Reverend
October 26th, 2008, 23:23 PM
Casey Stoner cruised to victory in the final MotoGP race of the season in Valencia, while Valentino Rossi came third to set a new points total record.
World champion Rossi started 10th on the grid but clinched a podium place to end the season with 373 points, beating the previous best of 367.
Jorge Lorenzo came home in eighth to win the "rookie of the year" title ahead of Andrea Dovizioso.
Dovizioso's fourth place was not enough to make up the points gap on his rival.
Britain's James Toseland suffered a frustrating end to his first season in MotoGP as he slipped from fifth place on the starting grid to finish 11th.
Australian Stoner streaked away from pole position on his Ducati after recovering from a sluggish start when he was briefly overtaken by Pedrosa.
Rossi showed remarkable form to charge through the field, from the fourth row of the grid after a poor qualifying performance, to clinch his 16th podium finish in 18 races.
Valencia MotoGP result:
1. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati
2. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda
3. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda
5. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Honda
6. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha
7. Shinya Nakano (Japan) Honda
8. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha
World championship standings:
1. V Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 373 pts
2. C Stoner (Aus) Ducati 280
3. D Pedrosa (Spn) Honda 249
4. J Lorenzo (Spn) Yamaha 190
5. A Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 175
6. N Hayden (US) Honda 155
7. C Edwards (US) Yamaha 144
8. C Vermeulen (Aus) Suzuki 128
BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/7691777.stm)
World champion Rossi started 10th on the grid but clinched a podium place to end the season with 373 points, beating the previous best of 367.
Jorge Lorenzo came home in eighth to win the "rookie of the year" title ahead of Andrea Dovizioso.
Dovizioso's fourth place was not enough to make up the points gap on his rival.
Britain's James Toseland suffered a frustrating end to his first season in MotoGP as he slipped from fifth place on the starting grid to finish 11th.
Australian Stoner streaked away from pole position on his Ducati after recovering from a sluggish start when he was briefly overtaken by Pedrosa.
Rossi showed remarkable form to charge through the field, from the fourth row of the grid after a poor qualifying performance, to clinch his 16th podium finish in 18 races.
Valencia MotoGP result:
1. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati
2. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda
3. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda
5. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Honda
6. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha
7. Shinya Nakano (Japan) Honda
8. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha
World championship standings:
1. V Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 373 pts
2. C Stoner (Aus) Ducati 280
3. D Pedrosa (Spn) Honda 249
4. J Lorenzo (Spn) Yamaha 190
5. A Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 175
6. N Hayden (US) Honda 155
7. C Edwards (US) Yamaha 144
8. C Vermeulen (Aus) Suzuki 128
BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/7691777.stm)