World MotoGP champion Casey Stoner today cruised to victory in
the Australian Grand Prix.
Stoner claimed his ninth victory of a dominant season after
clinching the world title in Japan last month.
He breezed across the line after a flawless ride, 6.763 seconds
ahead of his Ducati
teammate Loris Capirossi.
Five-times world champion Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha was
third, a further three seconds back.
Stoner becomes the first Australian to win his home race since
Mick Doohan in 1998.
Stoner had started from third spot on the grid behind the Honda
of Dani Pedrosa and Rossi.
But by the second corner the 21-year- old had eclipsed the pair to
take the lead and was never headed.
He was pushed early in the race by the Honda of 2006 world
champion Nicky Hayden before the American's bike expired with
mechanical problems on lap 12.
Rossi and Pedrosa then duelled for second place before Capirossi
overtook the pair.
Of the other two Australians, Chris Vermeulen on a Suzuki was
eighth and Anthony West's Kawasaki was 12th.
Earlier Spain's Jorge Lorenzo moved closer to his second world
250cc title after snaring the Australian round.
Lorenzo, who also won here last year, romped home by 19.6
seconds from compatriot Alvaro Bautista.
Italian Andrea Dovizioso was third but slipped to 45 points behind
Lorenzo in the standings with two rounds, Malaysia and Valencia,
remaining.
And in the 125cc championship Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi saw his
lead in the series slashed to one point.
Czech rider Lukas Pesek clinched the race win when he crossed
the line ahead of Spain's Joan Olive. full story on smh.com.au
pics from ducati.com