Indianapolis to host MotoGP race

The famous Indianapolis Speedway will host a round of the MotoGP world championship in 2008.
Motorcycle racing will return to the famous "Brickyard" for the first time in nearly a century.

The US will host two rounds of the 2008 championship, with the Indianapolis race on 14 September following the US GP at Laguna Seca in California.

The MotoGP circuit will be a new 16-turn 4.1km road course, with riders racing in an anti-clockwise direction.

Indianapolis has hosted the US Formula One Grand Prix since 2000, but last week Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone confirmed that there would not be a 2008 race at the track.

MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden, who is from Kentucky, said: I'm really excited about this race. Coming to such an historic track like Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be really special to me. It's like my home race."

Indianapolis is building a new track for the MotoGP event
His fellow American rider Colin Edwards added: "MotoGP is really starting to take off over there [in the US], and now with two races we'll get a lot more exposure.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's the Brickyard, and it's got racing history for as far back as you can remember. It has so many famous car races there that it's definitely time we got two wheels on the track."

The new MotoGP track follows the Formula One track until Turn 8, after it dispenses with the double hairpin at turns 9 and 10 in favour of a more open S-bend.

It then rejoins the F1 circuit through turns 11 and 12, which bring it back on to the banked oval.

But instead of continuing through the banked turn of the oval, the MotoGP track turns right off it through a series of tight corners before rejoining the Speedway's main straight.

Pedrosa takes win as Rossi falls

Spain's Dani Pedrosa took victory in an eventful German MotoGP on Sunday.
Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, looking to make up ground on championship leader Casey Stoner, slid out of the race on lap five as he tried to overtake.

But Ducati rider Stoner failed to capitalise and the Australian struggled home in fifth in sweltering conditions.

That left Pedrosa to take the chequered flag on his Honda ahead of Italian Loris Capirossi, with Nicky Hayden third despite starting in 14th.


Stoner, who started from pole position on Sunday but suffered suspected tyre problems, extended his lead over Rossi in the championship standings to 32 points with just under half the season left.

The 21-year-old said he had problems with his tyres and had no chance of catching the leaders.


"By the end of the race I was really struggling so to pull fifth out of that was a real positive. I was just hoping to finish the race to tell you the truth," he said,

Rossi was disappointed not to have closed the gap on his young rival.

"Unfortunately I made a mistake and I would like to apologize to everyone, my team, my stable and my fans," said Rossi.

"I lost a few places at the start and had to wait a lap to start pushing forwards. Overtaking De Puniet was difficult because during the sections where you can overtake he was very fast.

I feel great and this is a result I want to give to all the fans who have supported me

Dani Pedrosa

"Eventually I tried it on a more difficult section of the track, I got passed him, but I lost the front end.

"I'm really disappointed because the bike was in top condition and I lost out on the chance to close the gap on Stoner.

Pedrosa, however, was overwhelmed after taking his first victory in more than a year.

"I'm so happy," he told BBC Sport. "I want to thank all the team. I feel great and this is a result I want to give to all the fans who have supported me."

Capirossi, who has been linked with a move away from Ducati, secured his best finish of the season.

His high finish was all the more surprising given that other riders using Bridgestone tyres struggled.

"I wouldn't say it was easy but I made a different choice of tyres to the other Bridgestone riders," said the 34-year-old.

The riders now travel to the United States for race 11 on 22 July at Laguna Seca near Monterey in California.


German Grand Prix result:
1. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda, 41 mins 53.196 secs
2. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Ducati, 42:06.362
3. Nicky Hayden (US) Honda, 42:09.976
4. Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha, 42:11.495
5. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati, 42:24.622
6. Marco Melandri (Italy) Honda, 42:25.113
7. John Hopkins (US) Suzuki,42:26.591
8. Anthony West (Australia) Kawasaki, 42:34.390
9. Alex Hofmann (Germany) Ducati, 42:36.410
10. Michel Fabrizio (Italy) Honda, 42:37.655


250cc result:
1. Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) KTM, 41:16.191
2. Mika Kallio (Finland) KTM, 41:16.310
3. Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Aprilia, 41:16.465


125cc result:
1. Gabor Talmacsi (Hungary) Aprilia, 39:30.802
2. Tomoyoshi Koyama (Japan) KTM, 39:34.334
3. Hector Faubel (Spain) Aprilia, 39:34.412

French, Vietnamese building motorbike fueled by water

A group of French students and Vietnamese teachers are building a motorbike to run mostly on water.
Fabien Chancel, Thibaud Revil-Baudard and several young Vietnamese instructors at the Da Nang Technology College have been building the motorbike for a month, hoping to make the engine operate according to the Pantone engine principle.

This principle allows the motorbike to operate on a mixture of 25 percent gasoline and 75 percent water.

The bike was run on a trial basis for several kilometers Tuesday.

The two French students said they are excited to build a motorbike in Vietnam, which they called “the motorbike heaven.”

The group says they plan to tour the nation with the bike when it is completed.

MOTORBIKE FIRST FOR PGR4

For the first time in "Project Gotham Racing" history, drivers will have the option of racing a variety of motorcycles from top manufacturers, including the 1957 Maserati 250F, 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, 1978 Lamborghini Countach LP400, 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo, 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, as well as Ducati, BMW and Honda bikes.


Whether in single-player mode or playing with a team of up to seven other drivers, players can choose to race two motorcycles side by side or race with a combination of cars and motorcycles.


'Project Gotham Racing 4' is the next instalment of the PGR franchise, developed by Bizarre Creations exclusively for the Xbox 360, with a new weather system, revamped career mode, revised Kudos system, new tracks and locations.


In addition, through a new content server, drivers can save their favourite races and search over Xbox Live for race content that is specific to their interests, such as the longest slide or wheelie in Shanghai or St. Petersburg

A Motorbike Powered By Hydrogen

The world's first hydrogen-powered motorbike was recently launched in Britain. The makers Intelligent Energy hope to begin selling it late next year. Today when pollution-free cars are being developed, IE has turned instead to two-wheeled transportation.

ARE YOU LOOKING for a vehicle that will have your neighbours staring in disbelief? How about a motorbike that goes 100 miles on $4 worth of... hydrogen? A British company, Intelligent Energy, recently unveiled just such a vehicle.

The ENV (Energy Neutral Vehicle) is described by Intelligent Energy (IE) as “the world’s first purpose-built, fuel-cell motorbike.” It is based around IE’s CORE fuel cell, which the company says is “a fully-integrated 1kW fuel cell generator providing power on demand directly to the drive-train.”

The ENV is actually a hybrid vehicle and it also has a battery pack that provides a 6kW peak load to the motor – to help the bike accelerate from a standing start.

IE says the ENV motorbike goes from 0 to 30 in 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 50 mph. The company also says it is “virtually silent (with noise emissions equivalent to an everyday home computer) and its emissions are almost completely clean."

On a full tank, the ENV bike could be used continually for up to four hours without any need for re-fueling. The bike can be used by almost any rider as it has simple controls and no gears. While it is officially classified as a motorbike, those who have ridden it say "it feels more like a very quick and responsive mountain bike.”

Of course, there is a downside to a hydrogen-powered motorbike, and that is the fact that you just don’t find hydrogen service stations on every corner. Or on just about any corner. However, Intelligent Energy is also working on new technology for separating hydrogen from other fuels, so you may find more places to say "fill ’er up" in the years to come.
Intelligent Energy has announced that when available later this year, that the ENV will initially sell for less than $10,000. But then, what’s $10,000 when you’re creating practically clean emissions, and your neighbours are staring in envy?

Speedy Rossi takes Dutch victory

Valentino Rossi cut the gap on Casey Stoner at the top of the MotoGP riders' standings with an impressive win in Holland on Saturday.
Starting from 11th on the grid, Rossi showed tremendous speed to cut through the field and gradually increase the pressure on Stoner at the front.

Rossi was content to ride in Stoner's slipstream for lap after lap, but finally made his move with three to go.

Reigning champion Nicky Hayden held off Dani Pedrosa to take third place.