Round 15 Australin GP Phillip Island. What an amazing track this is set right alongside the beautiful Australian coastline. As the riders line up to start Round 15 Loris Capirossi is noticed to be starting from the back of the grid as he will be using a new engine outside the alloted 5 engine rule. As Suzuki is well off pace to win or compete for the top three positions they have already begun testing for next season.
The lights go out in Australia and racing gets underway. Dani Pedrosa performs his signature start and blasts to first place and make a strong start. Meanwhile, Nicky Hayden has one of his best starts of the season working his way up the outside until Jorge Lorenzo plows into the back of him. Nicky was forced to run off track into the gravel trap keeping it upright while Lorenzo tucks the front end and crashes out in the first corner. Lorenzo’s title hopes are fading away but mathematically still possible. Rossi’s pit board immediately indicated that Lorenzo was out.
As this all unfolds Casey Stoner quickly jumps by Pedrosa blazing his home Australian race Livery Ducati to first
position (Great looking color scheme by the way). Valentino Rossi in third place with Pedrosa separating him and Stoner. Rossi quickly realizes he needs to get by Pedrosa in order to stay in touch with home favorite Stoner. Rossi makes a great move up the inside of Pedrosa on the brakes. Wow can that Yamaha stop on a dime or what?
As the racers are now settling into race pace race direction announces that James Toseland jumped the start (Ouch). It is indicated that he needs to do a drive through on the pits. It took him a couple laps to realize that he again had a mishap during a start.
Traction being a big complaint by all riders made it more exciting to watch as both Stoner and Rossi were powersliding the motorcycles around the fast Australian circuit.
Rossi continued pressuring Casey from all angles but just couldn’t get around him. Stoner proved once again that he has a clean bill of health while riding to victory at his home race in Australia. Casey Stoner rides to Victory with Valentino Rossi a close second, and Dani Pedrosa in a very distant third. Welcome back Casey Stoner completing a three wins in a row in Australia. Stoner now knocks Pedrosa off the third position in the MotoGP Championship standings.
Colin Edwards fought back from a difficult first lap to finish in a consecutive fifth position – with Andrea Dovizioso sixth, Marco Melandri seventh and LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet eighth.
de Angelis, de Puniet and Loris Capirossi are now all tied for seventh in the world championship standings.
Australian Grand Prix:
1. Stoner
2. Rossi
3. Pedrosa
4. de Angelis
5. Edwards
6. Dovizioso
7. Melandri
8. de Puniet
9. Kallio
10. Elias
11. Vermeulen
12. Capirossi
13. Talmacsi
14. Toseland
15. Hayden
- MotoGP: Lorenzo Storms to Victory at Polini Grand Prix of Japan Jorge Lorenzo emerged victorious from a thrilling Polini Grand...
- MotoGP: Stoner Splashes His Way to Victory in Sepang Stoner’s second successive win was impressive enough, as was...
- MotoGP: Rossi Storms to Victory in Spainish Thriller It was nice for a change to have a...
