UPDATE: An MRI has confirmed the ligament damage to Stoner’s ankle, but has also determined that his foot and leg is not fractured. He will undergo further tests before he is to be declared fit, or unfit, to race.
With only eight minutes on the clock for MotoGP’s qualifying session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Casey Stoner found himself on the wrong side of a nasty high-side crash, which ultimately sent the Repsol Honda rider into Indy’s medical center. Stretchered off the red-flagged track, Stoner has a suspected torn ligament in his right foot, which will surely dash his hopes for competing at the Indianapolis GP.
MotoGP has a love-hate relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: most of the paddock love the place, the rest hate it. The way those feelings are divided is what is really interesting, though: the admirers of the track include most of the media, the teams and many, many fans. Those that hate the track are a small but well-defined group: anyone either wielding a camera or a racing a motorcycle have very few kind words for IMS.
So why the schism? It really depends on what you are doing at the track: the circuit has some of the best facilities of any circuit the MotoGP circus goes to all year, making the life of the media, the teams and the fans exceptionally easy. The photographers, on the other hand, hate the track because of the fences. As a circuit that mainly hosts car races, there are high chain-link fences all around the circuit, to prevent debris from wrecked four-wheelers from flying into the spectators.
At a few selected spots on the circuit, there are openings in the fences for photographers to poke their lenses through, giving them an unobstructed view of the circuit. There are lots of photographers and relatively few camera holes, leaving gaggles of photographers gathered around the available shooting spots like narwhals around a breathing hole in the arctic icesheet.
Although not really a show designed for consumers, the Indianapolis Dealer Expo still manages to generate some good gossip. Convening in Indiana each wintery February, industry folk really only have two things to talk about: the weather and industry rumors — since we’re not a weather blog, we’ll focus on the latter. One of the better rumors to come from the Indy show was that electric scooter manufacturer Vectrix is considering building its electric superbike concept, which debuted at EICMA circa 2007.
Allegedly looking to expand upon its line of electric vehicles, and feeling that the iron is hot for an sport bike offering, Vectrix has apparently been telling dealers it is considering resurrecting the Rob Brady Design concept. Considering Vectrix’s storied past (and interesting dealer practices), it is hard to tell if this rumor actually has any legs, or if Vectrix is just trying to sign-up a few dealers for its current line of less-than-appealing two-wheelers.
Indiana is on the verge of redeeming itself in the eyes of Asphalt & Rubber, as the Hoosier State is all set to vote on allowing motorcycle dealers to sell bikes on the Lord’s day (that’s Sunday for you heathens). Indiana State Senate Bill 192, which is sponsored by State Senator Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso), would end Indiana’s ban on “buying, selling or trading motorcycles on Sundays.” The bill is a part of a larger national movement to do away with one of the motorcycle industries more puritanical customs of trade.
Nicky Hayden practices what he preaches, that is to say he wears all his gear all the time. In this PSA for Indiana riders, Hayden gets a little tongue in cheek when he laments about some crashes not being your fault, with the appropriate footage of Hayden getting taken out by de Angelis at the San Marino GP showing on the screen. The message of course is clear and important, and Hayden has certainly seen some nasty crashes in just one year’s time. Check the video after the jump.