Rossi won his ninth world title in Malaysia, celebrating as only he knows how.

MOTOGP
Looking back at Valentino Rossi’s ninth world championship victory makes many realise just how great The Doctor is, with a 10th title on the cards for the 2010 season as he prepares to come back once again with Yamaha.

It’s believed that Yamaha has already commenced discussions for the 2011 season to keep their main man, although Ducati may have something to say about that if Marlboro gets serious about securing Rossi’s services as speculated a couple of months ago.

Rossi is now on 103 grand prix victories and is homing in on Giacomo Agostini’s record of 122, a statistic that would surely cement his status as the greatest of all time if he can eclipse Ago’s mark in the modern era.

Aussie Casey Stoner had an incredible fortnight to win the Malaysian Grand Prix just seven days after his Phillip Island triumph at home, boosting his confidence and reminding everybody just how fast he is when healthy and putting himself back into contention as a favourite for next year’s title.

Just one round remains this year after what has been a spectacular year to date in the premier class, and new Superbike World Champion Ben Spies will be lining up on the grid for the Valencia finale to wet his feet before jumping in full time next year.

The FIM has released the provisional calendar for MotoGP already, but the word is that there are dates to be changed for when the final calendar is released, with the Hungarian Grand Prix said to be getting removed from the calendar once again due to the Balatonring circuit’s construction not being finalised.

As for 2010 rider news, Scot Honda still has a place remaining and the battle for that spot is heating up amongst current Gresini Racing teammates Alex de Angelis and Toni Elias, both of whom are bringing sponsorship to the team should they get the approval.

It was believed that de Angelis had the spot sealed with money from the San Marino government as long as the bike was painted in colours to match, but the latest word is that Elias has become a likely candidate for the final available seat on the grid (apart from the proposed FB Corse entrant).

MOTO2
Team Pons Racing has announced that it has teamed up with the Kalex Engineering company for its Moto2 assault next year, with Toni Elias said to be the rider until his MotoGP hopes were raised last week. Sito Pons’ team was a former MotoGP front-running effort, so it’s likely to be very competitive in the new year. There has been no word yet on who will ride for the likes of Team Roberts, Tech 3 or even Gresini at this point, so we’ll have to wait and see what comes of those roles.

WORLD SUPERBIKE
You have to hand it to Ben Spies after his Superbike World Championship victory in his rookie year, raising the bar to new levels and pushing veteran favourite Nori Haga to his absolute limits throughout the year.

Haga ended up throwing it all away in a devastating race one crash to allow Spies a comfortable second leg on his way to the title, and he’ll be absolutely thrilled to add the WSBK crown to his three AMA SBK titles before he takes on the MotoGP challenge next season.

Just days later and the new season seems to have already commenced in Portugal testing, where notable debutants include Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland for Yamaha, Sylvain Guintoli and Leon Haslam for Suzuki, Carlos Checa for Althea Ducati and Max Neukirchner on a Ten Kate Honda.

Big news at Portimao is that Frenchman Regis Laconi is expected back for DFX Ducati after his horror spill in South Africa earlier this year, and the entire paddock is in support of the very likeable former WSBK and GP winner.

A solid performance from Leon Camier at the Portimao finale has given his chances of securing the factory Aprilia ride alongside Max Biaggi a boost for 2010, and he is indeed in the saddle once again at the post-race tests, signalling that he’s a favourite to remain on the team for a full season.

Absent from the test is Kawasaki’s new signing Chris Vermeulen after not gaining permission from Suzuki for the test, but he’ll have a packed testing schedule in Japan throughout the off season.

AMERICAN SUPERBIKE
Yamaha announced this morning that it is outsourcing its factory effort in the AMA Superbike Championship, handing the reins over to Graves Motorsports, which formerly ran the 600cc effort of the team with great success (and the former Superstock 1000/Formula Xtreme categories).

In speaking to a lot of friends Stateside it would seem that the situation for their series is even worse than what it currently is in Australia in regards to factory participation and rider salaries for next year, meaning that there are many riders without contracts signed for the new season just yet.

I bet Mat Mladin is working away at his Bike Gear Warehouse business back here at home with a great smile on his dial that he finished his career on a high note before the series really struggled for 2010.

AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS
Geelong’s Monster Energy Super X round started with the disappointment of not having Jeremy McGrath on hand as earlier promoted due to his truck racing commitments in America, but the series went on and Chad Reed looked like a new man on his Kawasaki KX450F.

Reed looked more comfortable after an extra week on his green machine and taught the Aussies a lesson on how to ride the whoops, but apart from that you’d have to say that the rest of the field was getting around the hard pack track with good speed.

Reed looked much more comfortable in Geelong on the Monster Kawasaki. Image: Sport The Library.

Dan Reardon noted yesterday in our Moto Talk with him that he was sick over the course of the weekend due to his recent travel, and that he felt like he had an off weekend of sorts, so expect him to be even stronger come Perth this Saturday night indoors.

The afternoon format was run due to a lack of lighting at Skilled Stadium and always takes away that traditional Supercross feel to it in the atmosphere stakes, but even then the racing was fast-paced and exciting from the word go.

Having the Man On Man qualifying format was exciting and mixed it up a bit, although I still do like the Top 10 Shootout format as well, and you have to give it up for Craig Anderson as he looked to have stepped it up a notch on the weekend.

There were words spoken between Reed and Jay Marmont after their first turn clash in the second final of the Quad Challenge, adding to the hype around the series this year as identities and rivalries are finally being exposed, and you can bet that those pair won’t give an inch for the remainder of the year.

Having Michael Byrne back for Rockstar Maxima Honda Racing added to the prestige of the event despite him only getting very limited testing time and having to use standard-spec suspension on his CRF450R, but he’ll be stronger as the season goes on.

Rounding out the podium was Tye Simmonds for Motorex KTM after an exceptional performance in only his second Pro Open Super X event – who said KTM’s 450 couldn’t get it done in Supercross? There may be some big names in orange next year to prove that point even further, so I hear.

Rockstar Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss was untouchable in the 15-lap Lites main event as Ryan Marmont and Kyle Cunningham gave chase, and these three are quickly cementing themselves as the class heavyweights for the year.

If you’re looking for a factory Suzuki RM-Z450 in the Open class then stay tuned for an announcement soon, but the Rockstar Motul team is looking for a replacement for Jake Moss after his devastating injury. Possible candidates include Grant Langston (the favourite for the seat) and a number of young American hopefuls. Who would you like to see on the bike if Suzuki was to select an Aussie at this point in time?

AMERICAN SUPERCROSS
Like with their AMA Superbike team, Yamaha today announced that it is outsourcing its entire racing effort, handing the factory reins over to the L&M Racing team for the 2010 season.

It’s sad in some ways to see the number of seats shrink in the factory-supported ranks, but that’s just the way it is in the current economic climate as manufacturers adjust their strategies to ensure a strong future.

It’s believed that Josh Hill will be making the move over to the L&M team alongside Stewart after he won some Supercross main events this year (it seems so long ago now), making a very formidable team for the stadium season when it roars into life at Anaheim in January.

That’s all for another day, thanks for reading.