Motegi win for Tamada

Makoto Tamada has taken the win at his home GP in Motegi, Japan.

The Japanese Honda rider managed to avoid the six rider crash on the first corner, then set off after Valentino Rossi taking the lead on lap six and holding it till the flag.

Rossi took the lead going in to the first corner followed by the Suzuki of John Hopkins, but Loris Capirossi got over ambitious on his Ducati and crashed in to Hopkins causing a six rider pile up that took out Colin Edwards, Max Biaggi, Kenny Roberts and Nicky Hayden.

Tamada quickly closed that gap left between himself and Rossi, and once he got past on lap six nothing could hold him back. The Japanese rider evently outpaced Rossi beating him to the line by more than six seconds.

Shinya Nakano gave Kawasaki it’s first MotoGP podium by beating Italian Marco Melandri to the line to take third place.

Melandri found the hot and humid conditions of the race difficult, with Alex Barros taking advantage and joining Nakano in passing the him to take fourth place.

Sete Gibernau only managed a sixth place finish leaving him even further adrift of Valentino Rossi in the championship battle, with 39 points to make up in the remaining four races.

Neil Hodgson brought his D’Antin Ducati home just behind Carlos Checa to secure eighth place and his highest GP finish to date.

MotoGP finishing positions:

Tamada, Rossi, Nakano, Barros, Melandri, Gibernau, Checa, Hodgson, Xaus, Hofmann, Jacque, McWilliams, Byrne, Aoki, Ui

DNF:

Bayliss, Abe, Ukawa, Roberts, Hopkins, Biaggi, Edwards, Capirossi, Hayden

250cc GP finishing positions:

Pedrosa, Elias, H.Aoyama, Porto, Takahashi, De Angelis, Rolfo, S. Aoyama, Battaini, Debon, De Puniet, Fujioka, Matsudo, archand, Faubel, Kameya, Poggiali, Sekiguchi, Guintoli, Nakasuga, Heidolf, Nigon.

DNF:

Olive, Davies, West, Nohles, Rous, Stigefelt, Nieto, Baldolini, Smrz, Vincent

DNS:

Bataille

125cc GP finishing positions:

Dovisioso, Lai, Corsi, Giansanti, Jenkner, Simoncelli, Lorenzo, Talmasci, Koyama, Kuzuhara, Brsoi, Luthi, Gadea, Locatelli, Kallio, Pellino, Chaemsap, Hernandez, Carchano, Schouten, Zanetti, Manna, Janakova.

DNF:

Rodriguez, Norikane, Barbera, Kallio, Pesek, Perugini, Bautista, Guiseppetti, Nieto, Toth, Stoner, Ballerini, Pasani, Di Meglio, Hatano