2001 Grand Prix 500 - Round 9

Biaggi starts from pole in Germany, Nakano, Barros and Checa complete the front row. Valentino Rossi is 11th on the grid again this weekend.

Garry McCoy makes his long awaited return to the grid after a 9 week absence from race days and surprised everyone by being on the pace from word go to sit 6th on the grid. His Red-Bull team-mate Noriyuki Haga continues to struggle and has qualified 17th, one position behind Anthony West.

Another Queensland teenager sits on the 500 grid this weekend, but in his case it is his first weekend on a 500 and the first time on the Sachsenring, the rider is of course Brendan Clarke who had a surprise call up while at school earlier this week following the departure of Chris Walker from the Shell Advance Honda Team.

Mark Willis has split with the struggling Pulse GP Team and will be on the sidelines tonight.

Checa made a great run off the line but Biaggi led them through turn one followed by Checa, Abe and Barros. Two riders fell at the back of the field, hopefully one of them was not Clarke.

As they cross the line to commence lap 2 it is still Biaggi from Checa, Abe and Barros. The Brazilian is challenging Abe for 3rd. Rossi 10th, McCoy 11th, West in 16th.

Roberts up into 5th, Nakano 6th, Jacque 7th, Rossi up to 8th. Biaggi now has 8-tenths of a second over Checa with 5 laps gone. Nakano back through on Roberts for 5th a lap later.

Capirossi on a charge and took both Rossi and Jacque in one lap to move up to 7th. Jacque had got through on Rossi for a lap but the Italian took his position back on the following lap.

Lap 8 of 30 - Biaggi, Checa, Abe, Barros is still the leading quartet but Abe starting to threaten Checa. Nakano in 5th and increasing the pace, now the fastest man on the circuit. Biaggi has half a second over Checa.

18 laps to go now and Biaggi still leads but now from Abe who has took Checa for 2nd. The gap from 1st to 2nd now 1.4 seconds. Rossi up to 6th but 8 seconds behind the race leader.

Half race distance and Biaggi still 1.4 seconds over Abe, then Checa, Nakano, Barros, Rossi, Capirossi, Roberts.

Rossi through on Barros for 5th with 12 laps to run but now 11 seconds behind the race leader. Clarke crashes out of the race, he has acquitted himself quite well here this weekend and impressed most of the people in the paddock so it is far from a disastrous debut for the Queenslander teenager. Especially as the teenager is only accustomed to racing on treaded SuperSport and 250 Production tyres rather than slicks!

Capirossi through on Barros and Rossi for 5th place. Checa back through on Abe for 2nd. McCoy 11th. Biaggi now has a 3 second lead with 8 laps to go.

Lap 24 of 30, Biaggi, Checa, Abe, Nakano, Capirossi, Rossi, Barros, Jacque is the top 8 but Max has run away with this now. But a corner after I typed that race order Rossi was passed by both Barros and Jacque.

Ukawa down and out of the race. McCoy on a charge to try and make up some places in the final 2 laps, he is 10th at the moment.

Nakano through on Abe for 3rd as they start the final lap and keeps it as they cross the line to finish the race. A dominating win from Biaggi and a great final lap from Nakano when he set the fastest lap of the race.