Indy infield to be resurfaced

From motogp.com

The infield section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit, which will host the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix from Aug. 26-28, will be resurfaced this summer in preparation for the 12th round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship.

The project, which will see 1.5 miles (2.4km) of the circuit repaved from Turn 5 through to Turn 16, will commence on June 9 to be completed in time for the visit of the World Championship in late August.

This will be the first time that this section of the course has been resurfaced since it was built in 2000, and the new asphalt will be consistent with the other sections of the course. Turns 1 through to 4 – located inside Turn 1 of the oval – were created in 2008 for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP and will not be resurfaced as part of this project.

“This project is an example of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway providing competitors the finest racing facilities in the world," said Mel Harder, IMS senior vice president, operations. "We had a very long, hard winter this year, which exacerbated the bumps and cracks in this aging section of the track.

"We also decided to undertake this project this year due to feedback from riders during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP last year. The new surface will produce even closer, more exciting racing for the world's best riders and our loyal fans this August."

Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden commented: "I'm happy to hear the infield section is being repaved at Indy. It's already a great track, and I'm sure this will make a smoother, more consistent racetrack for everybody."