Tony Elias (Honda) rode a stunning race at today’s Portuguese GP in Estoril, scoring an upset victory over defending champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) that came down to a few thousandths of a second at the finish line. This is Elias’ first ever MotoGP win, and a stunning reversal after a somewhat lackluster season. Just behind Elias and Rossi was Kenny Roberts on the Honda-powered KR bike, scoring his second third-place finish of the season.
The surprising finishing order, however, was overshadowed by the drama earlier in the race. While attempting to pass his teammate Nicky Hayden on Lap 5, Honda rookie Dani Pedrosa lost the front end and slid into Hayden’s bike, taking both riders out of the race. Hayden, who went into the race with a twelve-point lead over Rossi in the championship, will leave Portugal trailing the defending champ by eight points due to his teammate-induced DNF.
The final race of the season is scheduled to occur in Valencia in two weeks. For more info, results, and points, check out the official MotoGP site.
