Nico Terol Hopes For Change In Fortunes At Indianapolis
The 125cc World Championship make their first and only trip ‘over the pond’ for the season this week as the legendary Indianapolis circuit plays host to round eleven of the campaign. The circuit, which lies inside the world-famous oval, used to feature three different kinds of tarmac but it has been completely resurfaced for this year, which should see lap times tumble in the smaller classes. With another race back in Europe, at Misano, next weekend this is a crucial stage of the season for the title contenders, especially with the points gap at the top of the standings having been significantly reduced in recent weeks.
BANKIA Aspar rider Nico Terol remains the man at the top but he travels to Indianpolis looking for a major turnaround in fortunes. The Spaniard celebrated his first ever Grand Prix victory at this circuit back in 2008 and repeated the feat last year. A similar result on Sunday would be just the tonic, having been forced out of the race lead at Brno due to a mechanical problem. Far from losing faith, Nico is already looking forward to putting together another assault on the top step of the podium at Indy. His team-mate Héctor Faubel faces his own challenges this weekend as he rides a 125 at the historic circuit for the first time. Having narrowly missed out on the podium in the Czech Republic, the experienced Spaniard has shown he is back to full fitness following an intestinal illness during the summer and ready to battle with the frontrunners once more. Team youngster Adrián MartÃn is also hoping for a change in fortune after crashing out of the last two races.
Nico Terol:
“Going back to the scene of my first win brings back a lot of good memories. I love the circuit and the country so I enjoy every moment of being out there. I get a really good feeling from the atmosphere there and America is a place I would really like to discover more of. They have relaid the track this year, which I think was necessary because there were a lot of bumps, and that is something else to look forward to. At Brno we did a great job and I was fighting for the win when I broke down. These things happen and we have to turn our frustration into motivation for the next one. I spent a lot of time last week training on my bicycle and relaxing with friends, so I will arrive in Indianapolis with my batteries fully charged and ready to fight for the top step of the podium and the championship lead, especially after what happened in the last race.”
Héctor Faubel:
“I have never ridden a 125 at Indianapolis so it may be more difficult for me to get my references than at other circuits but I do like the track and I had one of my best races in the Moto2 class there last year, even though I crashed. I qualified second and was running third when I crashed. One of the main issues there was the track surface but they have relaid it so it should be much better and that could see closer lap times. I was able to train harder last week with two sessions a day and I am feeling much better.”
Adrián MartÃn:
“My aim for Indianapolis is to keep working hard. Even though we’ve been followed by some bad luck over the past couple of races we will stick at it and hopefully get into a situation where I am not riding on the limit as much and taking risks. I want to get back to the front and to enjoy myself riding, which is the best way for us to find our form again.”
Source: Aspar Media
