MotoGP, WRC, SuperBike and other Motorsports

MotoGP: Italia GP

Valentino Rossi claimed his third win in as many races at the Italian MotoGP to extend his lead in the world championship standings.
Rossi beat Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa to secure his seventh consecutive victory at Mugello, to the delight of the home fans.
Championship rival Jorge Lorenzo had a day to forget, crashing out midway through the race but escaping injury.
James Toseland finished sixth on his debut at the Mugello circuit.
Yamaha rider Rossi started from pole but was soon passed by Pedrosa, only for Stoner to take the lead at the end of the first lap.

More...

Catalunya MotoGP

Home favourite Dani Pedrosa dominated from the start to claim a comfortable victory in the Catalunya MotoGP.
Pedrosa passed pole-sitter Casey Stoner on the first corner and built up an impressive lead which was almost eight seconds at one stage.
With Pedrosa out on his own, Stoner and Valentino Rossi had a fierce battle for second place as Rossi fought his way up from ninth on the grid.
With two laps left he found a way past Stoner and held on for second spot...

Source: BBC Sport

The Action:


Them Girls:



The Heroes:

British MotoGP


Reigning world champion Casey Stoner completed a dominant weekend at Donington with a pole-to-flag victory in the British MotoGP.

The Australian set the fastest times in practice and qualifying, and cruised home 5.789 seconds clear of the field.

Championship leader Valentino Rossi was second, just ahead of Dani Pedrosa.

James Toseland had a disastrous start to his home grand prix, crashing on the first corner of the first lap before eventually finishing in 17th place.

The Briton was always going to be up against it after limping to 16th place on the grid following his struggles in the wet in qualifying.

But a completely demoralising weekend hit new depths when he spun into the gravel on the first corner attempting a lightning start.

Source: Report - BBC Sport

Pictures


All pictures from UK Eurosports

Czech MotoGP

MotoGP imerudi baada ya mapumziko ya majira ya joto (summer break). Leo wapanda pikipiki wapo Brno nchini Czech, pole position imechukuliwa na bingwa mtetezi Casey Stoner, huku anaeongoza katika msimu huu Valentino Ross akichukua position ya pili....

Czech MotoGP - Results

Valentino Rossi was gifted victory in the Czech MotoGP after Casey Stoner crashed when he was comfortably ahead.

Rossi extended his championship lead over Stoner to 50 points with the win.

Reigning world champion Stoner was one second clear of Rossi when, under no particular pressure, he skidded into the gravel on lap six.

His Ducati was too badly damaged for him to continue and Rossi went on to win, ahead of Toni Elias in second and Loris Capirossi in third.

Afterwards, Stoner told BBC Sport he was not quite sure what had happened.

San Marino GP
Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi won the San Marino Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Spaniard Toni Elias.

More StoriesSan Marino GP: As it happened!
The victory allowed the Italian to equal compatriot Giacomo Agostini's record of 68 victories in the top Moto GP category.

Rossi, who was born just 10 kilometres away at Tavullia, revealed that Agostini had wished him well ahead of the race. More

RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX-USA


Valentino Rossi has taken the first ever MotoGP pole position at Indianapolis - putting an end to Casey Stoner's seven successive pole positions in the process.

After MotoGP's miserable Indy debut in soaking wet conditions on Friday, day two thankfully proved rain-free and allowed the 800cc prototypes to stretch their legs around the new Indy road course.

The limited dry running - even final free practice was held on a damp track - helped produce a hectic qualifying session, in which the likes of Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards delighted the local fans by joining regular frontrunners Rossi and Stoner in battling for pole.

Add in further pole appearances by Toni Elias, Randy de Puniet and Jorge Lorenzo and you get an idea of the thrilling show on offer this afternoon.

Rossi, who will start this Sunday's race with a 75 point world championship lead over Stoner, reached the top for the final time with seven minutes remaining - then extended his lead to almost half a second over Stoner on his last flying lap.

Japanese MotoGP result:

Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi won a sixth World Championship crown in the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi after winning from fourth on the grid.
His rivals Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa finished second and third respectively. A podium would have been sufficient for the Italian to take his first title for three years, but he opted to claim it in style.
"It's difficult to compare titles but this one definitely feels great," Rossi said afterwards. "It was a tough battle this year.
"To win the championship with a race win is fantastic.
"I've won some hard championships - like the first with Yamaha in 2004 - but this one I maybe tried to put more effort in outside of the races to try and win."





1. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha/B) 43min 09.599secs,
2. Casey Stoner (AUS/Ducati/B) at 1.943,
3. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda/B) 4.866,
4. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha/M) 6.165,
5. Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda/M) 24.593,
6. Loris Capirossi (ITA/Suzuki/B) 25.685,
7. Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha/M) 25.918,
8. Shinya Nakano (JPN/Honda/B) 26.003,
9. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda/M) 26.219,
10. John Hopkins (USA/Kawasaki/B) 37.131,
11. James Toseland (GBR/Yamaha/M) 37.574,
12. Randy De Puniet (FRA/Honda/M) 38.020,
13. Marco Melandri (ITA/Ducati/B) 39.768,
14. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA/Ducati/B) 45.846,
15. Anthony West (AUS/Kawasaki/B) 55.748,
16. Toni Elias (ESP/Ducati/B) 59.320,
17. Alex De Angelis (RSM/Honda/B) 1:12.398.


World championship standings:

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 312 points,
2. Casey Stoner (AUS/Ducati) 220,
3. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 209,
4. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 169,
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda) 136,
6. Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 118,
7. Chris Vermeulen (AUS/Suzuki) 117,
8. Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) 115,
9. Loris Capirossi (ITA/Suzuki/B) 96,
10. Shinya Nakano (JPN/Honda) 95

Troy Bayliss described his double win at Portimao as the "perfect way to end" his World Superbike career.
The Australian had already guaranteed his third world championship before proceedings began in Portugal.
But the Ducati Xerox rider, 39, signed off in style by winning both races and admitted "I'm a bit lost for words.
"It's a long road, but my career has come to an end and and I've finished it off with two wins. It's a perfect time to go out."
Bayliss began race one on pole and surged ahead from the start while team-mate Fabrizio Michel took out Max Biagi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven) on the first corner.
He never surrendered his lead and went on to beat Carlos Checa (Honda) by just over two seconds. Troy Corser completed the rostrum in third while Briton Jonathan Rea (Honda) finished fourth.
Leon Haslam (Honda) started the race sixth on the grid and finished one place down in seventh while Cal Crutchlow's race ended in disappointment as he retired after lap 35.
Bayliss then cruised to victory in the second race of the day to complete his 11th victory of the season.....

More @ BBC SPORT

Final Standing:
1.Bayliss AUS 460
2.Corser AUS 342
3.Haga JPN 327
4.Checa ESP 313
5.Neukirchner GER 311

Rossi set for Wales Rally drive

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Six-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will switch from two wheels to four next month when he drives in the Wales Rally GB.
The 29-year-old will race in a Ford Focus which will carry logos in support of the BBC's Children in Need appeal.
Rossi, who is said to be interested in a long-term switch to rallying, first raced in the Welsh Rally back in 2002.

"I am hoping for a good result at next weekend's Monza Rally to prepare for the forests of Wales," said Rossi.
"I'm also delighted to be supporting BBC Children in Need, which does such vital work in the UK.
"It's a great charity and one I'm very pleased to be involved in."

The charity will hold a charity auction on Friday 5 December, as well as collecting money over the course of the action.
"It's a tremendous honour to have Valentino Rossi promoting the charity," said Children in Need spokesman Marc Phillips.
"We have had a remarkable response to this year's event on 14 November - and this will be a fabulous final flourish for us."
Rossi made his World Rally debut in Wales in 2002 but crashed out on the second stage, while he finished 11th in the 2006 Rally New Zealand.

Rossi's first foray into the WRC was at the Wales event in 2002
He has also competed in the last three Monza Rally races, winning the 2006 and 2007 events.

Rossi has also been linked with a move to Formula One recently having tested for Ferrari, but he has signed a two-year contract to keep him at Yamaha until 2010.

Wales Rally organiser Andrew Coe added: "He is a supreme ambassador for all forms of motorsport, as well as a remarkably-gifted sportsman.
"We look forward to seeing him take on the challenges of the Welsh forests."
Rossi's co-driver in Wales will be his 48-year-old compatriot Carlo Cassina, with the event starting on 4 December and running for four days.

Kawasaki pulls team out of MotoGP​

Hopkins finds himself out of work with the new season beginning in April
Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki has pulled out of MotoGP to cut costs amid the global financial crisis.

"We took the final decision not to continue in MotoGP," said Kawasaki's Katsuhiro Sato. "It's something we have been considering since mid-December.
"In the current economic climate and unless the situation improves it is difficult to say if we will return."

Kawasaki had competed in motorcycling's premier class since the 2003 season, with annual costs of around £28.8m.
The worldwide economic downturn has also affected other Japanese marques involved in motorsport.
Honda announced in December it is quitting Formula One, while Subaru and Suzuki are out of the World Rally Championship.

Kawasaki has also felt the bite with sales of its bikes in the United States and Europe badly hit by the economic slump.
Dutch-based Kawasaki Motors Racing failed to win in MotoGP, their best result French rider Randy de Puniet's second place in Japan in 2007.
The team had a miserable 2008 campaign , with John Hopkins injured for much of it and finishing 16th overall.

Kawasaki's decision leaves the American and new team-mate Marco Melandri of Italy looking for rides ahead of the 2009 season.
Melandri, who has won five MotoGPs, finished runner-up to compatriot Valentino Rossi in 2005.

Kawasaki's exit, assuming its two bikes are not taken on by an independent team, leaves the MotoGP grid with 17 riders. Points are awarded down to 15th place.

BBC SPORTS

Qatar MotoGP

The opening round of the 2009 MotoGP championship in Qatar had to be cancelled on Sunday night after torrential rain.
Earlier in the day the 125cc and 250cc races had been shortened by the weather but the rain returned with a vengeance as the riders lined up on the grid.
Race organisers are considering the possibility of postponing the race until Monday.
Casey Stoner had been due to start on pole position ahead of Valentino Rossi.



Source: BBC SPORTS

Qatar MotoGP--Results

Australia's 2007 World MotoGP champion Casey Stoner won his third successive Qatar Grand Prix in Doha in a race that had to be held over from Sunday because of heavy rain.
Stoner eased home on his Ducati ahead of 2008 reigning champion Valentino Rossi of Italy who was second on a Yamaha while Rossi's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain was third.

More at Euro Sport

Mdada wa Suzuki

Japan MotoGP

Qualifying for the Japanese MotoGP has been washed out because of heavy rain, leaving Valentino Rossi on pole for Sunday's race after free practice.
With conditions a wash-out on Saturday, the time sheets from Friday's practice session were used to decide the positions on the starting grid.
That put reigning world champion Rossi at the front with a time 0.056 seconds faster than Ducati's Casey Stoner.
More at BBC SPORTS

Japanese MotoGP - Results

Jorge Lorenzo won the Japanese MotoGP from third on the grid ahead of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa of Repsol Honda. Lorenzo now leads the riders' standings by one point from Rossi.

French MotoGP - Le Mans

Dani Pedrosa snatched pole position for Sunday's French MotoGP with a stunning last lap to push Jorge Lorenzo into second place, with Casey Stoner third.
Pedrosa came home five-thousandths of a second ahead of his fellow Spaniard, who had also set his best time on the final lap.
Championship leader Valentino Rossi starts from fourth place, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and Colin Edwards.

More at BBC SPORTS- MOTOGP

The Doctor(Rossi) is the best kwa hii MotoGP. Eniwei,hii thread ndo naiona leo!..Thanks kamanda wa sports!

Lorenzo wins thriller at Le Mans

Jorge Lorenzo moved one point clear at the top of world championship standings after winning the French MotoGP ahead of Marco Melandri and Dani Pedrosa.
Slippery conditions saw all the riders come into the pits and change bikes in a bid to find the right tyres.

More to come....