The start of the Indianapolis MotoGP Sunday, August 10, 2014, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(Photo: Star File Photo)
The MotoGP circuit, the top tier of motorcycle racing, visits Indianapolis Friday through Sunday. Some two dozen of the world's greatest motorcyclists will compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and each of them has a pretty cool name.
Take this quiz and see if you can tell the difference between the bikers and classical music composers of centuries past.
Now, watch this video to compare your results with random people on Indy's Monument Circle.
Want more details? Read on for descriptions of the MotoGP riders and composers.
Valentino Rossi (Italian, b. 1979) is the leading motorcyclist of his day, having won 72 MotoGP races, or about one of every three races he has competed in. He's currently the series points leader.
Gioachino Rossini (Italian, 1792-1868) wrote two of the most famous pieces of music ever written, "William Tell Overture" and "Barber of Seville."
Nicky Hayden (American, b. 1981) is the only American in the top ranks of MotoGP; the "Kentucky Kid" (he's from Owensboro) won the series championship in 2006. Going into Sunday's race he's in the 21st position.
Joseph Haydn (Austrian, 1732-1809) is considered a pioneer in chamber music for his works involving string quartets.
Alvaro Bautista (Spanish, b. 1984) joined the MotoGP circuit in 2010; in 95 races he has yet to win. He has 280,000 Twitter followers, however. "Ruta por gredos!" he tweeted recently.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Italian, 1710-1736) was one of the pioneers in Italian comic opera with works such as "The Maid as Mistress." He also wrote quite a bit of church music.
Jorge Lorenzo (Spanish, b. 1987) began racing motorcycles professionally when he was 15. He's currently in second place in the championship series, behind V. Rossi.
Jean-Baptiste Lully (French, 1632-1687) is considered the inventor of French opera and was an expert guitarist and violinist. He also was an accomplished ballet dancer.
Andrea Dovizioso (Italian, b. 1986) is fifth overall in the series, which he joined in 2008, fairly spectacularly. At his first race, in Qatar, he passed the vaunted V. Rossi on the last lap to take fourth place.
Arcangelo Corelli (Italian, 1653-1713) pioneered the principle known as Concerto Gross and wrote excellent music in the style later owned by Vivaldi, Handel and Bach. Correli was also an accomplished musician. The violin was new then, and Corelli was one of its first great players.
Giacomo Puccini (Italian, 1858-1924) wrote operas that are still not just being performed today but are still staples of opera companies: "La Boheme," "Madame Butterfly," and "Tosca."
Danilo Petrucci (Italian, b. 1990), at 24, is among the youngest big-time motorcycle racers. He's in his third MotoGP season and has yet to win a race. He's currently in 11th place.
Aleix Espargaro (Spanish, b. 1989) has had one podium finish in 85 starts and is currently in 12th place in the MotoGP standings. He is the brother of Pol Espargaro, who's also a top pro racer.
Ottorino Respighi (Italian, 1879-1936) was heavily influenced by Russian music, having studied under Rimsky-Korsakov. But he also liked the music of his native Italy and drew large audiences with his arrangements of Rossini's music.
Alex De Angelis (San Marino, b. 1984) is an on-again/off-again participant in motorcycle racing's big leagues. He had one podium finish in 56 starts and currently is in 25th place in the series standings. San Marino, by the way, is the world's fifth smallest nation (out of 193).
Ludwig Van Beethoven (German, 1770-1827) gave his first concert at age 7. Even while struggling with encroaching deafness, he became one of the most influential composers of all time, making novel use of vocals.
Marc Marquez (Spanish, b. 1993) is the defending two-time champion of the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. His win last year in Indy was his 10th consecutive victory of the 2014 MotoGP season. This year he is fourth place in world standings.
Domenico Scarlatti (Italian, 1685-1757) was a composer and musician who was particularly adept at the harpsichord. As a young man he and Handel had a sort of face-off on the harpsichord, and Scarlatti won. The two became fast friends.
Loris Baz (French, b. 1993) is in his rookie year with MotoGP. Last year, in another bike series, Baz refused to cede his position to a Kawasaki teammate who would have benefited in the series standing. "I am only nice to the people who are nice with me," Baz explained.
Carl Maria von Weber (German, 1786-1826) composed operas and was a pianist and guitarist. He was a conductor, too. He is considered a pioneer in the Romantic school of classical music.
Contact Star reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043. Follow him on Twitter @WillRHiggins.
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