MotoGP Deutschland

Guten Tag from the Sausagering, where the MotoGP boys will unleash a fleet of 800cc Panzers in hopes of victory in the Motherland. Last time out, at Catalunya, Jorge Lorenzo pretty much blew everyone's doors off enroute to his fifth win of the season and an even more biggerer championship points lead. Will Lorenzo's Blitzkreig continue, or will another rider step up and send Lorenzo to hide in his secret bunker?

In other news...Germany marks Valentino Rossi's return to action after using his broken leg as an excuse to take a 4-race holiday. Coming into Germany, Rossi sat about 100 points behind Lorenzo in the points. With 7 of the 18 rounds in the books, could Rossi overhaul Lorenzo for the title before heading off to Ducati in 2011? It wouldn't surprise me.

Qualifying came and went, and Lorenzo helped himself to his 4th pole position of the year...but not before conveniently exploding his motor along the front straight and coating the hard-braking zone into turn 1 with a glistening layer of Yamalube. Lorenzo's Oil Can Harry tactic had the closely-following Ben Spies on his ass and into the gravel followed by DePuniet.

As far as the rest of the starting grid...K.C. Stoner and Dani Pedrosa rounded out the front row. Rossi managed a decent 5th on the grid. Colin Edwards 12th, Spies 13th, and Nicky Hayden back in 15th...not exactly a star-spangled qualifying session.

Grid 'em up and roll 'em out...Pedro gets his usual holeshot into turn 1 followed by Lorenzo and some dude named Barbara on a private Duck. Dovi and Stoner dispatch Barbara to take over 3rd and 4th, while Lorenzo takes Pedro for the lead...all in the same 2 corners. Bitchin'. Hayden made a good start up to 8th from 15th on the grid.

Things pretty much held station until 24(of 30)laps to go, when Colin Edwards chucked his Yamaha into the gravel...he was expendable. Then, with 21 to go, a huge turd dropped in the punchbowl...DePuniet highsided his Honda into one of the tight left-handers, Espargaro motocrossed over DePuniet's leg, and Bautista pretty much motocrossed over everything/body. The race was red-flagged as DePuniet's flaming bike was extinguished while he was carted off to the hospital with a destroyed leg.

MotoGp Deutschland Part Deux...a new 21 lap race. The sausage dropped and, once again, Pedro hits the front. Kallio hit the deck as Hayden barged his way up to 5th. Pedro and Lorenzo went back and forth at the front with Pedro finally hitting the front and gapping Lorenzo for the win. Lorenzo played it cool and hauled home 20 valuable championship points in 2nd.

While this was going on, Rossi blew past Dovi on the brakes to take 4th. At the front, it was still Pedro, Lorenzo, and Stoner...with Rossi closing. By now, Rossi was on Stoner's ass and looking to crutch himself on to the podium. Rossi went past Stoner, on the brakes, to briefly take 3rd. On the following lap, Stoner put a rather stout block-pass move on Rossi to take back 3rd. Rossi got back into 3rd only to have Stoner stuff him on the last corner of the last lap to secure 3rd. Oi!

Result:
1 Dani Pedrosa/Repsol Honda
2 Jorge Lorenzo/Fiat Yamaha
3 Casey Stoner/Marlboro Ducati
4 Valentino Rossi/Fiat Yamaha
5 Andrea Dovizioso/Repsol Honda
6 Marco Simoncelli/San Carlo Gresini Honda
7 Nicky Hayden/Marlboro Ducati
8 Ben Spies/Tech 3 Yamaha
9 Hector Barbera/Aspar Ducati
10 Marco Melandri/San Carlo Gresini Honda
11 Loris Capirossi/Rizla Suzuki
12 Alex De Angelis/Interwetten Honda

Das Gravel Boot:
Aleix Espargaro/Pramac Ducati
Randy DePuniet/LCR Honda
Alvaro Bautista/Rizla Suzuki
Colin Edwards/Tech 3 Yamaha
Mika Kallio/Pramac Ducati

Top 10 Championship Points after Germany
1 Lorenzo/185
2 Pedrosa/138
3 Dovizioso/102
4 Stoner/83
5 Hayden/78
6 Rossi/74
7 DePuniet/69
8 Spies/67
9 Simoncelli/49
10 Melandri/45

Alright folks...crack open a Bud heavy, deep-fry a Twinkie, and shave your favorite 'driver's' number in your back hair as MotoGP heads stateside, this weekend, at Laguna Seca. Rossi's won here, but Lorenzo has not. Also...welcome Roger Lee Hayden back to the clubhouse as he fills in for the injured Randy DePuniet on the LCR Honda. 'The Rog' last rode a MotoGP bike in 2007 as a wildcard at Laguna Seca and finished a decent 10th (on a Kawasaki, no less) ahead of both Colin Edwards and big bro Nicky. Porkchop!