Out of eighteen races this 2012 season fourteen weekends had mixed conditions in a least one free practice but the riders have never raced an entire race in these difficult conditions -it was either dry or wet – but at Valencia it was a crazy, very difficult and crash infested race with tire choice playing a highly important role, but the race was won by Dani Pedrosa who was able to defeat not only the other riders who managed to stay on, but also the treacherous conditions of the asphalt.
Taking a very emotional second was Yamaha’s 31-year old test rider and three-time Japanese Superbike champion Katsuyuki Nakasuga who was replacing injured Ben Spies (the last time an outsider was on a MotoGP podium was Troy Bayliss who won the 2006 Valencia race) and Casey Stoner took the third spot on the podium in his final race of his career and retires.
Jorge Lorenzo, Nakasuga and Bradl decided to start the race on slick tires with the others during the warm-up lap on rain tires decided to head to the pitlane to grab their second machine equipped with slicks, while polesitter Dani Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow, Nicky Hayden and Alvaro Bautista had to start from the pitlane.
On a grid only two thirds full, Hector Barbera on rain tires got the holeshot but he was immediately passed by Aleix Espargaro followed by other riders on the same tires while Jorge Lorenzo fell to 11th, cautious on his slicks – but his choice would pay off as after several laps the rain tires began heating up and making the machines move forcing Stoner, Dovizioso,Petrucci, Abraham and Aoyama to head to the pitlane for a bike change as the reigning World champion moved to the lead during the third lap.
Dani Pedrosa who had started from the pitlane began scything through the field and caught Nakasuga who was riding in second and passed the Japanese rider and began to chase down Lorenzo, while during the 8th lap Stefan Brad passed the Yamaha test rider for third but he would later crash out.
On the 11th lap Pedrosa hunted Lorenzo down who had a three second lead, but he would run wide and lose a massive five seconds having to start again his hunt, but Lorenzo would give his fellow countryman a massive favour when he crashed out trying to double James Ellison (who seemed not to have seen the blue flags) suffering a tank-slapper which then turned into a massive highside leaving him tumbling in the gravel trap – and giving him the only the second non finish this season.
With Lorenzo out, Pedrosa inherited the lead while Cal Crutchlow was second, but the British rider’s season ended with a strange crash and handing Alvaro Bautista the fifth spot in the standings and Valentino Rossi the sixth.
Casey Stoner grabbed the third spot after hunting down Bautista and with two laps to go passed the Gresini rider.
Michele Pirro in his final race in MotoGP – he will become Ducati’s test rider next season – took fifth with his CRT in his best finish of the season followed by Andrea Dovizioso, Karel Abraham, Danilo Petrucci and Ellison.
Valentino Rossi ended his horrible two year stint with Ducati in a very lonely tenth and one lap down while team mate Nicky Hayden slid out early in the race as did seven other riders.
MotoGP Valencia race results:01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 30 laps in 48’23.
819 02- Katsuyuki Nakasuga – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 37.
661 03- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 1’00.
633 04- Alvaro Bautista – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 1’02.
811 05- Michele Pirro – San Carlo Honda Gresini – FTR Honda MGP12 – + 1’26.
608 06- Andrea Dovizioso – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1’30.
423 07- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 1’31.
789 08- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – 1 lap 09- James Ellison – Paul Bird Motorsport – ART GP12 – 1 lap 10- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – 1 lap 11- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – 1 lap 12- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – 2 laps 13- Hiroshi Aoyama – Avintia Blusens – BQR FTR – 2 laps14- Colin Edwards – NGM Mobile Forward Racing – Suter BMW – 3 laps
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