Amazing Rossi Eyes Speedy Retrurn To MotoGP

INDIANAPOLIS, July 15, 2010: After just one more quick medical check, Valentino Rossi should be back home this weekend – skimming inches above the asphalt at nearly 200 mph on his Fiat Yamaha Team MotoGP motorcycle.

Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Rossi announced July 14 that he intends to cap an amazing comeback from a compound fracture of his lower right leg June 5 in the Italian Grand Prix by competing July 18 in the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring. Rossi must pass one more medical scan July 15 to be cleared to ride.

“I’m really excited that my doctors think I can ride this weekend,” Rossi said. “Tomorrow I will see the medical officer and then we will have the final decision.”

SPEED will televise the German Grand Prix at 8 a.m. (ET) Sunday, July 18 in the United States.

The race return of “The Doctor” will come just 43 days after he suffered the serious fracture in a vicious, high-side crash. It also means that Rossi will ignite MotoGP fans by racing in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 27-29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the inaugural MotoGP event at Indy in 2008.

Rossi has tested twice on a Yamaha World Superbike machine during his incredible recovery. He lapped quicker than both this year’s Superbike World Championship pole time and race fastest lap during testing July 12 at Brno, Czech Republic.

“I felt good on the R1 but I know my M1 at the track is a different thing and it will be hard for me, but I miss my bike and my team and I want to try,” Rossi said. “I am really looking forward to seeing everyone and being back in the paddock; I was tired of being at home!”

Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha teammate, 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Jorge Lorenzo, has won three of the four races during Rossi’s absence and leads the World Championship by 52 points over Dani Pedrosa. Rossi has slipped from second to seventh in the standings.

There are three American riders in the top 10 of the MotoGP point standings: 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden is tied for fourth, rookie Ben Spies is eighth, and Colin Edwards is tied for 10th.