In 2009, American riders will race in all three classes of MotoGP competition for the first time since 1990, including in the second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden, Colin Edwards and John Hopkins will represent the United States in the premier MotoGP class, while Stevie Bonsey climbs to the 250cc class. Cameron Beaubier will ride as a rookie in 125cc.
Last season, Hayden, Edwards and Hopkins raced in MotoGP, while Bonsey was in his second season of 125cc.
In 1990, four Americans rode in the premier 500cc category, including World Champion Wayne Rainey. John Kocinski won the 250cc World Championship in his first attempt, and Alan Scott raced in 125cc.
Inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP runner-up Hayden, from Owensboro, Ky., joins Ducati and new teammate 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner after six seasons with Repsol Honda. Edwards, from Houston, returns to the Tech 3 Yamaha team for the second consecutive season. Hopkins, from Ramona, Calif., will ride for the Kawasaki Racing Team for a second season.
Bonsey, from Salinas, Calif., will race for the Aprilia Madrid team in his first season of 250cc competition. He is the first full-time American rider in 250cc since Kurtis Roberts in 1997.
Beaubier, 16, from Roseville, Calif., joins the Red Bull KTM 125 factory team with considerable international experience. Beaubier finished fourth in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2007 at MotoGP tracks across Europe, winning at Sachsenring, Germany. He participated in the Red Bull MotoGP Academy program in 2008, only the second American selected for the prestigious program, which grooms riders for future MotoGP competition.
Before competing in Europe, Beaubier raced in WERA and USGPRU road-racing events in the United States. Beaubier competed in motocross and Supermoto before switching to road racing, winning the Supermoto USA lightweight championship in 2004.
Defending Red Bull Indianapolis GP champion Valentino Rossi again will race for the Fiat Yamaha Team in 2009 in the MotoGP class. One of his fiercest rivals from earlier this decade, Sete Gibernau, returns to MotoGP with the new Grupo Francisco Hernando team.
Three MotoGP rookies will debut in 2009: Mika Kallio of Finland with Pramac Racing, Yuki Takahashi of Japan with Scot Racing Team MotoGP and Niccolo Canepa of Italy with Pramac Racing. Canepa was the quickest rider at the test in July 2007 at IMS before the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP.
There will be 19 full-time MotoGP riders in 2009, one more than last season.
2009 MotoGP World Championship Provisional Entry Lists
MotoGP Class
No.
Rider
Country
Team
3
Dani Pedrosa
Spain
Repsol Honda Team
4
Andrea Dovizioso
Italy
Repsol Honda Team
5
Colin Edwards
United States
Tech 3 Yamaha
7
Chris Vermeulen
Australia
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
14
Randy de Puniet
France
LCR Honda MotoGP
15
Alex de Angelis
San Marino
San Carlo Honda Gresini
21
John Hopkins
United States
Kawasaki Racing Team
24
Toni Elias
Spain
San Carlo Honda Gresini
27
Casey Stoner
Australia
Ducati Marlboro Team
33
Marco Melandri
Italy
Kawasaki Racing Team
36
Mika Kallio
Finland
Pramac Racing
46
Valentino Rossi
Italy
Fiat Yamaha Team
52
James Toseland
Great Britain
Tech 3 Yamaha
59
Sete Gibernau
Spain
Grupo Francisco Hernando
65
Loris Capirossi
Italy
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
69
Nicky Hayden
United States
Ducati Marlboro Team
72
Yuki Takahashi
Japan
Scot Racing Team MotoGP
88
Niccolo Canepa
Italy
Pramac Racing
99
Jorge Lorenzo
Spain
Fiat Yamaha Team
250cc Class
No.
Rider
Country
Team
4
Hiroshi Aoyama
Japan
Scot Racing Team 250cc
7
Axel Pons
Spain
Pepe World Pons WRB
8
Bastien Chesaux
Switzerland
Racing Team Germany
9
Toni Wirsing
Germany
Racing Team Germany
10
Imre Toth
Hungary
Team Toth Aprilia
12
Thomas Luthi
Switzerland
Emmi – Caffe Latte
14
Ratthapark Wilairot
Thailand
Thai Honda PTT SAG
15
Roberto Locatelli
Italy
Metis Gilera
16
Jules Cluzel
France
Matteoni Racing
17
Karel Abraham
Czech Republic
Cardion AB Motoracing
19
Alvaro Bautista
Spain
Mapfre Aspar Team
21
Hector Barbera
Spain
Pepe World Pons WRB
25
Alex Baldolini
Italy
WTR San Marino Team
28
Gabor Talmacsi
Hungary
Balaton Racing Team 250cc
35
Raffaele de Rosa
Italy
Scot Racing Team 250cc
41
Aleix Espargaro
Spain
Campetella Racing
48
Shoya Tomizawa
Japan
Team CIP
51
Stevie Bonsey
United States
Aprilia Madrid
52
Lukas Pesek
Czech Republic
Auto Kelly – CP
58
Marco Simoncelli
Italy
Metis Gilera
63
Mike de Meglio
France
Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc
75
Mattia Pasini
Italy
Team Toth Aprilia
