U.S.A. 2008
CASEY STONER COMPLETED THE FREE PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING SESSIONS IN WHAT HAS BECOME HIS USUAL STYLE - FASTEST THROUGHOUT AND POLE POSITION. ALL HIS SESSIONS HAD SEEN HIM DIP BELOW THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE LAP - AND IT SEEMED THAT THE ONLY QUESTION TO BE DECIDED ON SUNDAY WAS THE MARGIN OF HIS VICTORY!
HE GOT AWAY IN THE LEAD BUT VALENTINO ROSSI SOON GOT IN FRONT OF HIM. WE NEVER SAW HOW HE DID THIS BECAUSE JORGE LORENZO DID ONE OF HIS BY NOW TRADEMARK HIGH SIDES - WHEN FLAT-OUT - AND THE CAMERAS CONCENTRATED ON THE AFTERMATH OF THIS CRASH.
BUT FROM THEN ON THE CAMERAS HARDLY LEFT THE DEATH-DEFYING BATTLE FOR THE LEAD WITH VALENTINO USING ALL HIS EXPERIENCE TO UNSETTLE CASEY. IF CASEY COULD HAVE REGAINED THE LEAD, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GONE AWAY BUT THE YAMAHA'S NIMBLENESS ON THIS TWISTY TRACK JUST ENABLED ROSSI TO STAY AHEAD AND THE LACK OF STRAIGHTS NEGATED THE OUTRIGHT SPEED OF THE DUCATI. THEY WERE EVENLY MATCHED AND LEFT THE FIELD STANDING TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT BY LAP 24 THEY WERE 22 SECONDS AHEAD - YES, 22 SECONDS!
SO FAR IN FRONT WERE THEY THAT, WHEN CASEY THEN OVERDID THE BRAKING TO AVOID VALENTINO AND FELL OFF IN THE GRAVEL, HE HAD TIME TO REMOUNT AND GET GOING AGAIN - STILL IN 2ND PLACE! BUT THE RACE WAS NOW OVER AND ROSSI CRUISED TO VICTORY AND EXTENDED HIS LEAD OVER CASEY IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP (DANI PEDROSA'S INJURIES HAD PREVENTED HIM RIDING HERE).
NAIL-BITING STUFF!
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 4.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 5.
|
James Toseland
|
| 6.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 7.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 8.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 9.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 10.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 11.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 12.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 13.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 14.
|
Sylvain Guintoli
|
| 15.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 16.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 17.
|
Jamie Hacking
|
| 18.
|
Anthony West
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 2.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 3.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 4.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 5.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 6.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 7.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 8.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 9.
|
James Toseland
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Valentino Rossi
|
212
|
| Casey Stoner
|
187
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
171
|
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
114
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
103
|
| Colin Edwards
|
100
|
| Chris Vermeulen
|
89
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
84
|
| James Toseland
|
72
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
241
|
| Honda
|
197
|
| Ducati
|
192
|
| Suzuki
|
112
|
| Kawasaki
|
52
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
21st July 2008
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