All Photos by Cris DeWitt
Friday opened the CoTA MOTOGP amidst the spectacle of Evel Knievel memorabilia and motorcycle demo rides. The crowd at the track were intent on watching the riders adjust to the trickier conditions provided by the overcast skies and drizzling rain.
Mother Nature never stops the riders, just slows them down from their customary 220 or so miles per hour – and the rain affects their “lean.” Instead of 55 to 63 degrees they averaged from 45 to 55 degrees.
A loose dog on the track red-flagged the first practice session “for safety reasons” after the animal ran in front of Suzuki rider Maverick Vinales.
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification 2015
1 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 328.9 2’19.402
2 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 329.0 2’19.864 0.462 / 0.462
3 45 Scott REDDING GBR EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 328.8 2’20.487 1.085 / 0.623
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 323.6 2’20.593 1.191 / 0.106
5 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 324.1 2’20.665 1.263 / 0.072
6 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 321.5 2’20.951 1.549 / 0.286
7 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 326.8 2’20.983 1.581 / 0.032
8 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR CWM LCR Honda Honda 327.5 2’21.300 1.898 / 0.317
9 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 325.8 2’21.486 2.084 / 0.186
10 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Pramac Racing Ducati 327.1 2’21.625 2.223 / 0.139
11 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 316.2 2’22.018 2.616 / 0.393
12 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda 333.6 2’22.387 2.985 / 0.369
13 43 Jack MILLER AUS CWM LCR Honda Honda 321.6 2’22.391 2.989 / 0.004
14 6 Stefan BRADL GER Athinà Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 323.0 2’22.498 3.096 / 0.107
15 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Aspar MotoGP Team Honda 312.5 2’22.542 3.140 / 0.044
16 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 316.8 2’22.571 3.169 / 0.029
17 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Ducati 321.3 2’22.663 3.261 / 0.092
18 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Ducati 320.2 2’22.716 3.314 / 0.053
19 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Ducati Team Ducati 322.5 2’22.741 3.339 / 0.025
20 76 Loris BAZ FRA Athinà Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 313.4 2’24.178 4.776 / 1.437
21 50 Eugene LAVERTY IRL Aspar MotoGP Team Honda 317.3 2’24.851 5.449 / 0.673
22 25 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 317.4 2’25.024 5.622 / 0.173
23 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 318.8 2’25.141 5.739 / 0.117
24 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Octo IodaRacing Team ART 311.5 2’25.160 5.758 / 0.019
25 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE AB Motoracing Honda 319.3 2’25.405 6.003 / 0.245
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 2 Classification 2015 Austin, Friday, April 10, 2015
1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 343.5 2’04.835
2 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR CWM LCR Honda Honda 340.6 2’05.162 0.327 / 0.327
3 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Ducati Team Ducati 342.4 2’05.190 0.355 / 0.028
4 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 329.8 2’05.564 0.729 / 0.374
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 339.8 2’05.646 0.811 / 0.082
6 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 335.9 2’05.691 0.856 / 0.045
7 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 336.9 2’05.840 1.005 / 0.149
8 6 Stefan BRADL GER Athinà Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 329.8 2’05.990 1.155 / 0.150
9 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Pramac Racing Ducati 338.4 2’06.092 1.257 / 0.102
10 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 336.9 2’06.134 1.299 / 0.042
11 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 333.0 2’06.174 1.339 / 0.040
12 45 Scott REDDING GBR EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 331.5 2’06.216 1.381 / 0.042
13 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 339.1 2’06.294 1.459 / 0.078
14 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Ducati 336.3 2’06.591 1.756 / 0.297
15 25 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 329.2 2’07.011 2.176 / 0.420
16 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda 344.2 2’07.268 2.433 / 0.257
17 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 325.3 2’07.419 2.584 / 0.151
18 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Ducati 339.4 2’07.581 2.746 / 0.162
19 43 Jack MILLER AUS CWM LCR Honda Honda 328.5 2’07.916 3.081 / 0.335
20 50 Eugene LAVERTY IRL Aspar MotoGP Team Honda 330.7 2’07.968 3.133 / 0.052
21 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE AB Motoracing Honda 327.6 2’08.266 3.431 / 0.298
22 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Aspar MotoGP Team Honda 327.1 2’08.762 3.927 / 0.496
23 76 Loris BAZ FRA Athinà Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 326.5 2’09.372 4.537 / 0.610
24 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 329.1 2’11.258 6.423 / 1.886
25 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Octo IodaRacing Team ART 322.4 2’12.409 7.574 / 1.151