"Canepa leads Indianapolis MotoGP test."

First day of action MotoGP test in Indianapolis ends with Niccolo Canepa, Ducati and Bridgestone faster.

MotoGP machines overlapped the new 2.62-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the first time on Tuesday, during the start of a special two-day trial.

The test is being carried out to meet the new tire rule amendments, introduced by the end of the 2007 season, which stipulate that:

"Whenever a new circuit is introduced in the MotoGP calendar for the first time or every time an existing circuit is completely resurfaced after a tire test up to 2 days' duration must be organized in this circuit a minimum 4 weeks before the race. This test is open to all motorcycle tyres and manufacturers competing in the MotoGP class, but not designated by a cyclist MotoGP team will be allowed to take part in these tests. "

The rule was introduced in response to a series of races in 2007 that one or the other tyre manufacturer held a significant advantage. The rule is designed to give Bridgestone and Michelin with the data necessary for the competitive provision in any new tyres or resurfaced tracks, in this case for the inaugural Red Bull GP Indianapolis September 12-14.

Italian Niccolo Canepa was fastest in first day of the test, the impressive Bridgestone / Ducati rider proof of address of his Desmosedici GP8 a time of 1min, 44.1756secs over 83 laps.

"It's a beautiful track," said Canepa later. "Just this morning, I came to learn the circuit as it is new for everyone and is also a little dirty, so we have to clean the circuit. We made many, many laps this morning, but now at night the claws was good, and we found a good setting and good tyres to make a good lap time.

"I'm also happy because I'm faster today that Ben Spies, the U.S., so I'm happy. But we will see tomorrow because we have much work to do, and we'll see. I think the lap times will be better, seguro.re.

"We did a little bit of setup. The bike is still not good, but we have to work tomorrow. I do not know what I did better than the other guys, but I have learned the secret better. I'm younger, so I think I'm ready to be more crazy than the others, "he smiled.

Spies, who made his MotoGP debut at Donington Park and will race as a wild-card at both Laguna Seca and Indianapolis, completed the most laps of any rider on Tuesday with 100. Spies is the only rider at the test who will also take part in the race weekend.

The reigning double AMA Superbike champion's best lap was just 0.05secs slower than Canepa, while Frenchmen Erwan Nigon, testing for Honda / Michelin, and Kawasaki's Olivier Jacque exactly equalled one another for third quickest, at 1min 45.2738secs.

Wataru Yoshikawa of Japan was fifth for Yamaha / Bridgestone at 1min 45.5916secs and William Costes of France was sixth for Yamaha / Michelin with a 1min 46.1251secs lap.

Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki completed only four laps, but he holds the distinction of being the first MotoGP rider to turn an official lap test on the IMS road course, when he took to the track just after the 10 am scheduled start.

2006 MotoGP World Champion and Team Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden rode a number of ceremonial laps on April 7 at IMS, christening the new course on a 1909 Indian motorcycle and 2008 Honda CBR1000RR production bike.