Motorsports Mondial

Photo. Robert Michael

Honda rider Dani Pedrosa is hounded by Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha

and his Australian teammate Casey Stoner in the German Grand Prix.

Pedrosa packs a comeback win. In his second outing after returning from surgery for his broken collarbone, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa took an impressive and forceful victory at Sachsenring in the German Grand Prix. The Honda rider battled his way to the front after passing fellow Aussie teammate Casey Stoner and fellow countryman Jorge Lorenzo.

Victory was Pedrosa’s third in Moto GP competition at the circuit located in what used to be East Germany.

He was quoted on www.motogp.com, “It’s an incredible feeling to be back and win a race so early; I didn’t expect it, but this circuit has been always very good for me and I made it happen. I was already surprised yesterday with second position in qualifying and to finish the weekend in this way is amazing, a huge relief for me after a very hard time with injuries.”

Pedrosa also won the German Grand Prix last year and Sunday’s win was his first since Portugal in May of last year. Later in the same month he suffered a broken collarbone in a collision with Italian Marco Simoncelli in the French Grand Prix.

Honda looked set for a one-two finish but Lorenzo passed the championship leader, Stoner, going into the final corner of the final lap.

American Ben Spies will be aiming for home victory at Laguna Seca. The Texan rider scored his maiden win in the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen last month.

There was another three man battle for the top three positions behind the podium finishers. Two Italians and an American carried the fight to the finish line.

Andrea Dovizioso on a Honda claimed fourth, just ahead of Ben Spies on a Yamaha and Marco Simoncelli on a Gresini Honda.

The next three positions were also closely fought with Suzuki’s Spanish rider, Álvaro Bautista, holding off the Ducati riders, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, for seventh place finish.

Texan Colin Edwards on a Tech 3 Yamaha completed the top 10.

Casey Stoner leads the championship with 168 points, only 15 points behind in second is Lorenzo. Italian Dovizioso is third with 132 points.

Rossi, still looking for his first victory since leaving Yamaha at the end of last season, is fourth in the championship with 98 points. Sunday’s race winner, Pedrosa, is fifth on 94 points.

Spies and Hayden share 85 points each; maiden win at Assen gives sixth place in the championship to Spies.

Song without words!

 

Round 10 is next Sunday at Laguna Seca in northern California

— Nasir Hameed

Greetings and racing on two-wheels regards.