Rossi Takes to Four Wheels in Laguna

MotoGP World Championship leader Valentino Rossi made an early foray onto the Laguna Seca tarmac today, taking part in a Superkart exhibition alongside fellow Yamaha legends Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. The foursome made four laps in Superkarts powered by a specially-prepared Yamaha TZ 250 engines, which lap the 3.601km California circuit just a couple of seconds slower than the MotoGP bikes.

The Italian and the three Americans hold an impressive 18 Grand Prix World Championship titles between them, including three each for Yamaha.

Yesterday Rossi and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, as well as Tech 3 Yamaha riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland, made a visit to the headquarters of Yamaha US just outside Los Angeles to make a special film. The results can be viewed at http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/mcy/usgp/2009/video/video_office.aspx.

Photos of both the YMUS event and the Superkart exhibition can be found online at www.yamahamotogp.com.