MotoGP makes its second and final U.S. stop this coming weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of the second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP. Last year’s motorcycle racing weekend will be remembered by the endless rain that turned the Brickyard into a pond. Weather forecasts are predicting more favorable weather with sunny days and an afternoon rain shower a possibility on Friday and Saturday. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for some dry weather.

Perhaps the single most exciting aspect about the second USGP is how it’s a real Grand Prix weekend. You won’t see any production-based bikes racing here. Only the best 2-stroke 125 and 250cc bikes as well as the 800cc 4-stroke prototypes money can’t buy.
 
Just like at Laguna, Motorcycle-USA and MotoUSA magazine will be live from Indianapolis. Make sure to stop by our booth inside Ducati Island situated between Turns 1 and 2 inside the infield. There we’ll be giving out our current issue featuring Jesse James on the cover. We’ll also be handing out some cool Motorcycle-USA and Ducati-branded lanyards. You might even catch ol’ Hutchy trying to pick-up on one of our models. For those of you who want a magazine but can’t make it out, make sure to surf on over to our MotoUSA magazine subscription contest in which you can enter to win a Champion tool box with any paid subscription. Also peep our MotoGP Gear Giveaway contest, in which one lucky winner can win a $1,000 shopping spree at Motorcycle-Superstore.
 
Additionally within Ducati Island there will be a host of activities including a mobile Ducati Museum in which a few key street and race bikes from the past and present will be on display. A silent auction will be held benefitting the Make A Wish Foundation. Among the items up for grabs are a Desmosedici RR tail section and Burton snowboard, both autographed by Nicky Hayden. The final round of the Ducati Island Showdown competition will also be held inside. To enter, simply park your Ducati motorcycle within the Island. If you find a selection tag on it then you’re entered into the contest. There will be five different classes (Superbike, Air-Cooled, Vintage, Modified, and Wildcard.) Each category winner will receive a gift bag with an exclusive Ducati Factory Yearbook, a Puma/Ducati Backpack, $250 Puma gift certificate, subscriptions to Motorcyclist and Moto Euro magazines, a pair of the new Oakley Ducati shades and a bag of swag from Pirelli.
 
Racetrack festivities start bright and early Friday with gates opening at 8:00 a.m. Beginning at 9:45 a.m. there will be a Pit Walkabout in which fans will be able to get an up-close look at the high-end exoticness of a Grand Prix road racing motorcycle. At the same time there will be a question and answer session with the all MotoGP riders including Valentino Rossi, Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden held at the 6th Street Stage. At 12:40 in the afternoon the 125cc class takes to the 2.62-mile road course in its first hour-long practice session of the day. Next up is the MotoGP bikes, with the 250cc boys wrapping up the day. Lastly, if you’ve purchased premium Corner 9 Club passes you’ll have the opportunity to go on a guided track tour with 1993 500cc Grand Prix champ Kevin Schwantz.

That evening, activities shift outside the track and to downtown Indy. Round 5 of the 2009 XDL Sportbike Freestyle Championship will be held throughout the weekend at the Indiana War Memorial. Later, South Meridian Street will be sectioned off becoming a giant outdoor street party. On Friday and Saturday night, the streets between South Street and Maryland Street will be open for only those on two-wheels. Red Bull will have a huge presence with the energy drink company providing live music and all the Red Bull you can drink. Additionally, all the bars and restaurants lining the streets will be open and ready to serve. Area parking ramps will also be open and will be free of charge. If you get a little to too tipsy, the folks from ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Towards Education) of Indiana will provide riders with transportation home if needed. How cool is that?

Saturday morning, each class will get their second hour-long practice session of the weekend. Then in the afternoon, qualifying practice begins first with the 125cc bikes, followed by MotoGP 800s and the 250cc class. Racetrack action will conclude with demonstration laps aboard a 600cc 4-stroke Moto2 motorcycle, designed to replace the 250cc class next year. At 4:30 p.m. Mo nster Energy Tech 3 rider James Toseland and his band Crash will be rocking out inside the track on the 6th Street Stage.

That evening, motorcycle racing continues at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National inside the Indiana State Fairgrounds. If you’ve never seen the dirt-flying spectacle of dirt track racing, then make sure to join us out at the fairgrounds. Plus, the King (Kenny Roberts Sr.), will be putting in exactly seven laps aboard his 1975 TZ750 Yamaha flat tracker, the bike which he won the Indy Mile on that year. Rossi’s even promised to show up just to see King Kenny flog the bike that “Yamaha didn’t pay him enough to ride”.

Sunday is race day and fans will be able to get into the track at 7:00 a.m. Before Grand Prix bikes take to the track there will be a stunt show. Next will be the 20-minute warm-up session for all three classes. At noon the first race of the day will start with the 23-lap 125cc boys going at it. Next up is the 250cc 26-lap race. During the 45-minute break prior to the start of the MotoGP race the Red Bull Beatcar (A Mad Max-style NASCAR equipped with, turn table, a keyboard and speakers instead of machines guns) will rock the around for a few laps. Then 1993 500cc World Champ Kevin Schwantz gives us a blast from the past piloting his title-winning Suzuki RGV500 2-stroke V-Four racing bike around the 13-turn circuit. Brap-brap! Then at 3 p.m. it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for—the start of the 28-lap MotoGP battle.

Finally, if you ride a Ducati and are looking for the ultimate way to cap the weekend, Ducati Indianapolis is hosting a trackday at nearby Putnam Park road course. Spots are still available so hurry up and sign-up to get your shred on while there is still room.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway offers a wide range of spectator packages in an equally diverse price range that enables even the most frugal motorsports enthusiast to experience live Grand Prix racing action. Be sure to check out its website where you can purchase a variety of different passes including: 1, 2, and 3-day credentials, parking passes, paddock access passes and even full-on catered hospitality passes. Camping passes are also available If you’ve never been to the Brickyard, now’s the chance to witness MotoGP firsthand. See ya’ll there!