Nevertheless Mark Rowling and Western Australia's Shane Smith did make it inside the 107% qualifying cut off and will take their place on the grid.  Even though Smith's bike set-up is far from perfect after damaging a gear earlier this weekend for which he had no replacement.

Everyone got away cleanly but there was a bit of a pile-up around the back of the circuit after a rider high-sided with the resulting carnage taking out a few other riders.  Namely Battaini, Checa, De Puniet and Porto.

Nieto had got the holeshot and led them across the line to commence lap 2.  Katoh 2nd, Harada 3rd, McWilliams 4th.  Mark Rowling 24th, Shane Smith 27th.  Vincent pulled in to the pits.

Harada took the lead on lap 3 but Katoh shot to the front on lap 4.    Rowling and Smith 25th and 26th respectively with 20 laps to run.

By lap 9 of 25 Katoh had opened up a 2 second gap over Harada who in turn had 4 seconds on 3rd placed Rolfo.  The battle for 3rd was heated with Rolfo doing battle with Nieto, McWilliams, Locatelli and Alzamora.  The two Aussie wildcards Rowling and Smith still at the back of the field in 25th and 26th, not surprising considering the difference in machinery.  During qualifying most of the 250 GP runners were hitting around 270kph down the main straight while Rowling and Smith were only just managing 240kph.  That means they would be losing 8 metres a second down the main straight, a huge deficit.

By half race distance Katoh had stretched the gap over Harada out to 3 seconds.  Rolfo was a further 5 seconds behind in 3rd.  Nieto battling for 4th with Locatelli, McWilliams and Alzamora.

WA wildcard rider Shane Smith pulled in the pits with mechanical problems with 10 laps to go.  A disappointment for Shane but I am sure just getting to race at a GP would have nearly made the large loan of money he had to take out to get here about worthwhile.  Mark Rowling still continuing though and is at the back of the field in 25th place after being lapped but gained two places with 9 laps to run when Guintoli retired and Hofmann crashed.

Two-thirds race distance and Katoh had stretched his lead over Harada out to 5 seconds.  Rolfo a further 4 seconds behind in 3rd.  McWilliams in 4th and 3 seconds behind Rolfo.

With 7 laps to go the leaders had lapped everyone from and including Katja Poensgen who was in 21st place.  David De Gea crashed out from 14th place and the last remaining Australian wildcard Mark Rowling pulled in to the pits.

With two laps to run Katoh had a 7 second lead over Harada who in turn had 2.5 seconds over Rolfo.  The battle for 4th on in earnest between Nieto, McWilliams and Alzamora.  Debon entered the pits from 9th place with some sort of problem.

Katoh dominated the race fairly much from start to finish but Harada recorded the fastest lap on lap 7 with a 1m34.560.  Nearly a full second behind Valentino Rossi's 1999 lap record which was recorded in slightly better conditions than were at Phillip Island for this 2001 race.

Daijiro Katoh now leads the championship on 272 points from Harada on 243.

1. Katoh
2. Harada
3. Rolfo
4. McWilliams
5. Nieto
6. Alzamora
7. Locatelli
8. Boscoscuro
9. Matsudo
10. Yuzy
11. Lanzi
12. Sekiguchi
13. Chiarello
14. Tomas
15. Vidal
16. Barros
17. Giugovaz
18. Costa
19. Poensgen
20. Edwards

DNF - Debon, De Gea, Rowling, Hofmann, Guintoli, Smith, Vincent, Battaini, Checa, De Puniet, Porto.   DNS - Brookes, Melandri, Lynch Carter