Moto2 Dunlop Indianapolis preview
Dunlop heads to America’s most-famed motor racing location for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix on August 26-28, the eleventh round of the 2011 Moto2 Championship.
Indianapolis – world renowned for the Indianapolis 500 Indycar race – features an anti-clockwise circuit made up of sections of the banked oval track combined with an infield section.
Despite its fame for four wheeled motorsport, Indianapolis also has a strong two wheel history, with the first motorsport race taking part at the venue being a motorcycle race in 1909.
MotoGP has raced at the circuit since 2008, and the banked turns and the potential high track temperatures in which they can bake provides a rear test for the tyre manufacturer’s art.
Dunlop will bring the front tyre allocation of the 717 hard compound which has been used at all rounds so far this year, and the slightly harder medium compound of the 302, which replaced the 753 medium from the Sachsenring round onwards.
In response to the circuit’s characteristics, Dunlop will bring the dual compound W919 rear tyre as well as the 3868 compound.
Ten left-hand corners and six right-handers mean more work for the left hand side of the tyre, so the W919 features a harder compound on the left and softer compound on the right – allowing riders to enjoy the best of both worlds: Long-lasting endurance on the frequently-used left, plus instant grip on the lesser used right.
“This year, we will have available the same two compound fronts (302 and 717), due to both being race options last year,” explains Dunlop Motorsport’s Moto2 co-ordinator, Clinton Howe.
“The rear options have changed since last year and we have gone from the 6868 and 6838 compound options to the W919 dual and 3868. We hope these will improve on last year’s rear tyre performance.
“Last year we saw very high track temperatures which had a detrimental effect on the rear tyres’ grip levels, however tyre wear and consistency were very good with race winner Toni Elias setting his best time on the last lap of the race.
“The track surface was different in three parts which made bike set up critical, especially with some banking in some corners and negative camber in others.
“We have the added excitement of a new track surface from turn 5 to turn 11 this year, so it is a little bit of an unknown. Feedback from riders who have tested already on the new surface is that it’s very abrasive compared to last year.”
The Indianapolis round of the Moto2 world championships starts with practice on Friday 26 August, followed by qualifying on Saturday and then the race at 12:15 local time on Sunday.
Source: Dunlop Motorsport Media
