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Tricky conditions brought about by the rain paved the way for one of the memorable races of the historical Donington Park
There are some racing venues that exude a certain aura that produces the track’s legend. This aura usually stems from the defining moments in the history of racing. Donington Park is blessed with many defining moments and hence will always be remembered as a venue where legends performed legendary deeds. From the pre-war Grand Prix days where race victors included the likes of Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari all the way through the modern era where Ayrton Senna won arguably his greatest ever victory in torrential and unpredictable circumstances back in 1993. Donnington Park has witnessed all that racing could possibly offer. Round eight of the MotoGP calendar at Donington Park became yet another collection of definitive moments. Again the conditions were tricky and very difficult as the track was soaked after the rain poured. It was an important race looking at the points separating the top three drivers in the championship standings comprised of Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa respectively. One slip could throw everything away. Therefore, much tension was already brewing before the race even began. All in all, the race lacked action in terms of pace. The situation that every driver faced called for precision with no room for error. It was a tedious effort from everyone racing as each driver had to constantly look for the right balance of caution yet still maximize the limit of their machinery. What the race lacked in speed was compensated by the stunning display of discipline and focus for the riders that overcame the challenge and finished the race. The most impressive display came from the championship leader Casey Stoner. Unhampered by the effects of a poor start that saw him drop from fifth to twelfth at the start of the race, this 21 year old kept his cool, found his rhythm to claw his way back on top of the field. By the end of lap one, he was already in seventh. Just over half-distance, the Australian managed to take the lead: a position that was never threatened from that point onwards. By the end of the race, Stoner crossed the line 11.768 seconds ahead of second place man and pole sitter Colin Edwards. Stoner’s win marked his fifth win out of the eight races of the season. What made Stoner’s achievement even more impressive was the fact that his closest rivals in the championship standings struggled in the race in which he dominated. Dani Pedrosa had a good start leading the race in the early stages. But at one point, the Spaniard dropped from first to fifth inside a lap. His race went downhill from their relinquishing more and more places. He crossed the line in eighth place. Multiple world champion Valentino Rossi on the other hand also conquered a poor start at the beginning and looked like a possible contender for race winner. But he suffered from rapidly damaging tires as the track dried up forcing him to settle for fourth place. Casey Stoner stamped his authority in the MotoGP ranks in Donington by silencing his critics in dramatic fashion. He showed that there is much more of the man behind the victories than just the overwhelming power unleashed by his Ducati. Colin Edwards, also suffering from tire damage like his teammate Rossi, held on valiantly to finish in second. Chris Vermeulen in the Suzuki rounded up the podium places with his third place finish becoming rapidly known as one of the natural wet weather drivers on the grid.
The copyright of the article MotoGP at Donington Park in Motorcycle Racing is owned by Jose Antonio A. Climaco. Permission to republish MotoGP at Donington Park in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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