There was no better way to finish the 2011 Moto2 season and honour Marco Simoncelli at the same time, as Michele Pirro of Gresini Racing won a very treacherous, ride on eggs race due to the rain, and taking his first ever win in Moto2 with Simoncelli’s “Race your life” slogan on the livery of his Moriwaki.
It was a tearful and emotional Fausto Gresini that welcomed Pirro’s victory after losing his MotoGP rider two weeks ago, and after spending better part of the race at the Clinica Mobile checking up on his other rider Yuki Takahashi, who had a horrific crash at turn 3 hitting his head hard.
The Japanese rider was declared okay at the circuit’s medical centre, but taken to the hospital as a precaution.
With Takahashi out, team mate Pirro picked up the lead with Mika Kallio tailing, but the Italian rider who is also part of the Italian police force, would increase even further his margin to finish under the chequered flag 6.
150s ahead of second place Mika Kallio.
Dominique Aegerter made his Technomag CIP team proud with his third place, while wet weather specialist Anthony West took fourth.
Kenny Noyes grabbed fifth ahead of Yonny Hernandez who had been riding as high as second until he went off track to rejoin in sixth.
Mike di Meglio got the better of Xavier Simeon for seventh, while Max Neukirchner and Julian Simon closed out the top ten.
Further back Andrea Iannone took 11th and third in the standings after dicing it out with rival Alex de Angelis who finished in 12th.
The Moto2 race was also a crash fest, with included newly crowned Moto2 World champion Stefan Bradl binning it on lap 4.
Moto2 Valencia Race Results:01- Michele Pirro – Gresini Racing Moto2 – Moriwaki MD600 – 27 laps in 46’22.
20502- Mika Kallio – Marc VDS Racing Team – Suter MMXI – + 6.
15003- Dominique Aegerter – Technomag CIP – Suter MMXI – + 6.
36304- Anthony West – MZ Racing Team – FTR Moto M210 – + 8.
84305- Kenny Noyes – Avintia STX – FTR Moto M211 – + 9.
22906- Yonny Hernandez – Blusens STX – FTR Moto M211 – + 9.
92607- Mike Di Meglio – Tech 3 Racing – Tech 3 Mistral 610 – + 10.
11508- Xavier Simeon – RTL Sport Team – Tech 3 Mistral 610 – + 10.
38509- Max Neukirchner – MZ Racing Team – FTR Moto M210 – + 13.
01810- Julian Simon – Mapfre Aspar Team – Suter MMXI – + 13.
68511- Andrea Iannone – Speed Master Team – Suter MMXI – + 14.
68612- Alex De Angelis – JiR Moto2 – MotoBI – + 15.
20013- Jules Cluzel – NGM Forward Racing – Suter MMXI – + 18.
42814- Pol Espargaro – HP Tuenti Speed Up – Speed Up S-11 – + 19.
17715- Claudio Corti – Italtrans Racing Team – Suter MMXI – + 20.
35616- Randy Krummenacher – GP Team Switzerland – KALEX Moto2 – + 26.
03117- Thomas Luthi – Interwetten Paddock Moto2 – Suter MMXI – + 27.
16018- Jordi Torres – Mapfre Aspar Team – Suter MMXI – + 33.
81319- Alex Baldolini – Desguaces La Torre G22 – Moriwaki MD600 – + 46.
00320- Kenan Sofuoglu – Technomag CIP – Suter MMXI – + 49.
63521- Aleix Espargaro – Pons HP 40 – Pons KALEX – + 1’12.
18722- Santiago Hernandez – SAG Team – FTR Moto M211 – + 1’14.
56723- Bradley Smith – Tech 3 Racing – Tech 3 Mistral 610 – + 1’15.
39424- Robertino Pietri – Italtrans Racing Team – Suter MMXI – + 1’16.
76725- Elena Rosell – Mapfre Aspar Team – Suter MMXI – + 1’19.
89326- Joan Olive – Aeroport de Castello – FTR Moto M211 – + 1’22.
33927- Mashel Al Naimi – QMMF Racing Team – Moriwaki MD600 – 1 lap28- Oscar Climent – Team Climent – MIR Racing – 1 lap29- Nasser Al Malki – QMMF Racing Team – Moriwaki MD600 – 1 lap30- Scott Redding – Marc VDS Racing Team – Suter MMXI – 1 lap
