2011 US Grand Prix MotoGP at Laguna Seca, a photo review

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Dani Pedrosa

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Marco Simoncelli

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Randy De Puniet

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Loris Capirossi and Marco Simoncelli

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Ben Spies

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Practice starts at turn 4

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Rossi and Dovisioso

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Dani Pedrosa

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Andrea Dovizioso

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Colin Edwards

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Colin Edwards

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Hiroshi Aoyama

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Cal Crutchlow

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Nickey Hayden

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Hector Barbera

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Alvaro Bautista

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Nickey Hayden and Colin Edwards

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Valentino Rossi

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Valentino Rossi

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Ben Spies

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Randy De Puniet

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca

2011 US Grand Prix – MotoGP at Laguna Seca Casey Stoner

photographs by James Milne

Although we like to focus our features on vehicles and events that have ties to the past, we could not resist publishing some of James Milne’s great shots form the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Few motorcycle sounds compare to those of prototype GP machines at 160 mph. MotoGP is motorcycle racing at its pinnacle – Formula One on two wheels. Top level automobile race drivers are fine athletes, but professional motorcycle racers are super males, plain and simple. Jorge Lorenzo suffered a vicious high side in turn five at the end of Saturday morning practice and went on to win the pole that afternoon. Where Formula One currently has no drivers from the United States, MotoGP has three – Nickey Hayden from Kentucky, Texan Colin Edwards and the latest podium contender, Ben Spies, also from Texas. Californian Ben Bostrom was chosen as a wild card by the LCR Honda team to team up with Toni Elias at the Laguna Seca round.

Jorge Lorenzo got a great launch on his factory Yamaha, followed by the two Repsol Hondas of Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. Lorenzo led for 26 laps, but Stoner managed to put the pressure on the injured Spaniard and was able to make a pass coming down the hill out of the corkscrew and went on to win the race. Ben Spies was the highest placing American in fourth.

Complete coverage of the US Grand Prix and the complete MotoGP season is available at www.motogp.com