Casey Stoner ended the 2008 season as he began, victorious onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP8. The Australian took the win at the Gran Premio Parts Europe de la Comunitat Valenciana in emphatic fashion, breaking away from pole for triumph number six of the year.
Runner-up in the overall standings, Stoner was riding for pride in the final race of the campaign, once again competing through the discomfort of a scaphoid injury that will be treated almost immediately following Monday and Tuesday´s post-race test. Setting circuit records along the way, Stoner eventually crossed the line some 3.390 seconds clear of any challenge to his superiority.
The championship runner-up saw off the challenge of home favourite Dani Pedrosa, who pestered the Australian rider during the early stages of the race but was over three seconds behind at the line in second place.
Stoner’s win also secured second place in the constructors’ championship for Ducati, after the riders’, teams’ and constructors’ titles had already been claimed by Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha and Yamaha respectively long before the Valencia race.
For his part, world champion Rossi managed his 16th podium finish in 18 races after fighting his way through the pack from 10th on the grid.
The Italian has not had the best of records on this track in recent years but on Sunday he was in fine form, moving up to seventh place by the end of the first lap and winding his way up to third by lap six.
“Yesterday we couldn’t find a good set-up but working after doing the qualifying laps and in the warm-up got us ready for the race. I couldn’t ask for much more,” said Stoner, who finished as championship runner-up to the Italian Valentino Rossi.
“We completely messed up in the only dry practice. I started from the fourth row because of this,” said Rossi. “I tried to push but we were not at 100%. We always struggle here but I’m happy to close the year with a podium finish.”
Rossi’s compatriot Andrea Dovizioso finished fourth before the Americans Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards in fifth and sixth.
Dovizioso also overhauled the American to take fourth place but just failed to land the title rookie of the year, which went to the Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo.
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