Bridgestone MotoGP Preview: Indianapolis

Round ten of the 2015 season sees MotoGP return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the second half of an enthralling championship gets underway on American soil.
 
The Indianapolis circuit is 4.170 kilometers in length and features a ‘stop-and-go’ layout with slow corners separated by short straight sections which place an emphasis on good rear traction and braking stability. The circuit is run in a counter-clockwise direction, with ten left-hand turns compared to six right-hand turns.
 
The sequence of corners from T12 to T14 Indianapolis generate very high temperatures in the left shoulder of the rear tires, making asymmetric rear slicks with harder rubber on the left shoulder a necessity at this circuit. Last year, the circuit was re-surfaced and had several corners modified, resulting in lap times improving by approximately six seconds compared to the old layout. As a result, the severity of the Indianapolis circuit has increased significantly and overall, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the more severe circuits on Bridgestone’s rear tires.
 
Rear slick options for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders are the medium and hard compound, while the Aprilia, Ducati, Suzuki and Open-class riders are allocated the soft and medium compound rear slicks. Front slick compounds for all riders at Indianapolis are the soft, medium and hard compounds while the main wet tire is the soft compound, with the hard compound wet tire being the alternative option.
 
Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“The summer break has been a busy period for Bridgestone Motorsport as we were supporting teams at the Suzuka 8 Hours race, where we secured our tenth consecutive win. Now, our focus is back on MotoGP as the second half of the season gets underway and so it’s a pleasure to come to Indianapolis as the whole city gets behind the Grand Prix and there is a great atmosphere every time we visit. We’ve had a very interesting championship so far and I am looking forward to seeing the battle for title supremacy between Valentino and Jorge resume, and to see whether any rider can break Repsol Honda’s run of five straight victories at this event. This Thursday before the Grand Prix weekend we will also be holding our fourth annual Bridgestone Golf Challenge at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course which is right next to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I look forward to welcoming Bradley, Jack, Maverick and Colin Edwards to the event as well as a host of local and international media.”
 
Shinji Aoki - Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tire Development Department
“The recent re-surfacing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway means that there’s only a single type of tarmac on the infield section, so the old issues of having various levels of grip around the circuit are no longer. Although the layout of the circuit was also modified last year, the overall character of the track is one of many low-speed corners which place a strong emphasis on good acceleration. The layout of the circuit puts greater stress on the left shoulder of the tires, mainly due to the sequence of corners from T12 to T14 which generates very high temperatures. Therefore, to ensure adequate temperature resistance and durability, we supply asymmetric rear slicks with harder rubber on the left shoulder at this circuit. The front slick compounds for Indianapolis are from the harder end of our compound range for maximum durability and braking stability at this ‘stop-and-go’ circuit.”