Simoncelli gifts Kalio

Mika Kalio has capitalised on an aggressive late race move by Marco Simoncelli to win this weekend’s Donnington 250 Grand Prix and extend his world championship lead.

in scenes reminiscent of most races this year, Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista had been battling at the front of the pack all race. The Italian and the Spaniard were trading places in a tight and tactical struggle at the front, while Mika Kalio, who started from 14^th on the grid hunted them down.

Less than half way through the race Kalio passed Hector Barbera for third and immediate set a new circuit record of on his way after the two front runners.

Bautista then passed Simoncelli with three laps to go and set his own circuit record with the enigmatic and unpredictable Simoncelli never far behind. At Goddard’s in the penultimate lap Simoncelli fired his Gilera under the Aprilia of Bautista, forcing the Spaniard wide. Kalio has been waiting, and as the two foes drifted wide the KTM rider capitalised, diving to the inside and sliding into a gifted first place. There was no time for either Simoncelli or the enraged Bautista to catch KTM rider.

Kalio now leads the championship by 8 points from Simoncelli.