s Indianapolis. All the memories I have as a kid growing up and watching the Indy 500, and now to be able to go there and ride on that track. Just to ride on it, much less race on it, I think is pretty special in itself. OK, we're not doing the full four corners (of the oval), but we’re using part of the track, running over the bricks. Just being in that area is quite special."

Another good thing about Indy for stateside MotoGP fans? It’ll be aired live on FOX. Catch the action from 3 to 4 p.m. (EST) Sunday on Fox. Friday’s qualifying can be viewed on SPEED from 7 to 8 p.m. (EST) Saturday, but fans of 125cc race will have to wait until Sept. 8, when the 125cc GP will be aired from noon to 1 p.m. (EST) on SPEED.