The Yamaha Weekend of Champions activities at Laguna Seca gives me a chance to spend time with some of my old friends from days gone by...such as Giacomo Agostini, the winningest Grand Prix rider of all time.


here are some events that I go to occasionally. Others, like Daytona, I do every year. And one that I hate to miss is the Red Bull U.S.      Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. What’s not to like about the summer classic at Laguna? A weekend on the scenic Monterey Peninsula with dinner every night somewhere along the famed Cannery Row that Steinbeck wrote about. His books didn’t mention the rows of sportbikes lined along both sides of the road late into the night though. I’ll bet he never even thought of it.
     Michelin Tires is our cover sponsor for this issue, just like they have been for over a decade. They had kind of a tough year last year in Grand Prix racing, but that’s all changed for 2008. New GP sensation Jorge Lorenzo (seen on the cover) and other Michelin riders are right in the thick of things this year, so look for their riders to be a factor at Laguna Seca this year.
     And you have to love an event where American racing stars like Ben Spies, Josh Hayes and Jake Zemke are just the warm up act. In addition to watching those guys in the AMA Supersport and Superbike events, you can see the racing stars of tomorrow in the new Red Bull Rookies Cup series, a new addition to the Laguna Seca schedule this year. It is a new development class that will help the sport spot the newest talent coming along. Take a bunch of possibly future World Champions on identical KTM 125s and you can expect some great racing there for sure.
     In between the action, there is a great bike show down by the lake with all the top manufacturers of motorcycles and accessories displaying their latest wares. If you appreciate history, here’s my personal invitation to come down to the Yamaha Village and get a free Yamaha Weekend of Champions poster signed. Yamaha has kindly included me again in their lineup of former Yamaha racers invited to be on hand at Laguna. I think it’s pretty cool that a company that has so much going on today doesn’t forget where it came from, and that my big day at Daytona in 1972 still means something to them. And I know that my fellow Yamaha racing alumni like Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Giacomo Agostini, Scott Russell and the other invited legends feel the same way.
     If you are attending the Grand Prix this year, be sure to check out our full preview starting on page 14. We hope to see you at Laguna Seca!