Marquez Wins the Malaysian Grand Prix to Equal Mick Doohan’s MotoGP Record

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is back to his winning ways…

The 21-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer, who won his second MotoGP championship title in as many seasons three races ago in Japan, came in first on Sunday in a tight race at the Sepang Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Marquez has struggled in the last couple of months, but managed to return to the top of the podium after a hard-fought victory.

Marquez’s 12th win of the season ties him with legendary Australian Mick Doohan, who won 12 of 15 races in 1997. Marquez has won 12 of 17 races this season, with only Valencia left to close out the schedule on November 9.

“I’ve equaled Mick Doohan’s record,” he told reporters after the race. “With one race left, maybe I can beat it. If I had a bad result here the pressure in Valencia would be more.

“But now I am free in Valencia and I can do well for my fans and just enjoy it.”

The Honda rider fell back as far as ninth at the start, but was back up to third by the second of 20 laps around the 3.4-mile track. He pulled away from Yamaha teammates Valentino Rossi of Italy and Jorge Lorenzo of Spain to cruise to a comfortable 2.445-second winning margin.

With Marquez’s victory, Honda claimed its 21st Contructor’s Championship at motorcycle racing’s premier level for road bikes.

Marquez Retains His MotoGP Title with Second-Place Finish at the Grand Prix of Japan

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is officially a back-to-back champ…

The 21-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion has defended his title with a second-place finish on Sunday at the Grand Prix of Japan.

Marquez, who came in behind compatriot Jorge Lorenzo, crossed the line 1.638 seconds to collect the crucial points for the world championship win.

Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi of Italy completed the podium in third place.

Lorenzo took his second successive victory with a time of 42 minutes, 21.259 seconds over 24 laps at the 2.983-mile Honda-owned Motegi circuit.

With three races left in the season, Marquez has 312 points, 82 points ahead of Rossi and Dani Pedrosa. Riders are awarded 25 points for a win.

Having started fourth on the grid, Marquez passed Rossi midway through the race, then made an attempt to catch Lorenzo, but the Yamaha rider held his lead and Marquez settled for second.

At 21, Marquez is the youngest rider to take consecutive premier world titles.

“The race doesn’t really matter today,” Marquez said. “Maybe I wasn’t riding like always, as I felt a little different. It was hard to overtake, and I didn’t want to make any mistakes.

“We got the title and it’s incredible to take it at home.”

The next race is at Phillip Island, Australia, on October 19.

Marquez Cruises to Eighth Consecutive MotoGP Win This Season

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Márquez maintains his undefeated run in MotoGP action…

The 21-year-old Spanish motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion outlasted Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso to take Saturday’s Dutch Grand Prix, making it eight straight victories as he defends his title.

Márquez is the first rider to win the first eight races of the year since Giacomo Agostini did it in 1971.

As he crossed the finish line he lay flat on his bike and made swimming motions with both arms and legs, to the delight of the crowd.

With the track drying after several showers, tire choices were a crucial factor. Márquez began with intermediates but both he and Dovizioso switched to a dry kit early on. The colorful Marquez hopped from one bike to another like a cricket during the unusual pit stop.

“I was very nervous before the race,” Marquez said. “The conditions are what no one wanted, very dangerous.” He said the tire choice was “the key decision.”

“It was hard going from wet to dry. But I felt better with each lap.”

Aleix Espargaro had won his first ever pole position but finished fourth.

Dovizioso took the lead after a Marquez steering mistake took him off the track. But Marquez kept his Honda upright and continued the race — and he had better speed. He tucked inside Dovizioso neatly on a curve to take the lead with 11 laps to go.

Dovizioso eventually finished 6.74 seconds behind. Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was third.

Marquez leads with 200 points in the overall standings, while Rossi and Pedrosa both have 128. Doviziozo is fourth with 91, Jorge Lorenzo fifth with 81.

Márquez Earns Pole Position in Decisive Valencia Grand Prix Race

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Márquez is thisclose to making racing history… And, he’s in the prime position to approve it.

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, the current MotoGP points leaders, will start ahead of defending champion Jorge Lorenzo in the decisive Valencia Grand Prix after winning the pole position in the qualifying session on Saturday.

Márquez pushed his Honda through a lap in 1 minute, 30.237 seconds on the 2.48 mile Cheste Circuit.

Lorenzo will start Sunday’s season finale in second on the grid.

Márquez leads Lorenzo by 13 points entering the final race of the season. He needs a top-four finish to become the first rookie to win the championship since American Kenny Roberts in 1978.

Marquez Extends MotoGP Lead with Win at Aragon MotoGP

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is still the man to beat in the MotoGP race…

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer extended his points lead on Sunday by winning the Aragon MotoGP, although his victory came only after he played a part in the crash of Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.

Marquez grazed the back of Pedrosa’s bike when he was trying to pass him with 18 laps to go, causing Pedrosa to lose control and slide down the track with sparks flying.

“I touched him a little with the front of my bike, and they tell me I may have broken a cable and that’s why he fell,” said Marquez. “It was very unlucky. That doesn’t usually happen.”

Marquez went on to overtake defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, who had jumped ahead with a great start on his Yamaha.

Marquez finished the race at the 5-kilometer (3.15-miles) MotorLand Aragon circuit in 42 minutes, 3.4 seconds. Lorenzo ended up 1.3 seconds behind.

“We knew before the race that it was going to be tough,” said Lorenzo. “We had a lot of difficulties this weekend. The bike was unstable. But there are no excuses. Marc was faster and he deserved to win.”

Valentino Rossi finished third, more than 12 seconds back on his Yamaha, ending a run of four straight fourth-place finishes.

Marquez’s sixth win of the season gave him one more than Lorenzo and broke his closest challenger’s run of winning the previous two races.

Marquez is aiming to become the first rookie to win the championship since American Kenny Roberts in 1978.

Marquez leads Lorenzo by 39 points with four races left. Pedrosa came in level on points with Lorenzo in second place but now trails Marquez by 59.

Pedrosa, who won here last year, had to be carried off the track by the medical crew. He later said that he was fine except for some pain in his pelvis.

Lorenzo Ends Marquez’s MotoGP Hot Streak at the British MotoGP

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Lorenzo has stopped his fellow countryman’s record-setting hot streak…

The 26-year-old Spanish professional motorcycle road racer won the British MotoGP at Silverstone on Sunday despite being overtaken by championship leader Marc Marquez during the final lap.

Honda rider Marquez, who started the race in pole position, dislocated his left shoulder in the warm-up and was overtaken early in the race by Lorenzo.

The 20-year-old regained the lead in the last lap but Yamaha rider Lorenzo said “he opened up a little space and I said ‘now or never.’ ”

Defending champion Lorenzo’s victory ends Marquez’s four-race winning streak. But Marquez still remains atop the standings of the Moto GP.

Lorenzo finished 0.081 of a second ahead of Marquez. Dani Pedrosa, also of Honda, finished third and Valentino Rossi came in fourth.

Márquez Rewrites History with U.S. Grand Prix Victory

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Márquez is having a high-speed rookie season…

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer registered a win for Honda in the U.S. Grand Prix at California’s Laguna Seca track, which helped him increase his lead in the MotoGP standings to 16 points.

The victory, following his win last weekend in the German Grand Prix, made Márquez, the youngest-ever rider to win back-to-back races in his first season.

U.S. racer “Fast” Freddie Spencer was 21 when he took the first two contests of the 1983 season.

Stefan Bradl, who began Sunday’s race in pole position, ended up in second place, followed by Italy’s Valentino Rossi, a seven-time world champion.

The defending MotoGP champ, Alvaro Bautista, had to settle for the fourth spot.

“At that circuit I expected to be struggling a little bit but in the end we take 25 points. I am so happy,” said Márquez after the race.

The outcome leaves him with 163 points in the battle for the MotoGP title, while countryman and Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa has 147 points.

Márquez is the 2010 125cc World Champion and the 2012 Moto2 World Champion. Márquez made history by being the youngest ever MotoGP pole sitter & winner in history at the 2013 Grand Prix of the Americas.

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