Indy Set For Infield Repave
Cycle News Staff | April 21, 2011
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is addressing one of the complaints from the riders in last year’s MotoGP round and will repave the infield section of the speedway in time for the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP race, August 26-28.The project, which will repave 1.5 miles of the circuit from turn five through turn 16, will start on Thursday, June 9 (turn five is where the course leaves the short chute between turns one and two of the oval. Turn 16 is where the circuit leaves the infield near the start of the front straightaway at the exit of turn four of the oval).It’s the first time this section of the course has been resurfaced since it was built in 2000. Turns one through four of the 2.621-mile circuit – located inside turn one of the oval – were created in 2008 for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP and will not be repaved during this project.The new asphalt will be consistent with the other sections of the course.
“This project is an example of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway providing competitors the finest racing facilities in the world,” said Mel Harder, IMS senior vice president, operations. “We had a very long, hard winter this year, which exacerbated the bumps and cracks in this aging section of the track. We also decided to undertake this project this year due to feedback from riders during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP last year. The new surface will produce even closer, more exciting racing for the world’s best riders and our loyal fans this August.”The project is slated to be completed by the end of June.”I’m happy to hear the infield section is being repaved at Indy,” said 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden. “It’s already a great track, and I’m sure this will make a smoother, more consistent racetrack for everybody. It also shows how the people at IMS pay attention to every detail – that’s probably why they’ve been around over 100 years. I’ve always loved it there, as it’s my home track. I can’t wait to get back to Indy and race in August.”
