MotoGP - Elena Myers To Test Suzuki MotoGP At Indy

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 18, 2011: AMA SuperSport racer Elena Myers will turn several laps on the Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP bike Thursday, Aug. 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the eve of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

Myers' laps are scheduled for 4 p.m. (ET) on the 16-turn, 2.621-mile road course. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP takes place Aug. 26-28 at IMS.

She originally was scheduled to ride the Suzuki MotoGP bike at the postseason test in 2010 at Valencia, Spain, and Suzuki MotoGP Team Manager Paul Denning is fulfilling his promise to provide seat time to Myers.

"Words cannot describe how excited I am to ride the Suzuki GSV-R at Indy during the MotoGP weekend this year," Myers said. "We had talked about it last year, but things didn't work out, so here's a big thanks to everyone involved for making this possible. When I sat on the bike last year, it felt like it was made to fit me. So actually being able to spin a few laps on it will be quite the treat. I'm really looking forward to the weekend."

Myers, 17, finished fifth in the AMA Pro SuperSport West Division this season despite missing two races due to injury. She scored a podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Ala.

California native Myers made history last season by becoming the first woman to win an AMA Pro road race, winning the AMA SuperSport round at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. That victory helped her finish second in the SuperSport West standings in 2010.

"We are delighted to be able to give Elena this opportunity to get some understanding of how Suzuki's MotoGP bike feels and operates," Denning said. "She is a very talented racer - not 'for a girl' - she's just fast, full-stop!

"MotoGP is the pinnacle of every racer's ambition, and there aren't so many people who have ridden the very latest 2011 GSV-R - Bautista, Hopkins, Aoki and now Elena! I would guess she's also the only female racer to have ever ridden an 800cc MotoGP machine? Either way, we really hope she enjoys the experience."