Written by:
Media Release
11/06/2009
Valenica (ESP)
Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso (Photo: Honda Pro Images)
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PROGRAMMING NOTE: The MotoGP season finale from Valencia will air on SPEED on Sunday, November 8th at 6:00pm ET, immediately following coverage of the 250GP race.
Honda’s Grand Prix riders are all set for the traditional Valencia season finale this weekend, with much still to play for at this hugely popular event. Last year’s Valencia GP was attended by more than 204,000 fans over the three days and a similarly vast crowd is expected this season to watch the racing and the thunderous fireworks display that always follows the MotoGP race.
This Sunday it will be MotoGP star Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) and 250 ace Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Honda) who will be aiming to steal their own thunder at Valencia. Pedrosa continues his battle for the final place on the MotoGP World Championship ‘podium’ while Aoyama is fighting for nothing less than the last 250 World Championship. If Aoyama wins the title, his success will have a special historic resonance at Honda, because Honda won its first-ever World Championship in the 250 class, way back in September 1961, when Mike Hailwood secured the 250 crown aboard his four-cylinder RC162. Next year the 250 class will be replaced by the all-new Moto2 series.
Pedrosa goes to Valencia lying fourth overall, 11 points behind Casey Stoner (Ducati), so the Spanish hero will need a strong weekend if he’s to displace the 2007 MotoGP World Champion for third. Their duel should be fascinating, since the pair have been one-two finishers on their last two visits to Valencia. Pedrosa beat Stoner to the win in the 2007 Valencia GP, while Stoner returned the compliment last November. Both men might have been fighting for something more than third overall if they hadn’t had their troubles during 2009. Pedrosa’s early season races were marred by injury, while Stoner missed three midseason races with a mystery illness. So far this year Pedrosa has scored one victory (at Laguna Seca) and nine further podiums, as well as nine front-row starts including two pole positions.
Pedrosa’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) also has a battle on his hands at Valencia, the Italian disputing fifth-place overall with Colin Edwards (Yamaha). Dovizioso currently leads the American by just four points, following his DNF in the rain-lashed Malaysian GP a fortnight ago. Dovizioso, who won his maiden MotoGP victory earlier this year at Donington Park, knows he will need a good weekend to see off Edwards’ challenge.
Slightly further down the championship order, team-mates Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) are currently dead equal on points in ninth place, with Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) also equal on points and Marco Melandri and Loris Capirossi just three points ahead of the trio. That’s no less than five riders contesting seventh place in the championship! De Angelis and Elias have scored podium results for Fausto Gresini’s squad this year and both men will be out to complete the year with another top-three result.
Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) slid off in Malaysia and is determined to make amends for that mistake with a great end to the season at Valencia. De Puniet broke an ankle in July but is now back to full strength; just as well, because Valencia is a very physically demanding racetrack. The Frenchman lies four points behind Elias and De Angelis.
Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) graduated to MotoGP midway through the 2009 season, joining the class as a total rookie when his rivals were fully up to speed. It has been a baptism by fire for the former 125 World Champion who wants to sign off his rookie season with a good result at Valencia.
