Nicky Hayden will be Grand Marshal at Indy Mile

Nicky Hayden will be the Grand Marshall of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Pro K&N Grand National Championship event on Saturday, August 28, 2010. Hayden, in Indianapolis to ride his Ducati Desmosedici GP10 at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, will travel across town to the legendary Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to meet the thousands of dirt-track fans who will gather to watch the “Crown Jewel” of flat track motorcycle racing.

Hayden, 29, from nearby Owensboro, Kentucky is known worldwide as the “Kentucky Kid.” Hayden achieved his earlier career success on the dirt tracks of America. He is currently in his eighth season of the internationally acclaimed MotoGP World Championship, riding for Ducati. He made history when he won the world championship in MotoGP in just his fourth season in 2006.

At the Indy Mile, Hayden will find highly competitive Ducati brethren. In May of 2010, a Ducati-powered machine ridden by Joe Kopp won its first flat track mile ending seventeen years of Grand National Twins domination by Harley Davidson. The Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati Flat Track Project first brought the Italian engine to the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in 2009 with Larry Pegram aboard. With Nicky Hayden’s appearance, Ducati has extra incentive to repeat the Joe Kopp triumph and go for a Grand National Twins win.

The announcement of Nicky Hayden becoming the Lucas Oil Indy Mile Grand Marshall is made in honor of Nicky’s outstanding motorcycle racing career. Riding since three years old, racing since five and winning fifteen amateur titles, Nicky made motorcycle racing his professional career in 1997. It was at the Indy Mile in 1999 when he picked up the prestigious Ricky Graham Rookie of the Year award from the AMA Pro Grand National series. That year he was also named the AMA/Speedvision Athlete of the Year for his remarkably successful season competing in three different AMA classes.

With a limited dirt track racing career, Nicky has won a total of six Grand National Championship races on Short Track, TT and Half-Mile race tracks. While coming up through the dirt track ranks, Nicky’s eyes were set on a full time road race career. Nicky has 17 AMA Pro Racing Superbike wins, the 2002 AMA Superbike Championship, 6 AMA Pro Racing Supersport wins, 1999 Supersport Championship, 5 AMA Pro Racing Superstock wins, 1998 Superstock Championship and 7 AMA Pro Racing Formula Extreme wins.

In 2003 after a successful dirt track and road race career in the U.S., Nicky turned his focus to the World MotoGP Championship series. Nicky has three MotoGP wins and became the MotoGP World Champion in 2006.

“We’re honored to have a U.S. and World Champion such as Nicky Hayden serve as Grand Marshal”, said Mike Moore, President of The Promotion Company-Family Events, producers of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile. “It’s a fitting tribute Nicky’s many accomplishments, especially here at the legendary Lucas Oil Indy Mile where he was first honored as a rookie”, Moore said.

Advance Discount tickets available at The Indiana State Fairgrounds Box Office, any Ticketmaster location, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. For additional ticket information and web links, please visit www.IndyMile.com.
(Ducati North America)

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Burgess: Chill People, Rossi will be Fast on the Ducati

Valentino Rossi’s chief engineer, Jeremy Burgess has cautioned the naysayers who were disappointed in the results of the Italian’s first outing on the Ducati MotoGP racer at the recent Valencia post season test. Rossi ended the test 15th fastest and second slowest Ducati ahead of only rookie Karel Abraham.

Vale was 1.7 seconds off the pace of the front runners, former Ducati pilot Casey Stoner getting his first taste of a factory Honda and 2010 World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo on the Yamaha M1. Both Nicky Hayden and new to Pramac Ducati, Randy De Puniet were over a second faster than the GOAT. What gives?

Defending his charge, Burgess urged for calm when speaking with Motosprint.

“There’s no reason to panic, despite Valentino’s unusual test results. Everything was new for Valentino as it was for myself and my team.”

Reports suggest that Rossi liked the power delivery and the rear grip from the Ducati (something he has struggled with on the Yamaha) but found the front end of the Ducati as disagreeable as Stoner did.

“Everyone likes to be at the top of the timesheets, after every test session, but I knew Valentino would get on the track to do a different job: he wanted to ride to understand the bike, not to do record laps. “He kept himself within wide margins, he certainly didn’t ride as if it was a race weekend.” reported Burgess

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Rossi eager for action but prepared for “calm” recovery

Valentino Rossi is fully aware of the road to recovery that awaits him following surgery on his shoulder on Sunday, and despite acknowledging that he needs to be “calm and patient” in his rehabilitation the 31 year-old is eager to try out his repaired shoulder.

In the aftermath of his operation in Italy on Sunday Doctor Alessandro Castagna, one of the specialists who operated on Rossi, said he expected the nine-time World Champion to fit in time for the MotoGP Test at Sepang which takes place at the start of February next year, provided there were no complications to the Italian’s recovery.

Rossi appears to have taken stock of the advice and is anticipating a careful approach, and gave his post-operation reaction to the crew of Italian broadcaster Mediaset’s humorous show ‘Striscia la Notizia’.

“I’m pretty bad and it’s very painful, but that’s normal in the days that follow an operation. I’m finding it difficult to sleep,” said Rossi. “The operation went well. Everything is how it should be. My arm is immobilised, and the shoulder is expected to recover 100%. Now it’s just a question of time, I have to be calm, patient, and to wait.”

With his focus on the Sepang Test, which should be his second on the Desmosedici, Rossi continued: “The shoulder was much worse than we suspected and the operation lasted twice as long as was planned. The tendons which we thought were a little bit affected were in fact completely damaged. Now I have a shoulder which is like new, and I’m eager to try it out. I hope to be fit for February 1st, the first Test of 2011, and ride the Ducati.”

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Rossi will be ready for Sepang Test

February 1st 2011, the date of the next Official MotoGP Test, is firmly fixed in Valentino Rossi’s mind as the Italian begins his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery which took place on Sunday. The normal recovery period following a procedure such as the one undergone by Rossi is 90 days, but with 79 until the Sepang Test the schedule is tight.

In an interview with Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport Doctor Alessandro Castagna of the Milan Humanitas Institute, who along with Doctor Giuseppe Porcellini performed the operation, explained his view on the chances of Rossi being fit to ride the Ducati in Malaysia.

“It usually takes 90 days and he has 79 until the first Test. I’m sure that if everything goes smoothly and there are no complications he can be ready for it,” said Dr Castagna.

The nine-time World Champion will require a splint to support the shoulder for three weeks, and his recovery programme will consist of three important stages.

“The inflammatory phase (immediately after surgery) usually lasts for between three to five days,” continued Dr Castagna. “The second phase usually a month and a half or two during which the capillaries in the area will aid the production of fresh cells that will help the healing process. The final stage will be the re-strengthening of the joint. In the middle of the second stage Valentino will start the rehabilitation with the first steps being in the pool, followed by gym activity.”

Discussing the surgery Dr Castagna said: “The operation itself had no particular problems, but we encountered a situation like at the supermarket: pay for one, get three. To give an idea of the situation it normally takes 35 minutes to stabilise a shoulder, and with Valentino it took us an hour and 50 minutes.”

“In simple terms the supraspinatus tendon and the glenoid ligament were both very damaged. We had to clean the area to prepare it for its natural healing process, and then close it with 12 stitches. The fibrocartilage surrounding the humerus was displaced so we put it back and fixed it with bio-absorbable staples. All of this was done in an area which measured a maximum of 2-3 centimetres.”

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MCA Pledges RM40,000 For Wushu Medallists At Asian Games

Kuala Lumpur - MCA on Friday pledged to give RM40,000 to Chai Fong Ying and Tai Cheau Xuen for winning the gold medal and bronze respectively in wushu at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the contribution was in appreciation of their success and as an incentive for them to do better in the sport in future.

"At the moment, we don't have the sponsor yet but I have instructed my deputy (Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai) to lead the search for sponsorship.

"We pledge to give RM30,000 to Chai and RM10,000 to Tai," he told reporters at a dinner function in honour of the national wushu squad, here Friday night.

At the Asian Games this time, Chai won gold again in the Taijijian event after her first at the Doha Games in Qatar four years ago.

Dr Chua said the MCA would also look for RM200,000 to assist the Wushu Federation of Malaysia.

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Schwartzel sinks fourth career hole-in-one

By Ashley Hammond

Dubai : Charl Schwartzel bagged the fourth hole-in-one of his career from 166 yards on the par-three sixth hole at Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course yesterday.

The South African told Gulf News: "It's a great feeling whenever you get a hole-in-one but to get one in a tournament is something special."

Schwartzel's last hole in one came two years ago at the Johannesburg Open, the other two came at his local golf course when he was 10 and 13 years old.

He added of the trick shot: "It was all thanks to Miguel [Angel Jimenez, his partner for Day 1]. I saw him use a six iron and decided to hit a seven. It was probably a yard or so short but where I was standing it looked as though it released perfectly."

Big boost
"I birdied hole two, bogeyed hole three then from nowhere three holes later I got the hole-in-one — it really boosts your day."

Finishing 69 three under par with four birdies, three bogeys plus that now famous hole in one, Schwartzel is now tied for fifth in the Dubai World Championship leaderboard and eighth in the Race to Dubai standings.

Having not been in contention in recent tournaments, despite playing well, Schwartzel is hopeful his luck is on the turn.

"It's a good start for me. I definitely feel there's a low score out there if I can get the putter working I'll really make a low scoring game."

Laughing off the fact he didn't win a prize for his hole-in-one, as cars or yachts are normally fair game for such an achievement, Schwartzel said: "I thought I'd won a car, because there was a car standing to the right of the tee box but yeah you know I'll have to get another one on the17th [where there is a car]"

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Liu sets his sights on London

By Alaric Gomes

Guangzhou : China's pin-up boy and 110m world record holder feels that his maturity can see him back to where he belongs in the near future.

"I am 27 and much more mature now than before. This medal bodes me well and I think I can be back to where I belong," Liu Xiang told media after Wednesday night's run that fetched him a record third Asian Games gold medal at a packed Aoti Stadium.

Liu finished in a time of 13.09secs — his best showing for this season — and then trained his eyes on the 2012 London Olympics to recapture his past glory.

"I believe I can do it [win the Olympic gold medal] said after he blazed home ahead of teammate Shi Dongpeng, his conqueror in May's Diamond League meet held in Shanghai, and South Korea's Park Tae-yong in third.

"I know it is easy to say ‘I can', even though the process might be more difficult than it looks now. But I believe that with time I still have the power to do it. No matter if I can get the Olympic gold or not, I'll try my very best," said Liu, who surrendered his world record in June 2008 when Cuba's Dayron Robles ran the distance in 12.87secs.

Liu rose to fame as China's first major track star when he won Olympic gold in Athens 2004, but experienced a fall from grace four years later when he limped out of the Birds Nest in Beijing with an Achilles tendon injury before the heats of his signature event.

Major event
Since then the Achilles injury has plagued the athlete despite undergoing surgery in the US shortly after the 2008 Beijing Games.

Wednesday's win was his first major one on home soil since that fateful day in Beijing when a packed stadium heaved a uniform breath of silence leaving millions of his fans shell-shocked.

He made his comeback run in March this year, managing only a seventh place at the world indoor championships in the shorter 60m hurdles. Two months later, Liu pocketed the bronze at the Diamond League meet in his hometown Shanghai where he was beaten by American David Oliver (12.99secs) and teammate Shi Dongpeng.

However, on a cool breezy Wednesday evening, Liu did what he knows to do best as he finished with a fast time of 13.09secs, thereby endorsing his dominance on the bigger stage.

"I didn't expect to finish in such a good time. I had thought that a time of 13.30secs would be enough for me to win the medal," Xiang admitted. "There is still a gap between my current form and how I was at my peak, but I have time to improve. I believe I can run inside 13 seconds and I am confident I can get back to my peak form," he added.

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