Heading into the Indianapolis MotoGP race this coming weekend, August 27-29, there has been a fair bit of interesting news floating around the racing world; everything from Norton coming back to a Yamaha-verses-Rossi rift in the making. Here is a look at what’s happening on the eve of the Indy U.S. Grand Prix…

Rossi-Yamaha Split Causing Ripples

Valentino Rossi, who once said Yamaha was like his second family, one which he would never leave, is now departing for greener (or should I say red-er) pastures at Ducati and a bit of a rift with Yamaha has reportedly begun. 

During the recent test in Brno the Monday after the Czech Grand Prix Yamaha didn’t allow Rossi to test the newest-spec Ohlins fork that they had teammate Jorge Lorenzo using, which the Italian wasn’t very happy with. Yamaha claims the fork wouldn’t be used until next season, so there was no need for him to evaluate it. Rossi thought differently, implying that he thinks the fork will be used this season. "There are still eight races left this year, not two,” he said.

It’s now widely known that Rossi’s current team manager at Yamaha, Davide Brivio, will leave the team at the end of the season to go into rider management, Valentino being his primary client. Brivio was the one who originally engineered Rossi's move from Honda to Yamaha. It's also still not decided as to whether Rossi’s long-time crew chief Jeremy Burgess will go with to him to Ducati or stay at Yamaha, an announcement expected shortly.

It will be interesting to see if this turns into a bitter divorce between Rossi and Yamaha, much like his split with Honda ended up being -- he publicly vowed to stay away from the brand for the rest of his racing career -- or if things will die down and the pair can split on good terms.

The final deciding factor will more than likely be whether or not Yamaha allows the Italian to test with Ducati the Monday following the final round in Valencia. Early reports had suggested Yamaha already agreed to release the mega-star from his contract to take part in the test, but it is now believed that they are reconsidering. If they don’t allow him to ride, something Honda did when they split, things will undoubtedly not end pretty. It was one of the main reasons Rossi still holds contempt for Honda and he will surely make Yamaha suffer for it in the press if it were to happen again.

Norton to Return to MotoGP?

According to German publication Speedweek, Norton has been granted two spots on the MotoGP grid for the 2012 season by series organizer Dorna. This coincides with the series returning to 1000cc machines, so presumably the recently revived British manufacturer has a liter-class prototype in the works. No other details were given, though this is a surprising development considering the Norton name has changed hands several times recently, the latest to a small, yet seemingly very optimistic company. And while it seems a bit far fetched that Norton could fund a two-rider MotoGP team, there is the possibly that a privately funded team is using the iconic British name to attract sponsors.

Moto3 Preview

People attending the Indy MotoGP event will get a preview of what the all-new Moto3 class will look and sound like in 2012. The USGPRU will run a support race on Honda-powered Moriwaki MD250H four-stroke singles, featuring 25 of America’s top young talent in what they also call their Moto3 class. These bikes are nearly identical to those that will replace the 125cc GP class in two years.

Lorenzo Wants Big Money

Yamaha’s current MotoGP championship leader and future team captain, Jorge Lorenzo has yet to put his name on the dotted line, keeping Yamaha on the hook until after Rossi made his announcement in the hope of boosting his asking price. With The Doctor now officially defected and Yamaha’s 2011 title hopes resting squarely on his shoulders, it would seem that the Spaniard can ask for just about anything he wants. So what does he want? According to sources close to the Spanish star: 10 million Euros ($12.7 million dollars) for his services for the 2011 season, nearly doubling his current salary of a reported $5.1 million, in what will only be a one-year deal at his request.

How will Yamaha afford this, plus new rider Ben Spies’ multi-million dollar salary, with current title sponsor Fiat reportedly following Rossi to Ducati? Telefonica MoviStar. The Spanish telecom giant, who has a long history of MotoGP involvement, is looking to make a return to the sport. And with the title sponsorship at Yamaha opening up, plus Lorenzo being the new golden child of Spanish motorcycle racing, it would appear to be a perfect fit.

Confirmation of Lorenzo’s re-signing, Spies officially joining the factory squad alongside him, and the team's new sponsorship deal are all expected to be announced at Indy. Also on the plate to be confirmed this weekend is the renewal of Dani Pedrosa’s Honda contract and Nicky Hayden's Ducati contract for the 2011 season.

With all these interesting developments in the works, the upcoming Indianapolis U.S. Grand Prix looks set to be as action-packed off the track as it is sure to be on track. So stay tuned to Motorcycle-USA.com for all the MotoGP news, results and photos you can handle, all live from on the scene at Indy!