Japan 2008
CASEY STONER PUT UP A BRAVE FIGHT AND LED FOR QUITE A WHILE, AFTER BATTLING INITIALLY WITH DANI PEDROSA, BUT EVENTUALLY VALENTINO ROSSI GOT PAST CASEY AND THEN KEPT THE LEAD FOR THE REST OF THE RACE. HE NEVER 'ESCAPED' BUT CASEY, STILL RIDING INJURED, WAS NEVER ABLE TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE VALENTINO.
SO ROSSI TOOK HIS 6TH MOTOGP TITLE, 8TH INCLUDING HIS 125 AND 250 TITLES, AND CELEBRATED IN HIS USUAL ELABORATE MANNER ON SUCH OCCASIONS.
POSSIBLY THE MOST ENTERTAINING BATTLE WAS THAT WHICH DEVELOPED BETWEEN DANI PEDROSA, DETERMINED TO STAY IN 3RD POSITION, AND JORGE LORENZO, KEEN TO CAPITALISE ON HIS FINE POLE POSITION QUALIFYING LAP IN WHICH HE BROKE THE ALL-TIME LAP RECORD FOR THE MOTEGI CIRCUIT.
AGAIN, LIKE VALENTINO, DANI ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE JUST THAT LITTLE BIT EXTRA THAT ENABLED HIM TO KEEP JORGE BEHIND BUT IT WAS TOUCH AND GO AT TIMES, LITERALLY SO ON THE FINAL LAP WHEN JORGE ALMOST GOT THROUGH ON THE INSIDE AND THEY TOUCHED BRIEFLY. BUT DANI HELD ON TO THE FINISH LINE.
WITH THESE RESULTS, YAMAHA WRAPPED UP THE CONSTRUCTORS' TITLE AND ALSO THE TEAM TITLE SO A GOOD DAY ALL ROUND.
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 2.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 3.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 4.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 5.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 6.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 7.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 8.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 9.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 10.
|
James Toseland
|
| 11.
|
John Hopkins
|
| 12.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 13.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 14.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 15.
|
Sylvain Guintoli
|
| 16.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 17.
|
Anthony West
|
| 18.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 19.
|
Kousuke Akiyoshi
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 2.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 3.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 4.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 5.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 6.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 7.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 8.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 9.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Valentino Rossi
|
312
|
| Casey Stoner
|
220
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
209
|
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
169
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
136
|
| Colin Edwards
|
118
|
| Chris Vermeulen
|
117
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
115
|
| Loris Capirossi
|
96
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
341
|
| Ducati
|
261
|
| Honda
|
259
|
| Suzuki
|
159
|
| Kawasaki
|
77
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
29th September 2008
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