Racing: Two in a row for Simoncelli

Italian Marco Simoncelli has won a shortened 250cc race at the 2009 Iveco Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, a race that finished six laps short of the scheduled 25-lap distance after his Gilera team-mate Roberto Locatelli crashed at Turn 10.

Simoncelli led by 2.4secs on lap 19 when Locatelli had a huge highside coming out of the bottom of the hill at Turn 10, an accident which left the Italian and his bike prone on the circuit. Officials quickly red-flagged the race, and the final classification was taken back to the last lap completed by all riders, lap 18.

After starting from fifth on the grid, Hector Barbera was second on an Aprilia, while polesitter Raffaele De Rosa secured his first 250cc podium finish, coming home in third after being swamped off the line and finding himself down in sixth midway through the first lap.

De Rosa, riding a Honda, also set the fastest lap of the race, a lap of 1:33.519 on lap 13.

The victory was Simoncelli's second straight 250cc triumph in Australia, and was the fourth win in the last five races for the reigning 250cc champion. The 22-year-old reduced Hiroshi Aoyama's lead at the top of the championship to just 12 points with two races remaining.

Aoyama finished in seventh place in Sunday's race, and was never able to match the searing pace of Simoncelli, who led at the end of every lap.

"I reduce a lot the gap from Aoyama (in the championship)," Simoncelli said after the race. "The race was very difficult because in the beginning, the rear tyre slides so much. I see that I was fast, so I try to push more every lap to try to take my rhythm."

The Italian, starting second on the 24-bike grid, was jumped into Turn 1 off the start by veteran Spaniard Alex Debon, but Debon's moment in the sun was brief - the 33-year-old Aprilia rider ran wide through the gravel at Turn 8 on the opening lap and was in 24th place by its conclusion.

Simoncelli resisted early pressure from Barbera, who soon found himself under attack from championship contender Alvaro Bautista. Bautista, who started from a season-worst 10th place on the grid, scythed through the field to be up to fourth by seven laps, and overtook Barbera for second on lap 17.

His quest to catch Simoncelli, with whom he engaged in a spirited battle in the 2008 race in Australia, came to a sudden halt when he crashed his Aprilia at Turn 4 on the next lap. Bautista was able to return to the circuit, and was eventually classified in 10th position after Locatelli's accident.

With races in Malaysia and Valencia to come, Aoyama leads the championship with 227 points, while Simoncelli is now within striking distance on 215. Bautista drops to third in the championship, 29 points in arrears of Aoyama.

250cc Race Results:
1. Marco SIMONCELLI (Metis Gilera) 28:17.403
2. Hector BARBERA (Pepe World Team) 28:19.837
3. Raffaele DE ROSA (Scot Racing Team 250cc) 28:20.007
4. Jules CLUZEL (Matteoni Racing) 28:29.521
5. Mike DI MEGLIO (Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc) 28:29.595
6. Karel ABRAHAM (Cardion AB Motoracing) 28:29.816
7. Hiroshi AOYAMA (Scot Racing Team 250cc) 28:29.858
8. Hector FAUBEL (Honda SAG) 28:30.515
9. Ratthapark WILAIROT (Thai Honda PTT SAG) 28:30.963
10. Alvaro BAUTISTA (Mapfre Aspar Team) 28:45.182
11. Thomas LUTHI (Emmi - Caffe Latte) 28:45.625
12. Lukas PESEK (Auto Kelly - CP) 28:46.060
13. Alex DEBON (Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens) 28:51.295
14. Shuhei AOYAMA (Racing Team Germany) 28:56.182
15. Shoya TOMIZAWA (CIP Moto - GP250) 28:57.932
16. Balazs NEMETH (Balatonring Team) 29:40.603
17. Bastien CHESAUX (Matteoni Racing) 29:41.701
18. Imre TOTH (Team Toth Aprilia) 28:40.153
19. Valentin DEBISE (CIP Moto - GP250) 28:45.916

Not classified
15. Roberto LOCATELLI (Metis Gilera) 28:47.918
7. Axel PONS (Pepe World Team) 26:09.203
25. Alex BALDOLINI (WTR San Marino Team) 24:23.926
75. Mattia PASINI (Paddock GP Racing Team) 11:11.057
56. Vladimir LEONOV (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) 12:15.184