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Mandalika Circuit to Be Partially Resurfaced Ahead of Indonesian GP

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The people of the MotoGP paddock were extremely enthusiastic about their return to Indonesia. The series had long-wanted to return to a country that is at the heart of the MotoGP fanbase in Southeast Asia.

Once at Mandalika, the teams and riders loved the setting and the scenery, and were very positive about the layout of the track. It was fast, and it was fun. They were less happy about the surface of the track.

It was filthy on arrival, with mud and dust all over the track, and the riders were forced to make laps on the first day of the test to clean it up, creating a single racing line. Once clean, the track had plenty of grip.

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Racing

Much Needed Track & Facility Updates Coming to Laguna Seca

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The Monterey County Board of Supervisors has voted 4-1 to adopt a resolution that will bring some key facility and track upgrades to the Laguna Seca race track, including a resurfacing of the track’s 11-turn course.

The news marks the first time the track has been resurfaced since 2007, and the investment also includes a new start/finish bridge, which will be larger and included the ability for golf carts to go across it.

The Turn 3 Paddock Pavilion will also be getting a bevy of changes and enhancements.

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MotoGP

Saturday MotoGP Summary at the Americas GP: Predicting the Last Rider Standing

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It has been four years since anyone lapped the Circuit of The Americas quite so rapidly. In 2018 and 2019, nobody, not even Marc Marquez, managed to get under the 2’03s.

So it is a testament to how much faster the MotoGP riders are going that two riders managed it on Saturday in Austin. And this, despite the fact that the track has become so much more bumpy in the past couple of years.

So bumpy, in fact, that it appears as if the circuit has been issued an ultimatum: resurfaces the section from the exit of Turn 1 all the way through Turn 10, or MotoGP is not coming back.

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MotoGP

Friday MotoGP Summary at the Americas GP: The Dangers of a Bumpy Track

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Pol Espargaro summed up the complex emotions of almost the entire grid (possibly bar Jack Miller, but more of that later) at the end of an eventful first day of practice at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

“First of all we need to say that it’s super nice to come here to America, to be able to race here,” the Repsol Honda rider said. “Already this is something super good after so long in Europe.”

“And to see the American fans is super nice, they are super excited and it’s nice. Saying that, I think we are in a professional MotoGP championship that, we need a minimum of quality in the tracks, about safety, run off area.”

Then came the ‘but’. “We must say that the track is not at the level of a MotoGP championship, sure. First of all, there are parts where the asphalt is super bad.”

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MotoGP

MotoGP Preview of the Americas GP: Mastering the Bumps in Texas

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For the first time in two years, MotoGP is headed for a flyaway race which isn’t in Qatar.

After a long period of uncertainty, and facing a certain amount of opposition from inside the Grand Prix paddock, the series is heading to the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

After having 12 of the first 14 races all inside the same timezone (give or take an hour), a flyaway race feels like something of a novelty.

The novelty will not be quite as great as hoped for all those traveling to Austin.

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Reviews

Gone Riding: Aprilia Tuono 660

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The other side of the same coin? The Aprilia Tuono 660 is the “more naked” sibling (it’s a little unfair to call it a naked bike) to the Aprilia RS 660 sport bike.

With a more upright sitting position, cheaper price tag, and a lack of an IMU, the Aprilia Tuono 660 hopes to be a bit more approachable for street riders who aren’t looking for the race-ready design that comes with the RS 660.

Is there enough meat on the bones to hoon around on the track with this 660cc Tuono though? That’s what we aim to find out.

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News

Motorcycle Racing Set to Return to Spa-Francorchamps

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Two things can be said about Spa-Francorchamps. One is that the Belgian track is one of the most iconic race circuits in Europe, and the other is that it is one of the most harrowing race courses anywhere in the world.

It is for the second reason that motorcycles do not race there at the international level, and it is for the first reason that it is a great shame that they do not. Things are about to change, however.

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Racing

Some Photos of MotoAmerica at the Ridge Motorsports Park

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MotoAmerica came to the Pacific Northwest this year, bringing professional motorcycle racing to the Ridge Motorsports Park. The backyard of Asphalt & Rubber, I made the short drive to the forested race track in order to see how the pros do it.

Both of the PNW’s local amateur racing clubs had just competed two weeks before at The Ridge, holding a joint-round on the recently revised course, which meant an obvious reference point on what to expect from the track’s new layout (a chicane having just been added to the track’s front straight this year).

Unsurprisingly, the chicane was the talk for much of the paddock, and rightfully so. As we found out weeks before the MotoAmerica round, the position of the chicane on the front straight is an issue for motorcycle racers.

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News

Have You Ever Wanted to Own a Race Track in Oregon?

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Have you ever wanted to own your own race track? Do you have $10 million burning a hold in your pocket? Then we have a deal for you, as the Oregon Raceway Park (ORP) in Grass Valley, Oregon is for sale.

The 2.34-mile road course has multiple configurations and can be run in either direction. Sitting on a 434-acre plot of land (100 acres are still undeveloped), there is plenty of room for growth, which might be a good idea considering the lack of facilities present at the circuit and its remote location.

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