Catalunya 2008
AS THIS RACE PROGRESSED, IT SPLIT INTO A NUMBER OF VARIOUS GROUPS AND THE RIDERS TENDED TO FIGHT WITHIN THEIR GROUPS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO BRIDGE THE GAP UP TO THE NEXT GROUP. THE MAJOR EXCEPTION TO THIS OBSERVATION WAS DANI PEDROSA WHO DID HIS USUAL ROCKET START OFF THE GRID AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FRONT AT TURN 1, WHERE HE FORMED A GROUP OF ONE! HE DIDN'T FIGHT WITH ANYONE BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY HIM IN THE GROUP AND HE COULDN'T BRIDGE THE GAP TO THE RIDER IN FRONT BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ANYBODY.
HE DID GET SO FAR IN FRONT THAT HE COULD PERHAPS HAVE EVENTUALLY HAVE LAPPED BACK MARKERS BUT HE EASED OFF TOWARDS THE END AND WON COMFORTABLY TO THE JOY OF HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN IN MASSED RANKS IN THE STANDS FOR THIS HIS HOME (AND HOME TOWN) GRAND PRIX. HIS WIN WAS SO DOMINANT THAT IT INSPIRED RUMOURS THAT HIS BIKE HAD THE NEW PNEUMATIC VALVE ENGINE DESPITE HONDA'S DENIALS. OFFICIALLY, THE TWO REPSOL HONDA RIDERS ARE TESTING IT ON MONDAY AFTER THE RACE.
THE NEXT GROUP BACK SOON RESOLVED ITSELF INTO A BATTLE BETWEEN CASEY STONER (POLE POSITION) AND VALENTINO ROSSI (ONLY 9TH ON THE GRID) WITH THE CURRENT WORLD CHAMPION HOLDING OFF THE FORMER MULTIPLE CHAMPION UNTIL TWO LAPS FROM THE END. VALENTINO THEN MADE A MOVE UP THE INSIDE AND TOOK OVER 2ND PLACE, WHICH HE HELD TO THE END WITH CASEY IN 3RD. JORGE LORENZO COULD NOT TAKE PART BECAUSE OF YET ANOTHER CRASH IN FREE PRACTICE FROM WHICH HE SUFFERED SEVERE CONCUSSION AND WAS HOSPITALISED FOR THE WEEKEND.
DOVIZIO HAD A RATHER LONELY TIME IN 4TH PLACE FOR MUCH OF THE RACE AND WAS FOLLOWED BY COLIN EDWARDS AND JAMES TOSELAND. THE LATTER BATTLED THROUGH HIS GROUP AFTER A BAD START TO OVERTAKE LORIS CAPIROSSI, CHRIS VERMEULEN AND NICKY HAYDEN. HE HAD NO RACING EXPERIENCE OF THE THESE FIRST FIVE TRACKS AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT FEW ROUNDS WHERE HE HAS RACED MANY TIMES IN WORLD SUPERBIKES.
SO IT WAS AN ENTERTAINING RACE AS LONG AS YOU IGNORED THE LEADER. DANI PEDROSA WAS DOMINANT AND FAULTLESS!
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 3.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 4.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 5.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 6.
|
James Toseland
|
| 7.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 8.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 9.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 10.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 11.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 12.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 13.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 14.
|
John Hopkins
|
| 15.
|
Sylvain Guintoli
|
| 16.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 17.
|
Anthony West
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 4.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 5.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 6.
|
James Toseland
|
| 7.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 8.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 9.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Valentino Rossi
|
142
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
135
|
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
94
|
| Casey Stoner
|
92
|
| Colin Edwards
|
69
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
57
|
| James Toseland
|
53
|
| Loris Capirossi
|
51
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
48
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
160
|
| Honda
|
135
|
| Ducati
|
97
|
| Suzuki
|
63
|
| Kawasaki
|
35
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
9th June 2008
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