News

Stoner is now unstoppable - ducati

19/08/07

By David Miller

At some point in the near future, someone should remind Casey Stoner of the old adage: "A great racer wins by the smallest possible margin." Currently, the Ducati kid is so confident with the GP7/Bridgestone package, he isn't rolling off the throttle until he sees the chequered flag.

Which is all well and good until the law of averages comes a-knocking and his tyres go away from him at a place like Misano, let's say, and he ends up in the kitty litter with an injury that costs him the now near-certain title.

The 21-year-old predictably led from start to finish at Brno this afternoon with Rizla Suzuki's John Hopkins coming in second and outgoing champion Nicky Hayden taking the last podium spot.

Stoner was the only rider at the end of the race circulating in sub-two minute lap times at the end of the race even when he had a colossal six second lead over Hopper and his tital rival Valentino Rossi was langushing in sixth place.

However, Ducati team manager Livio Suppo doesn't seem to mind Stoner's race-long pace saying, "He is amazing, unstoppable." Which looks to be the case as the Aussie leaves Brno with a 60-point lead.

Fiat Yamaha's Rossi looked to have an answer if not to Stoner, then at least to the rest of the field as he tried to muscle his way through the pack. Which he did until was passed by Chris Vermeulen, then struggled to keep anyone behind him. Was it tyres or an overheating engine again? Or has this last week been all too much?

Team-mate Colin Edwards crashed out on lap two and fellow American Nicky Hayden got on the podium once again. Diminutive Spaniard Dani Pedrosa finished a distant fourth.

Results:

1 25 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 43'45.810
2 20 21 John HOPKINS USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 43'53.713
3 16 1 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 43'58.910
4 13 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 44'01.610
5 11 71 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 44'03.113
6 10 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 44'05.173
7 9 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 44'08.295
8 8 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 44'08.883
9 7 4 Alex BARROS BRA Pramac d'Antin DUCATI 44'18.102
10 6 7 Carlos CHECA SPA Honda LCR HONDA 44'20.963
11 5 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Honda Gresini HONDA 44'23.558
12 4 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 44'24.060
13 3 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 44'29.504
14 2 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN Konica Minolta Honda HONDA 44'42.879
15 1 80 Kurtis ROBERTS USA Team Roberts KR212V 44'55.413
16 22 Ivan SILVA SPA Pramac d'Antin DUCATI 45'07.220
17 6 Makoto TAMADA JPN Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 45'11.614