# Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix

The Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event held on the combined road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. From 2008 to 2015, it was held as part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season (MotoGP). The event was revived in 2020 with MotoAmerica.
The addition of a motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway loosely coincided with the track's Centennial Era, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909) and the 100th anniversary of the first 500 (1911). The motorcycle race represented a "throwback" to the early days of the Speedway, as motorcycle races were in fact the first competitive racing events held on the track in August 1909.

## Track layout

The circuit used is a modified version of the combined road course used for the Formula One United States Grand Prix from 2000 to 2007. The circuit was reversed to a counterclockwise orientation, and a new complex of corners was added inside the infield of oval turn one. The new "Snake Pit" section, as it became known, was nicknamed for its location where notorious revelry once took place during the 1970s. The new series of corners precluded the bikes from using any of the banked oval corners. The double-hairpin near the museum and before the Hulman Straight was replaced with more traditional esses. Furthermore, the motorcycles stay low in the south short chute (approaching the Snake Pit section) between oval turn 1 and 2, using the pavement of the warm-up lane rather than the oval track's short chute.
The circuit was re-profiled in 2014, with three new motorcycle-only sections: one in the Snake Pit (which has become a prime overtaking spot), a more open entrance to Hulman Straight, and the final esses leading to the pit straight was changed to be more open and flowing.

## History

The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP took place 99 years after the previous motorcycle race at the track, in 1909.

### National Motorcycle Race Meet (1909)

The first motorsports event at the track consisted of 7 motorcycle races, ranging from 1 to 10 miles in length, on August 14, 1909 on the 2.5 mile oval. All races were sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM). A planned feature race of 25 miles was canceled, as was a proposed second day of competition, due to concerns over suitability of track surface for motorcycle use.
| Year | Date | Race | Winning rider | Motorcycle | Race distance | Race distance | Class |
| Year | Date | Race | Winning rider | Motorcycle | Miles | Laps | Class |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 1 | A. G. Chapple | Indian | 5 | 2 | Handicap; Private Owners |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 2 | Fred Huyck | Indian | 1 | 0.4 | Amateur; < 61 cubic inch |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 3 | Paul E. Koutowski | Minneapolis | 5 | 2 | Handicap; Indiana Motor Cycle Club |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 4 | Fred Huyck | Indian | 5 | 2 | Handicap; < 55 cubic inch |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 5 | Ed Lingenfelder | N.S.U. | 10 | 4 | Professional |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 6 | Fred Huyck | Indian | 5 | 2 | Handicap; Amateur; < 61 cubic inch |
| 1909 | Aug 14 | 7 | Edwin G. Baker | Indian | 10 | 4 | Amateur |

### Motorcycles on Meridian rally

The race became part of a major motorcycle event organized by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Motorcycles on Meridian motorcycle rally, held on Meridian Street near Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, attracting approximately 10,000 cyclists each night. Various dirt tracks held flat-track motorcycle races during the weekend which became analogous to midget car racing's "Night Before the 500" held during the Indianapolis 500, often drawing star MotoGP riders in attendance. The event continued to be held, and with the 2020 Indianapolis 500 being moved to the August event of the Motorcycles on Meridian date, both the Motorcycles on Meridian and the MotoAmerica round were changed.

## Grand Prix motorcycle racing winners

| Year | Track | Moto3 | Moto3 | Moto2 | Moto2 | MotoGP | MotoGP | Report |
| Year | Track | Rider | Manufacturer | Rider | Manufacturer | Rider | Manufacturer | Report |
| 2015 | Indianapolis | Livio Loi | Honda | Álex Rins | Kalex | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
| 2014 | Indianapolis | Efrén Vázquez | Honda | Mika Kallio | Kalex | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
| 2013 | Indianapolis | Álex Rins | KTM | Esteve Rabat | Kalex | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
| 2012 | Indianapolis | Luis Salom | Kalex KTM | Marc Márquez | Suter | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Report |
| Year | Track | 125cc | 125cc | Moto2 | Moto2 | MotoGP | MotoGP | Report |
| Year | Track | Rider | Manufacturer | Rider | Manufacturer | Rider | Manufacturer | Report |
| 2011 | Indianapolis | Nicolás Terol | Aprilia | Marc Márquez | Suter | Casey Stoner | Honda | Report |
| 2010 | Indianapolis | Nicolás Terol | Aprilia | Toni Elías | Moriwaki | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Report |
| Year | Track | 125cc | 125cc | 250cc | 250cc | MotoGP | MotoGP | Report |
| Year | Track | Rider | Manufacturer | Rider | Manufacturer | Rider | Manufacturer | Report |
| 2009 | Indianapolis | Pol Espargaró | Derbi | Marco Simoncelli | Gilera | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | Report |
| 2008 | Indianapolis | Nicolás Terol | Aprilia | Cancelled - Hurricane Ike | Cancelled - Hurricane Ike | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Report |

### Multiple winners (riders)

| # Wins | Rider | Wins | Wins |
| # Wins | Rider | Category | Years won |
| 5 | Marc Márquez | MotoGP | 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| 5 | Marc Márquez | Moto2 | 2011, 2012 |
| 3 | Nicolás Terol | 125cc | 2008, 2010, 2011 |
| 2 | Dani Pedrosa | MotoGP | 2010, 2012 |
| 2 | Álex Rins | Moto2 | 2015 |
| 2 | Álex Rins | Moto3 | 2013 |

### Multiple winners (manufacturers)

| # Wins | Manufacturer | Wins | Wins |
| # Wins | Manufacturer | Category | Years won |
| 8 | Honda | MotoGP | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| 8 | Honda | Moto3 | 2014, 2015 |
| 4 | Kalex | Moto2 | 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| 4 | Kalex | Moto3 | 2012 |
| 3 | Aprilia | 125cc | 2008, 2010, 2011 |
| 2 | Yamaha | MotoGP | 2008, 2009 |
| 2 | Suter | Moto2 | 2011, 2012 |