Today’s MotoGP race in Sepang was a wet thriller.
It started with a delay as a torrential rain hit the circuit 25 minutes before the start and started half an hour later.
Jorge Lorenzo’s number one bike had refused to start in the pits forcing him to switch to his spare bike and had to start from the back of the grid having failed to join his starting position on time.
Rossi starting in pole position, tried to out brake the field at turn one running wide and found himself in 10th position and the race was only into it’s 25th second.
Lorenzo cannonballed throught the grid and was 11th, and by the end of the first lap had already passed Rossi and was eighth.
Up front Casey Stoner passed leader Dani Pedrosa and said good-bye to everyone and took a six second lead from Pedrosa after just four laps.
Andrea Dovizioso was in third trying to shorten the gap between his team mate and himself.
It was in the middle of the field where the action was happening.
Lorenzo passed Capirossi and Rossi photocopied Lorenzo’s move.
Lorenzo moved up on Nicky Hayden who held on to his postion, offering resistance to Lorenzo’s overtaking passes, but the Spaniard finally made his move stick, leaving Hayden to Rossi.
Lorenzo took fourth after passing Toni Elias on lap seven with Rossi copying all his passes.
Rossi finally took fourth from his team mate on lap eight.
Stoner continued his solitary race upfront more than fifteen seconds from second place Pedrosa with Dovizioso one second behind his team mate and the Fiat Yamaha duo at five seconds from Dovizioso.
Rossi would be handed third place when Dovizioso crashed out on lap 15.
Casey Stoner rode to his second victory after his 3 race stop due to fatigue problems with a 14.
666s advantage on Dani Pedrosa.
Valentino Rossi rode to third place claiming the 2009 MotoGP World Championship, his seventh in the premier class and his career ninth.
Rossi has won six of the 16 races this season, with four wins for Lorenzo, four for Stoner and one each for Pedrosa and Dovizioso with one race remaining in the season.
MotoGP Sepang Race Results:01 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 47′24.
83402 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 47′39.
50003 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 47′44.
21904 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 47′50.
68405 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 48′03.
53906 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 48′05.
89507 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 48′13.
38908 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 48′20.
39109 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 48′25.
13710 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 48′25.
27411 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Ducati 48′26.
48912 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 48′26.
68113 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 48′35.
61214 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 48′40.
68515 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 49′15.
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