PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia (AFP) — Italian Marco Simoncelli held off a spirited challenge from championship rival Alvaro Bautista to win the Australian Grand Prix and edge closer to his first 250cc world crown here on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Italian prevailed on his Gilera by just 0.223secs from the Spanish Aprilia rider to take his fifth GP of the season and edge 37 points clear of Bautista in the championship with two races left in Malaysia and Spain.
Finland's Mika Kallio pipped fellow KTM rider Julian Simon of Spain by 0.028secs to take third place on the race podium.
After 15 races, Simoncelli has 240 points while Bautista has 203 and Kallio is on 191.
Simoncelli has the chance to win the quarter-litre crown at the next race in Sepang on October 19.
It was a Phillip Island dogfight with Simoncelli's back tyre almost clipping Bautista's front wheel three times on the winding bends.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
