Valencia 2009
APART FROM THE MATTER OF WHO WOULD WIN THIS LAST RACE OF THE 2009 SEASON, THERE WERE STILL PLACES IN THE TITLE RACE TO BE SORTED OUT, PRINCIPALLY THE 2ND POSITION. JORGE LORENZO NEEDED A SINGLE POINT TO ENSURE THAT CASEY STONER COULD NOT CATCH HIM.
CASEY HAD TO WIN WITH JORGE NOT SCORING BUT CLEARLY CASEY WAS GOING TO GO ALL OUT FOR HIS 3RD WIN IN SUCCESSION SINCE RETURNING AFTER HIS ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS. ON THE EVIDENCE OF ALL THE PRACTICE SESSIONS, INCLUDING QUALIFYING, HE LOOKED TO BE A CERTAINTY - FASTEST EVERY TIME.
IT CAME AS A SHOCK THEN TO SEE HIM HIGH-SIDE ON THE WARM-UP LAP AND NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE START. IT APPEARS THAT DUCATI MAY HAVE UNDER-ESTIMATED THE COOLING EFFECT OF THE BRISK WINDS THAT DOGGED THE VALENCIA CIRCUIT FOR THE WHOLE WEEKEND. WHAT APPEARED TO BE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM (WHY ELSE WOULD HE CRASH?) TURNED OUT TO BE A SIMPLE COLD TYRE PROBLEM.
IN SOME RESPECTS, THAT PRE-RACE INCIDENT VIRTUALLY KILLED OFF THE RACE AS A SPECTACLE, APART FROM SOME SPIRITED RIDING DOWN THE ORDER, BECAUSE DANI PEDROSA SPIED HIS CHANCE TO TAKE THE WIN, FROM LIGHTS TO FLAG, AND JORGE'S 2ND PLACE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS NOW SECURE.
HOW JORGE MANAGED TO STAY UPRIGHT AT ONE POINT EARLY ON WAS SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY - HE SEEMED TO WOBBLE FROM SIDE TO SIDE FOR A LONG TIME AS HE EXITED A CORNER AT HIGH SPEED DURING THE INEVITABLE BATTLE WITH HIS TEAM-MATE, VALENTINO ROSSI. IT WAS SUCH A VIOLENT INCIDENT THAT HIS PROTECTIVE AIR-BAG IN HIS LEATHERS THOUGHT HE HAD CRASHED AND DULY INFLATED!
BEN SPIES MADE AN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT AS A WILDCARD ENTRANT FOR THE TECH 3 SQUAD AND FINISHED 7TH. HE IS REPLACING JAMES TOSELAND IN A STRAIGHT SWAP WITH SPIES, THIS YEAR'S WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPION, AND SO JAMES GOES BACK TO WORLD SUPERBIKES WITH THE CHANCE OF MAKING HISTORY AS THE ONLY RIDER TO WIN THE WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP 3 TIMES FOR 3 DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS - SO NO PRESSURE THEN!
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 3.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 4.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 5.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 6.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 7.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 8.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 9.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 10.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 11.
|
Mika Kallio
|
| 12.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 13.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 14.
|
James Toseland
|
| 15.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 16.
|
Aleix Espargaro
|
| 17.
|
Gabor Talmasci
|
| 18.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 4.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 5.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 6.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 7.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 8.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 9.
|
Mika Kallio
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Valentino Rossi
|
306
|
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
261
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
234
|
| Casey Stoner
|
220
|
| Colin Edwards
|
161
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
160
|
| Tony Elias
|
115
|
| Alex de Angelis
|
111
|
| Mika Kallio
|
110
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
386
|
| Honda
|
297
|
| Ducati
|
272
|
| Suzuki
|
133
|
| Kawasaki
|
108
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
9th November 2009
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