Indianapolis GP: Gresini Racing preview

TEAM SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI AIMING HIGH AT PRESTIGIOUS 'BRICKYARD'

Team San Carlo Honda Gresini MotoGP this week cross the Atlantic for the second time this season and head to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Just over a month after competing at Laguna Seca both Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli are aiming for top results at the world's most famous oval, where the excitement of NASCAR and the Indy 500 makes way for world class entertainment of the two-wheeled variety this week. After a tough weekend at Brno Marco Melandri rediscovered his self-confidence in the race and in the post-race test and is highly motivated about the visit to the capital of the state of Indiana. The Italian tried out some interesting technical solutions and made some encouraging progress with the new electronics package that should be beneficial for the remainder of the season. At a circuit where he took victory last year in the 250cc class Marco Simoncelli is hoping to close the gap to the frontrunners in MotoGP. "Super Sic" also drew positive conclusions from the Brno test and his hopeful that progress with the electronics can help him make the decisive breakthrough. A small setback in the Brno race has not dented Simoncelli's confidence and his steady progress also showed over the opening laps, when he ran with the best in the class.

Marco Melandri "After disappointing performances on Friday and Saturday at Brno the race in the Czech Republic restored some faith. In the second part i managed to find the right feeling with the bike, which gave me more enthusiasm and conviction to tackle the Monday tests, during which we made small but significant progress. We found some things with the suspension that bode well for the rest of the season. If we work with the same determination from Friday in Indianapolis we can score a good result in the race. The circuit is quite difficult to ride but if i can find a good feeling with my Honda RC212V I can be close to the lead group."

Marco Simoncelli "I came away from Brno feeling somewhat disappointed by the final result but quite happy with the first part of the race. Unfortunately the drop in engine power in the second part did not allow me to be as fast and aggressive and it left a sour taste in my mouth. In any case we did not lose heart and we went into the test on Monday with great determination and managed to make some important steps forward. We gained more confidence with the electronics and were able to better interpret the engine management system. It was a shame that the rain brought it to a premature end because it was a very important test for me and my team and we still have some work to do on the chassis, which we didn't get time for. I still go to Indianapolis in the right spirit, I like the track and I won the first and only 250 race to take place here. I expect to have a good race and aim to finish inside the top six."

Fausto Gresini "We have pleasant memories of Indianapolis from last year, when Alex de Angelis clinched second place behind Jorge Lorenzo. It was his first podium in MotoGP and Team San Carlo Honda Gresini 's second podium of the season after Toni Elias' in Brno. So we go to America with wonderful memories and the conviction that after the tests done in Brno we can make a major step forward both with Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli. After testing in the Czech Republic we have improved the set-up of the bikes and we can better manage the electronic package we have had for the past two races without finding a way to exploit its great potential. There is still a lot of work to do but i am confident that we will soon be able to achieve significant results."

-source: gresini racing