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6th
Oct 2008, Sepang – Despite the championship
battle for the world MotoGP and 125cc crown
being over, the upcoming 2008 Polini Malaysian
Motorcycle Grand Prix will still promise to be a
thrilling affair and an enjoyment for
motorcycling fans, event promoter Sepang
International Circuit (SIC) said today.
“Irrespective of the two world championships
have already being won, riders at the MotoGP as
well as the 250cc and 125cc would be fully
committed to win and will go all out for
victory. That was clearly shown at the MotoGP
race in Australia yesterday,” says SIC
spokesman, Ismadi Ishak, who is the project
manager for the 2008 Polini Malaysian Motorcycle
Grand Prix.
“We saw how Dani Pedrosa approached the race
yesterday at Phillip Island. He was pushing his
Honda machine to the limit and was unfortunate
to crash. Valentino Rossi had already won the
world crown; but he, too, went all out and had
challenged Nicky Hayden till the very last lap
to finish second. I see each and every rider in
all the classes pushing to the maximum at Sepang.
This is the MotoGP … that’s how things are.
Everybody wants to win,” added Ismadi, who is
SIC Sales Manager.
Having taken the holeshot at the Australian
Grand Prix yesterday, Pedrosa, who is on a
mission to defend his second place in the
overall standings, pushed his machine further to
take an early control of the race. But, he was
unlucky to crash as the Spaniard entered the
second corner when his rear tyre started
sliding.
Rossi, who secured his sixth MotoGP world crown
at the preceding race in Motegi, had a poor
start and was locked in a early battle with the
mid-runners from ninth position. Using every
ounce of his skills and executing some of the
daring maneuvers, Rossi managed to pass all the
other leading riders except Casey Stoner, who
scored a comfortable win infront of his home
crowd.
“We expect they will put up their best
performance again in Sepang. The Malaysian GP
will be as thrilling and as exciting, if not
even more, as its previous editions. Similarly,
for the 125cc. The world title has been won, but
they would want to win the Malaysian GP,” Ismadi
said in reference to Mike De Meglio’s victory in
Phillip Island yesterday to win the 125cc world
title.
Sepang will host the penultimate round of the
2008 season from 17th October to 19th October and the
upcoming Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix
could be the crowning stage for 250cc world
title with Marco Simoncelli having his first
match-point to secure the world title. At the
Australian Grand Prix yesterday, the 21-year-old
Italian prevailed on his Gilera by just
0.223secs from Alvaro Bautista to take his fifth
GP win of the season to go 37 points clear of
the Spaniard in the championship with two races
left in Malaysia and Spain.
“That would be one battle that no GP fan would
want to miss. It was one of the best 250cc races
that the world had ever seen yesterday as
Simoncelli and Bautista exchanged leads
throughout the race in Phillip Island. The race
in Sepang would be as thrilling,” said Ismadi.
Apart from the MotoGP, the GP 250cc and 125cc
race, fans would also be treated to the best of
the local competition with Malaysian riders
battling against some of the best riders in the
region in the final round of the Malaysian Super
Series, which had been slotted as support races
for the event.
“The off-track activities would be as
sensational with fans to be treated to stunt
demonstration by world renowned stunt master
Humberto Ribeiro at the Mall Area,
entertainment, meet the MotoGP stars, bike
displays and loads of prizes including bikes in
our lucky draw. It will all be happening at the
MotoGP in Sepang,” added Ismadi.
For the latest
news on MotoGP, visit
www.malaysiangp.com.my for more
information.
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