Pedrosa thankful after tasting victory again

After more than a year without visiting the top step of a MotoGP podium Dani Pedrosa acknowledged the support of those who helped him return to winning ways at Laguna Seca.

A stunning victory for Dani Pedrosa on Sunday at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix brought big smiles to the faces of his Repsol Honda team members, including his Crew Chief mechanic Mike Leitner and personal manager Alberto Puig, who have supported the talented Spaniard through a difficult period.

For the factory Honda team Pedrosa’s Californian success came as big relief following a year long win drought stretching back to June 2008 and Pedrosa’s home victory in Catalunya.

Indeed, the pressure had been mounting on Pedrosa for several months with a string of injuries and crashes – dating back to Sachsenring last year when he crashed out as he led the race – and the former 125cc and 250cc World Champion was quick to thank those around him as he stepped off the Laguna podium.

“It was a nice race and a nice weekend for us,” Pedrosa told motogp.com. “It has been tough but we did a good job and to finally get a win here is a good feeling. After a whole year with so many troubles and injuries this is perfect. Not only for me but for my team, because they also really needed it and we are very happy. I especially want to thank them for continuing to push forward in the bad times.”

Also acknowledging the medical treatment he has received in the past twelve months on catalogue of hand, arm and leg injuries Pedrosa stated, “I also want to thank the doctors who have treated me as they have enabled me to return to racing at this level. I want to thank everybody around me.”

When it was put to him that he may have a chance to exorcise some demons in Germany at the very next round in two weeks time, Pedrosa commented, “Sachsenring last year was very good until it became a disaster, so I hope this year it will be the opposite!”

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Rossi start terdepan di Assen

Valentino Rossi akan start dari posisi terdepan di Assen di ikuti oleh Pedrosa, Lorenzo dan Stoner. Rossi akan mengejar gelar ke 100 kalinya menjuarai seri GP.

Valentino Rossi will start his quest for a 100th Grand Prix victory from pole position at the Assen circuit on Saturday afternoon, taking the top spot for the Alice TT Assen with a 1’36.025 lap.

Although it is Rossi’s second pole position of 2009, it is also the first time that he has topped a qualifying session this season. His previous pole came courtesy of combined practice times when the grid-deciding session in Japan was cancelled due to rainfall.

The Fiat Yamaha rider was trailed by Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, who was less than a tenth of a second slower than the Italian’s hot lap. Pedrosa returns to the front row after two races away.

Jorge Lorenzo continued his 100% record of front line starts with a time three-tenths down on teammate Rossi’s marker, and the Spaniard made a final push for pole in the closing stages of the session. He is now the only rider to have qualified on the front row for every race of the 2009 season to date, having relegated the only other candidate –Casey Stoner- to fourth place.

Although Stoner had crossed the line with enough time to perform another hot lap, the Australian sat up and opted against a further attempt at pole. Problems with grip had plagued the Ducati Marlboro rider throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, and he had another wobble that left him obviously agitated during the outing.

Colin Edwards once again qualified on the second row after leading the session for a small period of time, alongside another veteran in Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi.

The only crash in the session came from Niccolò Canepa, the Pramac Racing rookie escaping uninjured.

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