MotoGP News

With the season just past its halfway point, Kenny Noyes heads to Indianapolis for what promises to be a very special Grand Prix for the American.

Alongside the excitement of racing at his first US Grand Prix for the Jack & Jones by Antonio Banderas Moto2 team, Noyes will have a chance to meet his home fans at a host of events surrounding the Indianapolis GP.

On Friday, Kenny will be appearing on stage at the Cycle World Seminar alongside famed technical guru Kevin Cameron, American wildcard entry Roger Lee Hayden and former 500 World Champion Kevin Schwantz.

Noyes will also be putting in an appearance over the weekend at the SPEED Pit Party, where he will be signing autographs and answering questions.

None of this off-track action will be distracting Kenny Noyes from his primary task of scoring points for the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Moto2 team during Sunday's race.

To prepare for the event, the American was given the opportunity to spend two days learning the circuit at the invitation of Mel Harder, director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Also taking part in the Indy tests were American wildcard riders Roger Lee Hayden and Jason Disalvo, both riding their Moto2 prototypes, and Venezuelan Robertino Pietri.

As Moto2 regulars, neither Noyes and Pietri were allowed to ride their Moto2 machines under FIM rules, and so Kenny used a Kawasaki 600 Superstock bike kindly loaned to him by local racer Gene Burcham. With three hours of track time under his belt, Noyes is eager to get back to action at the legendary Brickyard.

The upgrades that the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas team received to their Promoharris machine started to pay off at Brno, and at Indy, Noyes is hoping that improvements in qualifying will pay dividends in the race.

Kenny Noyes says: "Almost all the Moto2 riders have ridden here the last two years either in 125 or in 250 so I was really grateful that Mel invited me to get some miles in. The hard thing this year has been circuit learning. I like the track and the facility is awesome. Just running down that Brickyard home straight with those huge grandstands is exciting. As an American who has spent the last nine years racing in Spain, it is great to have two "home" countries and, I guess, five "home" tracks, although I'll still have a lot of learning to do at Indy."

"We have done nine races and have eight to go. This has been tough but fun. We were fast in Jerez, Le Mans and Catalunya, but the big, fast tracks have been harder for me and for the team as we worked to get up to speed. We made a step with the new swing-arm in Brno but from here on out we have to qualify better and stay on those front two or three rows. The next three tracks look good for us: Indy, Misano and Alcañiz, but then comes those three new tracks, Motegi, Sepang and Phillip Island, before we get back to Estoril and Valencia."