Over 60,000 MotoGP race fans braved the heat at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Sunday, to watch the first GP race on the North American continent since 1994. Nicky Hayden lead the race from the start line opening up an almost two second lead over champion Valentino Rossi. Rossi quickly fell to third as the unrelenting pressure from his American teammate Colin Edwards forced him to concede any chance of winning the race. Edwards, unable to catch Hayden, crossed the finish line second. Rossi, noticeably disappointed, came in a distant third. The American crowd went wild, cheering for their hometown heroes. Many had predicted that Monterey's treacherous and unfamiliar track would finally topple the young Italian. Rossi seemed to be holding back in qualifying, raising suspicions of whether or not "The Doctor" was having difficulty with the track, or if he was simply pacing himself strategically and learning the other riders' lines.
Bikeland followed the race with a clear view of the track courtesy of Kawasaki from their ROK Suite.
Source & Photo: Bikeland.org