A first ever premier class victory for young Italian, Andrea Dovizioso, on his Repsol Honda motorcycle in the madness resulting from steady midlands rainfall to earn 25 points and the honour of being the last premier class winner at Donnington Park.
The result was anyones guess, twisting and turning all the way. Besides a first win for Dovizioso, there were falls for the top two in the World Championship, a disastrous calculation championship contender and competitors staying out instead of changing motorcycles.
Dovizioso had been in the hunt on the opening laps, but found himslef in the lead due to the extra pace of the Honday and mistakes all around the circuit. After battling with World Champion and older countryman Valentino Rossi, Dovizioso found himself out in front Rossi came a cropper at the Fogarty Esses, eleven laps from the finish.
Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet took the other podium poistions. Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider Edwards taking second from the LCR Honda man on the final bend, Edwards crossing the line 1.5 seconds behind Dovizioso. For both motorcyclists the top 3 spots ware their first podiums of the 2009 season.
The early stages of the race saw some indecision, and certainty and as the came down, early leader Jorge Lorenzo who had been talked out of running wet tyres,took the lead after just a handful of laps.However disaster struck when he clipped a slippery rumble strip and his damaged Yamaha meant the Spaniards race was over.
Tyre decisions also affected Ducati Marlboro pair, Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden, who were the only riders to chance full wet tyres on the grid. The lack of consistent rainfall meant that they were struggling with the pace, their gamble definitively failing to pay off.
