Stoner downs Rossi to seal Australian MotoGP

Casey Stoner showed no sign of the illness that has derailed his season when he upstaged Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to secure a hat-trick of home Australian Grand Prix wins on Sunday. Stoner took the tactical battle by 1.935 seconds over champion Rossi in sunny conditions at the 4.45km Phillip Island circuit. Rossi's second place was achieved despite personal tragedy, the Italian hearing of his stepfather's death before qualifying on Saturday, and lifted him closer to retaining the title. Crossing the line well clear of Dani Pedrosa in third, Rossi stretched his championship lead over nearest challenger Lorenzo to 38 points with two races remaining after the Spaniard crashed out before the first turn. Stoner leapfrogged Pedrosa to move third in the championship standings. Fourth on the grid, Lorenzo lost control and came off his bike after brushing another rider, the accident also dragging American Nicky Hayden into the paddock.In the 250cc class, Marco Simoncelli was awarded victory with six laps left after a crash left Italian Roberto Locatelli stricken on the race track. The win put the hirsute Gilera rider within 12 points of leader Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan, who was classified seventh. Aprilia-rider Hector Barbera of Spain finished second and Italian Raffaele De Rosa third. Spaniard Julian Simon clinched the 125cc race and the championship in dramatic fashion, overtaking British team mate and nearest challenger Bradley Smith on the final lap.