Laguna Seca played host to the 9th round of the MotoGP season and a legendary track made for some epic racing and historic results. Hit the jump for a quick recap of the Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013.
With two of the biggest contenders for the title, Pedrosa and Lorenzo, riding with broken collarbones the podium positions at the Laguna Seca MotoGP round looked wide open.
Going into the weekend the favorites would were Rossi, Marquez and Cruchlow, in no particular order. To everyone’s surprise Stephan Bradl continued to show serious pace and he managed to put his LCR Honda on the Pole for Sunday’s GP. Close behind Bradl was rookie sensation Marc Marquez and an amazingly fast Alvaro Bautista, on another satellite Honda from GO&FUN Honda Gresini.
Some of the impressive pace of Bradl and Bautista can probably be chalked up to the Laguna Seca MotoGP track favoring the Honda’s. Rossi and Crutchlow both seemed to struggle on their Yamahas with Rossi finishing third, just 59 thousanths ahead of a charging Bautista, and Crutchlow could only manage a dissapointing 7th, finishing behind even the injured Lorenzo.
The biggest news of the weekend however was the win by Marquez, making him the youngest rider in the premier class to win back to back races, a title previously held by Freddie Spencer during the 1983 season.
Winning the Laguna Seca MotoGP, at a track he’d never raced before, puts Marquez 16 points up on his nearest championship rival; Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa. It seems that with every race Marquez gets quicker and there can be little doubt that we are witnessing the start of a new MotoGP legacy.
The second half of the season will commence in three weeks time at the Indianapolis circuit where we’ll hopefully see a resurgent Pedrosa and Lorenzo as well as the return of American Ben Spies.
For all the official news and results check out the official MotoGP site.
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- Valentio Rossi and Alvaro Bautista at Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013
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- Stephan Bradl Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013
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- 2013/07/21 – mgp – Round09 – Laguna Seca – MotoGP – Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda – RC213V
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- Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013
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- Stephan Bradl Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013
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- MONTEREY, CA – JULY 21: Stefa Bradl of Germany and LCR Honda MotoGP rounds the corkscrew at the MotoGP race of Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 21, 2013 in Monterey, California. // Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool //
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- Valentio Rossi and Alvaro Bautista at Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013
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- MONTEREY, CA – JULY 20: Marc Marquez of Spain and Repsol Honda Team rounds the corner at the MotoGP race of Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 20, 2013 in Monterey, California. // Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool //
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- Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez at Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013
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- MONTEREY, CA – JULY 20: Marc Marquez of Spain and Repsol Honda Team enters the straight at the MotoGP qualifying of Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 20, 2013 in Monterey, California. // Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool //
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- Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, and Cal Crutchlow at Laguna Seca MotoGP 2013