Reflections From the 4th Annual RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend

A quartet of riders hammers down the long front straight at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the third practice session for round 12 of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship.  Although announced attendance was down somewhat from last year, the crowd on Saturday actually appeared much larger then figures released.  IMS and Dorna were to have announced yesterday the return in 2012 of the MotoGP World Championship, but according to Mel Harder of IMS, this announcement has been delayed while 'final tweaks' to the schedule are being hammered out.
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Ben Spies motors off on his scooter behind the Yamaha Factory Racing team's garage after the 3rd practice session on Saturday, August 27.  Spies had a great race after qualifying later in the day on the front row, and being bumped back to 9th on the start of yesterday's final.  He rode like the champ he is, and most likely will be in MotoGP, to bring the 50th anniversay Yamaha home in 3rd behind winner Casey Stoner and runner-up and 2010 Indy winner Dani Pedrosa.
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Kenny Roberts' 1980 YZR500 championship winning machine sits on display under one of the Yamaha tents.  Roberts rode some demo laps on this very machine at Laguna Seca last month, but unfortunately it was 'display only' at Indy.
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Alvaro Bautista does some interesting stretching exercises as he rolls out of pitlane on the #19 Rizla Suzuki GSV-R during the 3rd practice session on Saturday morning, August 27.  Whatever they were, they definitely seemed to work as Bautista brought the machine home in the 6th spot in Sunday's round 12 action of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship race at Indy.
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Mike Lloyd of the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati team had the team's AMA Pro Flat Track machine on display inside the massive Ducati Island area over the course of the weekend.  In both passes I made to try and get a chance to say hi, Mike was busy with the fans talking about the machine that currently sits in the 5th overall position in the point standings with rider Brad Baker.
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Nicky Hayden appears all smiles en route to Ducati Island at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 27.  Hayden had his worst-ever weekend at IMS in finishing 15th and only scoring a single point after choosing a tire that was too soft, even in the cooler Sunday final temperatures.  The Kentucky Kid spent the better part of his off-time away from the bike hanging with friends and family and signing autographs for many a fan over the weekend.
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As Dean Adams from SuperBikePlanet.com puts it, the 'bike that wouldn't die' was on display in the Yamaha display vendor area over the weekend at Indy.  This is the same replica TZ750 that The King rode some demo laps on at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in 2009.  I never get tired of seeing this, even after 36 years passing!
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Colin Edwards' #5 Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha M1 sits on display under one of the Yamaha tents at the RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP round.  The Texas Tornado was inundated with questions as to his plans for the 2012 season, but wasn't able to shine a light on his future over the weekend.
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One of the late Gary Nixon's former Triumph Triples was on display in the paddock area at IMS over the weekend.  Former racer Steve Parrish also did a lap of honor on the bike to pay homage to his departed friend, who passed away in early August.
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The Monster Energy umbella girls kept many a race fan very happy while posing behind the MotoGP garages at Indianapolis, including long-time race fan and compatriot/best bud of Stu's Shots, Tim Powers.  Powers is also a former National WERA champion from back in the mid-late '80s.  Smiles all around!
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Figuring out the MotoGP credentials board takes an advanced degree in algebra.  WTF!?
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RIP Gary Nixon, Former 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion

There is no way in the world I could ever come up with any more words that haven't already been written to talk about one of the true legends of AMA Grand National Championship Series racing. 

Having found AMA Flat Track racing in the '74 season, former 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion ('67-'68) Gary Nixon was at that time all but retired from full-time flat track racing.  He would contest several AMA Road Racing events in those days, as part of the overall AMA Grand National Championship Series, and would soon after contest the F750 World Championship Series for Kawasaki.

So never having seen The Legend race, nor ever having had the pleasure of meeting him personally, I am in no way qualified to talk about him on this day that we learn of his passing.  And even if I was, there is no way in the world I could ever talk about the man in any better way then what has already been said, or seen about him over the years and decades. 

So, in tribute, I present this simple shot that I took of former National #9 at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile back in August of 2010, where he can be seen talking with Shaun Russell, National #28, in the Indy pit area.  Two things I CAN say about the man based alone on this shot, that most will and/or should agree with.....he's got that great smile on his face, and he's probably not drinking JUST a Coke here. 

A man who lived a life of a legend on the track, and enjoyed life to it's fullest off of it, will be missed by many as he slides off into the sunset and cranks it into his last full throttle lock........

God Bless and RIP Gary Nixon.
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Here's the link to Gary Nixon's AMA Hall of Fame profile.  The motorcycle racing community lost a great one today.  RIP Gary Nixon!

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=83&lpos=0px&letter=N&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0
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The King Suits Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEQAnCL3e5Q&NR=1

The above shot I took of The King at Syracuse in 1975. The link is another borrowed clip from
YouTube of The King suiting up at Del Mar several years ago when he got on a replica of the
infamous TZ Miler. Listen carefully to the wonderful wail of chainsaws on acid......
Look for Gary Nixon to walk up and shake his hand before slinging a leg over the TZ.