VOL. 52 ISSUE 45 NOVEMBER 10, 2015 P51
Briefly...
Other moves were already known:
Danny Kent with his same Leopard
Racing team; Miguel Oliveira his
new teammate. Isaac Vinales will
ride a Tech3 Mistral; Efren Vazquez
an Ioda Racing Suter.
Motegi injury victim Alex de Ange-
lis was not only up and about two
weeks after flying home from Japan,
but at the circuit to greet well-wish-
ers. The San Marino rider's name
also appeared on the provisional
entry list, with the same Ioda team
and still on an ex-CRT-class ART, but
the premier-class future of the cash-
strapped team was still in question.
Should riders give a bit of extra
room, at the season finale, to others
who are contesting the champion-
ship? Not according to Ducati pair
Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Ian-
none. Asked if they would respect
this unwritten rule on race day, both
laughed it off. "If it is unwritten, it is
not a rule," said Dovi, while Iannone
was more succinct. "So—we don't
race? Just stay in the box?"
Australian MotoGP part-timers Broc
Parkes and Anthony West are fol-
lowing the same job trail for next
year, targeting either the BSB British
Superbikes series, or a move to the
USA for the second year of the Mo-
toAmerica series. Most of the rides
had already gone, Parkes said, "but
there may still be something in Eng-
land. Or I'll be looking in the US."
West, who was dropped before the
flyaway races by his QMMF Moto2
team, finished on the AB Motoracing
Open Honda he was riding in place
of injured Karel Abraham, albeit in
last place, and was considering the
dropped back and then duti-
fully rode behind Kent, only
to attack and overtake him
on the final lap, taking eighth
by just over half a second.
But ninth was enough for
Kent. "I never wanted to be
involved with the battle up
front—just to stay safe. This
is the best day of my life,"
he said.
He was the first British champion
since Barry Sheene in 1977, by six
points, having led by 66 points after
the summer break. He had 260 points
and five wins, Oliveira 254 and six
wins.
Kent finally wrapped up a title
Britain had waited 37 years for.
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