Last year MotoGP Champion, Ducati's Casey Stoner finished the same way he started the season 2008 with a victory at the MotoGP season finale at Valencia in front of Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi.

Stoner, who was starting from pole, momentarily lost the lead to Dani Pedrosa in the first corner but managed to get back in front of the Spaniard and never lost first place thereafter.

Rossi was starting in tenth place, after having had a difficult qualification, but he did fight his way back, and was third on lap six, when he went by Tech 3's Colin Edwards and the factory Honda of Nicky Hayden.

The Italian went on to finish almost nine seconds behind Stoner, with Dovizioso classified fourth a further three seconds back.

For his last ever race with Repsol Honda, America Nicky Hayden took fifth, with Edwards trailing in sixth six seconds behind his countryman.

Race Results:

Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Casey Stoner Ducati (B) 46:46.114
2. Dani Pedrosa Honda (B) + 3.390
3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha (B) + 12.194 - 2008 CHAMPION
4. Andrea Dovizioso Honda (M) + 24.159
5. Nicky Hayden Honda (M) + 26.232
6. Colin Edwards Yamaha (M) + 32.209
7. Shinya Nakano Honda (B) + 34.571
8. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (M) + 35.661
9. Loris Capirossi Suzuki (B) + 38.228
10. Alex de Angelis Honda (B) + 47.583
11. James Toseland Yamaha (M) + 52.107
12. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati (B) + 52.350
13. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki (B) + 52.833
14. John Hopkins Kawasaki (B) + 53.227
15. Randy de Puniet Honda (M) + 53.411
16. Marco Melandri Ducati (B) +1:08.387
17. Anthony West Kawasaki (B) +1:11.181
18. Toni Elias Ducati (B) +1:37.055


Photo Credit : Bridgestone