Race Results

The massive and highly partisan crowd that flocked to the Monterey Peninsula to attend the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca didn’t see a repeat of the fairytale, home-favorite victory they enjoyed the previous two seasons. What they did get, however, was a chance to witness firsthand what may be remembered as the highlight of a historic MotoGP season.

Australian Casey Stoner completely obliterated a field consisting of the world’s top motorcycling aces all weekend long, owning the top of the charts in every single session. Stoner carried his superior form into the 32-lap Grand Prix, storming into the lead from the pole position and quickly breaking the challenge of his rivals.

He ultimately piloted his V4 Ducati Desmosedici to the checkered flag nearly ten seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, a margin of victory almost unheard of in this era of high-tech electronic aids that typically result in ultra-tight racing. In addition, despite new technical regulations this season dropping the engine displacement from 990cc to 800cc, Stoner beat the old Laguna Seca lap record by three-quarters of a second and completed the race almost 45 seconds quicker than last year’s winner.

His impressive Laguna Seca showing was just the latest indication that the 21-year-old Stoner may be a legend in the making. In only his second year in the premier MotoGP class, he has emerged as a powerful force armed with his powerful Ducati racebike and sticky Bridgestone tires. The boyish yet edgy Aussie now boasts six victories in the season’s opening eleven races and holds a 44-point championship lead (close to two complete races), leading more and more observers to believe that even the magnificent Valentino Rossi may be unable to catch the rolling Stoner now with only seven rounds remaining.

If Stoner does in fact prevail and claim his first-ever premier class crown, the ’07 campaign will be a landmark season on several fronts.

Famed Italian marque Ducati is often referred to as ‘the Ferrari of motorcycles.’ In many ways, the comparison holds up. Both firms are passionately devoted to competition; unlike their rivals, they build street legal machinery to help support their racing efforts instead of the other way around. They are also both known for the exotic, prestigious (and pricey) products they deliver to showroom floors. However, there is one glaring difference: despite Ducati’s extensive success in racing, they have yet to claim the biggest prize of them all -- a Grand Prix title. The 2007 MotoGP championship would undoubtedly be the crown jewel of the manufacturer’s illustrious history.

Tire manufacturer Bridgestone adds another link to the Ducati-Ferrari connection. Like partners Stoner and Ducati, the Japanese company is a rising power closing in on a first MotoGP title. A long-time dominator in Formula 1 with Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, Bridgestone is quickly developing a similar reputation in F1’s two-wheeled counterpart.

Stoner was (eventually) joined on the podium at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix by fellow Australian Chris Vermeulen on the Rizla Suzuki and Italian Marco Melandri, who announced he would be leaving Gresini Honda at the end of the season to join Stoner in the factory Ducati team in ’08 and ’09.

The legendary Rossi was the top Michelin finisher in fourth, followed by the ’06 Laguna Seca runner-up, Red Bull rider Dani Pedrosa.

You could almost hear 51,830 attendees groan simultaneously just moments after the contest got underway. Red Bull rider Nicky Hayden, the overwhelming fan favorite, was unable to fulfill the hopes of his league of supporters who rooted hard for the defending MotoGP champion to claim a hat trick of victories at Laguna Seca.

Doubly difficult was the fact that Hayden’s misfortune was tied to that of fellow American John Hopkins, the local rider who may have actually had the best shot of challenging Stoner for the race win if things had gone differently.

The two collided on the second corner of the opening lap, spoiling the race for both racers. Rizla Suzuki hero Hopkins crashed in the incident, and while Hayden managed to stay upright, his Repsol Honda RC212V’s brakes were damaged severely enough to eventually force him into the pits and out of the race at the conclusion of a deeply disappointing weekend.

However, there was one bright spot for the Americans. Roger Hayden, AMA Superbike regular and the younger brother of Nicky, impressed mightily in a one-off outing with Team Kawasaki. He showed a surprisingly competitive pace right from the start and diced with -- and even got the better of -- some of the world’s most experienced racers en route to an eventual tenth-place result in the first Grand Prix of the Kentuckian’s career.

The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix has clearly come into its own in its third year, as the logistically complex event went smoother than ever before. Along with the spectacular racing, a greatly improved traffic plan, numerous celeb sightings, and non-stop events that entertained both at the track and back in Monterey had the three-day crowd of 143,020 positively buzzing. Even the weather cooperated, delivering three days of perfect conditions in sharp contrast with last year’s blistering California heat wave.

And American Grand Prix fans received word that things would be even better in 2008. Two huge announcements were made around the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Joining Laguna Seca on next year’s MotoGP calendar is arguably the most famous racing venue in the world, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, which will feature the entire GP show, 125, 250, and MotoGP.

In addition, the future of Americans breaking into the GP ranks got a little brighter as well, as Red Bull announced the AMA U.S. Rookies Cup, which will help groom the brightest young talents from North and South America. Based on the highly successful MotoGP Red Bull Rookies Cup that takes place at world championship events, the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup will be contested over nine rounds at 2008 AMA Superbike and MotoGP events.

The 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix was an unquestioned success. And while it may be greedy to ask for much more, expect things to go from strength to strength in 2008.