2010 Estoril Moto2 Race Result - Drying Track Generates Topsy-Turvy Thriller

Results and summary of the Moto2 race at Estoril:

A damp and drying track at Estoril provided a real thriller of an opening race at the Portuguese circuit, and a surprise winner in Viessmann Kiefer's Stefan Bradl. The race looked at first as if it would throw up a real surprise winner, as the current World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu seized the lead into the first corner, then fending off Blusens-STX rider Yonny Hernandez and Fimmco Speed Up's Gabor Talmacsi to take control of the race. Sofuoglu, substituting in the Technomag CIP team for Shoya Tomizawa who was tragically killed at Misano, set out a scorching pace and had soon pulled a lead of nearly 7 seconds by lap 11.

Once the race approached the halfway mark, however, the tides began to turn. Sofuoglu's lap times plummeted, while those in the chasing pack began to drop, and by lap 19, Bradl and Alex Baldolini were with the Turkish rider. The pair quickly dispatched Sofuoglu, who looked destined to plummet through the pack even further. But once the pack chasing for 3rd caught Sofuoglu, the Turk got his second wind, and he joined Alex de Angelis, Scott Redding, Ant West, Dominique Aegerter, Gabor Talmacsi, Karel Abraham and Hector Faubel to scrap for the final podium spot.

First would come down to a straight fight between Bradl and Baldolini, and the German held the upper hand for most of the race. Baldolini had attacked Bradl throughout the race, but was rarely close enough to make it stick. That changed in the last couple of laps, with Baldolini launching a last ditch attempts as the race drew to a close. The Italian even got past a couple of times, leading across the line to start the penultimate lap, before Bradl forced his way back into the lead at turn 1. Baldolini crept back on the final lap, but could not quite get close enough as the flag was waved for the finish. Bradl took his maiden Moto2 victory, and his third ever win, forcing Baldolini to accept 2nd.

While Bradl had had control of the race at the front, the race for 3rd was completely open. The prime candidates for the top step were Sofuoglu, Aegerter and De Angelis, with Scott Redding pushing closely behind. Aegerter was quickly dispensed with by Sofuoglu and De Angelis, and it looked like Sofuoglu had his hands firmly on a podium at his first time at the track. But wiles and experience saw Alex de Angelis worm his way past on the final lap to take 3rd, the canny young Scott Redding taking advantage to come home 4th, ahead of Sofuoglu in 5th

Results: