Rossi dominates to earn 100th GP victory

INDIANAPOLIS, June 28, 2009: The next stop for Valentino Rossi is history.

Six-time MotoGP World Champion Rossi became just the second Grand Prix motorcycle rider to win 100 races across all classes, reaching the century mark with a victory June 27 in the TT Assen. It was Rossi’s third victory of the season, which helped him escape from a three-way tie with Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner atop the standings and take the lead with 131 points.

Rossi trails only fellow Italian legend Giacomo Agostini, who earned 122 victories. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a stop on Rossi’s victory tour, as he earned the 95th victory of his incredible career in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP in September 2008.

“This is a very emotional moment, and, for sure, I will remember this 100th victory for the rest of my life,” Rossi said. “When I reached 70, 100 seemed a long way away, but here I am, and it has been great, great fun getting here. I have to thank the friends who have been with me my whole life and my father, Graziano, who won here in Assen 30 years ago when I was a baby, and my mother, Stefania, because they have always supported me.

“Now I have 100 wins, and I’m only the second rider to arrive at this number. But Agostini still has 22 more, and for me, he is still the greatest.”

Lorenzo finished second, 5.368 seconds behind his Fiat Yamaha teammate. 2007 MotoGP World Champion Stoner was a lonely third on a Ducati, 23.113 seconds behind Rossi.

Pole sitter Rossi regained the lead from Stoner on Lap 2 and never trailed thereafter.

American Colin Edwards equaled his best result of the season by finishing fourth on the Yamaha Tech 3 machine, six seconds behind Stoner. 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden completed a strong race for the Americans, finishing a season-best eighth on the Ducati.

A change to a longer wheelbase helped Edwards solve his starting-line problems, and he dodged a crash by Andrea Dovizioso 10 laps into the 26-lap race. He climbed into a tie for fifth with Dani Pedrosa, just two points behind fourth-place Dovizioso.

“I rode my hardest, but this year in MotoGP it is so hard just to get a podium,” Edwards said. “But I’m close to fourth in the championship and I was only beaten by the three fastest guys in the world today, so I’m happy with the job I’m doing.

Hayden qualified 13th, but a strong start helped him join a five-bike scrap for sixth place throughout the second half of the race. A loose handlebar slowed his charge at the halfway point.

“I know I’m coming out with a lot of excuses this year, but a loose handlebar at that speed is pretty scary!” Hayden said.

The next race is the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, July 5 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. The second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.