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Valencia final MotoGP shout out for 2009
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Huh? Yes, Casey, this is just about how we all felt after your crash during the
warm-up lap in Valencia, ultimately handing third place in World
Championship points to you-know-who. (AP Photo/Paul White)
Well, we trust fans 'round the world are just as upset as we are here at MotoGP Examiner headquarters in Southern California.
Seeing Casey Stoner crash out in the warm-up lap during MotoGP's final race for the 2009 season in Valencia went over about as well as your drunk mum flashing young party-goers at your sweet 16.
Stoner explained his cold tires to NickyHayden.com, "Obviously this is a frustrating and disappointing way to finish the season. There have been plenty of highs and lows throughout the year and we have ended on a low, but with another lesson learnt for next season. We have had this strategy for two years and not had a problem until today, so I guess it is better it happened here than in the first race of next season in Qatar!"
Honestly, after Stoner's crash, the race was kind of a blur . . .
The real news, it seems, was a tip of the ol' hat The Texas Tornado got from new teammate Ben Spies as the WSB Champ passed Dovi, securing Colin Edwards' fifth place in the season's World Championship points. Spies took seventh. Edwards has had an incredible year, averaging fifth place in both qualifying and race finishes. Cheers, Ben and welcome!
In other American news, Nicky Hayden--the sole Marlboro Ducati on the Spanish track--took a strong fifth place, right behind Edwards in fourth, and told reporters he looks forward to next year. The Kentucky Kid told NickyHayden.com, “I thought it might be possible to do a little better than that today but I didn’t get the best start. The clutch was slipping a little bit down the first couple of straightaways and I lost some positions. After that I managed to pull myself up again and from there it was a case of doing my best to try and bridge the gap to Colin [Edwards]. The bike was working quite well but every time I closed a tenth or two he had an answer and pulled it back out. Toward the end I had some issues in a couple of left-handers and my pace dropped too much. Anyway, I had an enjoyable race, going back and forth with a few guys at the beginning especially. It’s not a spectacular result but we’ve end the season with two top fives and we know we have a direction to work in over the winter. It hasn’t been a great season for me in terms of results but the improvements we have made since the start are huge and I’m excited about the future. We’re thirteenth overall, which looks awful on paper, but we are only eleven points off seventh and I had three first-lap incidents that weren’t my fault--just one of those could have made the difference. Next season starts tomorrow and I can’t wait to get back to work!"
True, the start of this final race for the 2009 season was a bit of a blow to the egos of Ducati fanatics everywhere, but something can always be learned from tragedy. And next year should prove extremely suspenseful, what with the new engine restrictions and all. And while the premier class of motorcycle racing continues to grow more and more technical, it's still bloody good to watch those nail-biting battles between Rossi and Lorenzo, mixed in with a bit of Casey and Nicky. We also get to look forward to Simoncelli and Spies, and hopefully a new track in Hungary.
Thank the two-wheeled gods above we don't have to hold our collective breath until April just yet. Check us back here Nov. 8, 2009, to see what three days of testing brings out and about in Valencia.
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