A MotoGP Battle to Remember: Rossi and Stoner, Laguna Seca 2008

It’s December now, and in most parts of the U.S. that means cold, snowy weather, and possibly months before you’re back on the bike.

Here’s a little MotoGP-flavored hot toddy to keep you warm through the wintery months.

The Red Bull U.S. GP at Laguna Seca is a favorite of ours, ’cause, well, it’s essentially in our backyard. But our bias isn’t unwarranted, as the undulating Mazda Raceway circuit, with its long front straight, elevation changes and famous Corkscrew provide lots of opportunities for edge-of-your-seat racing action. And Laguna Seca 2008 proved as dramatic a race as any had seen, as Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner were locked in a duel that saw numerous lead changes, and lots of gutsy, in-your-face maneuvers by both riders — including Rossi’s now-famous inside pass on Stoner at the exit of the Corkscrew.

In this scene Casey Stoner passes Rossi on the outside, brazenly rubbing elbows along the way. Cool!

This MotoGP-provided video highlight boils down the entire race between the two GP giants into a matter of minutes, but it’s a two-minute thrill-feast that ends with Rossi planting a big wet one, so-to-speak, to the Corkscrew crowd’s delight. The video is so well liked it’s been viewed more than 11 million times — viewers are still posting comments on it to this day.

Regrettably, MotoGP is rather stingy with its video content rights, and doesn’t allow embedding of its videos, so you’ll have to go one more step by clicking the below link to view the vid on MotoGP’s YouTube channel. Trust us, though, it’s worth the click.

Rossi vs. Stoner: Laguna Seca 2008

If you saw this race years ago, whether in person or on TV, but have since forgotten about it, sit back and let the excitement of this classic two-wheeled battle warm up your MotoGP-loving heart this winter.