Jorge Lorenzo lifting the front as he goes up the back straight.
My first attempt at shooting MotoGP yielded ok results. A photo pass would have enabled many more vantage points than what I had.
A more comprehensive gallery lies after the jump…
Rossi in free practice 1.
Hayden, FP1.
Jorge Lorenzo in FP1, with collarbone still firmly attached.
It isn’t tough to guess that I have some allegiance to Rossi.
Again…
Jorge Lorenzo is the only other person I wouldn’t mind seeing win the championship. He has really been keeping Rossi on his toes this year.
See Catalunya.
Rossi disappearing.
Dovizioso pushing.
The Rossi fan contingent is completely disproportionate to that of any other rider.
Even Ducati fanboys are Rossi fanboys.
Hayden seems pleased with his scooter.
Morning of day 2.
A parade of rearward glances.
A blown-out Lorenzo.
Marco Melandri on the bike that will likely disappear next season.
Laguna Seca’s hill makes for a great track but causes problems for those not in the best fitness.
Lorenzo, lifting it again at the start of qualifying.
Collarbone dislocation and foot damage are (sadly) in his near future.
Hayden coming over the line in qualifying. Panning these shots takes a few tries to get the hang of.
Rossi and a sizable runoff area.
Lorenzo after chucking it the first time. He ran back to the pits to get back out for the end of qualifying. He went the wrong way at first.
Once back out, he was unfazed by the crash and posted some seriously fast times.
That ended abruptly with a nasty highside. I turned to Kaori to remark how dirty his leathers were from the first crash and missed this, the more dramatic one. He stood up and soon thought better of it and was carried off.
Niccolo Canepa in warmup, day 3.
Gabor Talmasci.
De Angelis and De Puniet.
Sete Gibernau and Rossi in warmup. I wonder if Gibernau was nostalgic for the days of being vexed by Rossi.
Gibernau lost his ride this past weekend so this was very likely his last ever MotoGP race.
Rossi entering the corkscrew.
Dani Pedrosa didn’t surprise anyone by getting off the line in the lead, but based on his recent past, nobody thought he would stay there.
Rossi.
Pedrosa, Stoner, Rossi, Lorenzo. Lorenzo again proved how tough he is by fighting his way back to the podium after a not-great start and large amounts of pain. Stoner faded.
Pedrosa really pulled away for a while.
Rossi got by Stoner and Lorenzo closed.
Again.
Rossi again.
Marco Melandri
Lorenzo, being fast.
Chris Vermeulen has a blue chain.
Casey Stoner.
Poor Niccolo Canepa has had a rough time on the Ducati thus far. Here, the helicopter presages the frontrunners coming up behind him.
Pedrosa in control.
Hayden’s special livery helped him to a respectable 5th place.
Pedrosa eased up near the end and Rossi almost caught him in the last corner.
Friendly Valentino Rossi.
Limping Lorenzo. He is pretty badass.
Parading Pedrosa. A well-earned win.
Edwards seems disconsolate.
Useless orange barriers in pit lane, post-celebration.
Track Control was rightly suspicious of us.
Rossi fan circus in full swing outside of media tent.
Lorenzo smiling after being dismissed by Dr. Costa (left).