Date: 23 July 2006
Rossi's American Comeback thwarted at Laguna Seca
What looked certain to be another stunning race recovery from Camel Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi ended in disaster today as the reigning MotoGP World Champion retired from the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca with tyre and engine troubles. After starting from tenth on the grid Rossi slowly worked his way through the field and with just five laps remaining he was on course for a valuable fourth place finish. However, with blazing sunshine bringing track temperatures up to a soaring 56C the punishing conditions inevitably took their toll and Rossi began to suffer with problems on the left side of rear tyre, meaning the Italian had no choice but to drop his pace. Moments later his water-cooling system then malfunctioned and the engine of his YZR-M1 machine overheated, blowing clouds of smoke into the air and bringing his participation in the race to an end.Things started out brightly for Rossi's Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards before also ending in disappointment, the Texan getting a decent start from the front row of the grid and lapping with the lead group before identical tyre troubles began to kick in. With the searing heat also playing havoc on his physical condition, having suffered from flu symptoms and an upset stomach throughout the weekend, Edwards was unable to maintain his pace and he dropped back from fifth place to eventually cross the line in ninth.
Edwards started his home Grand Prix from second place after just missing out pole position in a thrilling climax to Saturday afternoon's qualifying practice. Held in sweltering conditions registering 38C on the ambient thermometers, the decisive grid session saw Edwards register his best lap in the final few seconds - the Texan dipping underneath the benchmark set moments earlier by eventual pole-setter Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) in each of the first three sections before conceding decisive tenths in the final series of turns after the Corkscrew.
With the track suffering from extreme heat on, offering less grip than it had done in the cooler morning free practice, several riders struggled to improve their lap times in the - even on a qualifying tyre. Rossi was one of the unlucky few, the Italian's best effort briefly looking good enough for a spot on the second row of the grid before a late flurry saw him shuffled back two rows to tenth place - the same position from which he launched a successful charge to victory in Germany seven days previously.
When the race got underway Vermeulen missed out on the hole-shot to Kenny Roberts (Team KR) but the Australian recovered the lead on lap one before setting the early race pace. Just behind him Colin Edwards was one of a group of riders giving chase, the Texan battling it out with Roberts, Hayden, Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri and Dani Pedrosa (all Honda) in a furious scrap for positions.
Just six laps in, however, Edwards' condition clearly began to deteriorate and it simply became a question of defending as many positions as he could for the remainder of the gruelling 32-lap race. Whilst Edwards went backwards, Rossi was steadily starting to move forwards, taking ten laps to pass Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) and John Hopkins (Suzuki) before meeting up with his American team-mate in seventh place. Within moments Rossi was past and a crash for Stoner on lap fifteen moved him up another position. By lap nineteen the Italian was in full flight and further passes on Melandri and Roberts, on consecutive laps, moved him up into fourth place - a position that would have been more than satisfactory considering his starting position and the difficult nature of the circuit.
Unfortunately it wasn't to be and Rossi's disappointment was confounded when he returned to the pit garage to see that series leader Hayden had passed Vermeulen and was on his way to his second victory of the season. The result means the American's advantage at the top of the championship now stands at 51 points over Rossi, who has dropped to fourth overall with six rounds remaining. Second and third place in the race for Pedrosa and Melandri respectively lifts them above Rossi to second and third in the overall, whilst Edwards remains in seventh.
On the eve of the summer break, the Tech 3 Yamaha Team secured a season best result with Carlos Checa finishing in seventh position - proving that the persistence and dedication the team has put in since the stat of the year is paying dividends. The race was run in the most severe conditions but Checa showed his fitness and determination to be the first Yamaha home after Rossi and Edwards' troubles. James Ellison got a great start and made up plenty of ground on his grid position but he too was affected by tyre wear in the middle of the race before recovering to finish in the points in 13th position.