The 2008 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 2008 MotoGP championship

2008 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 2008 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 60th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-MotoGP:The MotoGP class opened with the historic Qatar Grand Prix, the first night race held in the World Championship history...

. It took place on the weekend of July 18-20, 2008, at the Laguna Seca

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....

 circuit. It was an eventful race between Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...

 and Casey Stoner

Casey Stoner

Casey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...

 where the lead was hotly contested between the two. On lap 23, with Rossi leading after an ingenious but controversial pass down the corkscrew, Stoner entered into the last corner too deep and ended up in the gravel trap. Rossi retained his lead for the remainder of the race while Stoner managed to finish in second place despite his mistake. Rossi won for the first time at Laguna Seca and Stoner set a new lap record with a time of 1:21.488. Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes made an appearance at the race.

As usual, only the MotoGP class was permitted to race at Laguna Seca due to the Californian air pollution law prohibiting two-stroke engines in the state.

MotoGP classification

Pos	No	Rider	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Grid	Points
1	46	Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	32	44:04.311	2	25
2	1	Casey Stoner Casey Stoner Casey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...	Ducati	32	+13.001	1	20
3	7	Chris Vermeulen Chris Vermeulen Chris Vermeulen is a motorcycle racer, currently competing in the World Superbike Championship for the works Kawasaki team. He originally raced in this class in 2004 and 2005 for the Ten Kate Honda team, finishing as series runner-up in 2005...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	32	+26.609	8	16
4	4	Andrea Dovizioso Andrea Dovizioso Andrea Dovizioso is a professional motorcycle road racer. He won the 125cc World Championship in 2004.-125cc:...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	32	+34.901	9	13
5	69	Nicky Hayden Nicky Hayden Nicholas "Nicky" Patrick Hayden , nicknamed the The Kentucky Kid, is an American professional motorcycle racer, who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006.-Beginnings and AMA Championship:...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	32	+35.663	3	11
6	14	Randy de Puniet Randy de Puniet Randy de Puniet is a French Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is currently racing for the Pramac Ducati team in MotoGP, having raced in this class regularly since 2006...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	32	+37.668	6	10
7	24	Toni Elias Toni Elías Antonio "Toni" Elias Justícia Antonio "Toni" Elias Justícia Antonio "Toni" Elias Justícia (born March 26, 1983 in Manresa, (Catalonia, Spain) is a professional motorcycle racer and inaugural champion of the Moto2 World Championship. He is the third member of the Elías family to compete in...	Ducati	32	+41.629	10	9
8	11	Ben Spies Ben Spies Ben Spies , also known as "Elbowz" due to his riding style where his elbows protrude outward, is a professional motorcycle road racer who turned pro in 2000...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	32	+41.927	13	8
9	52	James Toseland James Toseland James Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	32	+43.019	5	7
10	56	Shinya Nakano Shinya Nakano is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano.-Early years:...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	32	+44.391	12	6
11	12	Jamie Hacking Jamie Hacking Jamie Alexander Hacking , nicknamed The Hacker, is a professional motorcycle racer who has spent his entire career in the United States. He has chosen to sit out the 2010 due to limited options....	Kawasaki Kawasaki Heavy Industries is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....	32	+46.258	17	5
12	50	Sylvain Guintoli Sylvain Guintoli Sylvain Guintoli is a French professional motorcycle racer. He spent most of his career in the 250cc World Championship on private bikes, he made a single MotoGP start in 2002 during his run in the 250cc class, where he stayed until moving up to Moto GP in 2007.-Moto GP:In 2007, he raced in the...	Ducati	32	+55.273	14	4
13	15	Alex de Angelis Alex de Angelis Alex de Angelis is a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from San Marino.Alex made his debut at world championship level in 1999 in the 125 cc class; his first full season was in 2000, when his best results were two sixth places. He rode a total of four full seasons in the 125cc category...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	32	+55.521	16	3
14	5	Colin Edwards Colin Edwards Colin Edwards II nicknamed the Texas Tornado is an American professional motorcycle racer. He is a two time World Superbike champion and has competed in MotoGP since 2003, now riding for the Yamaha Tech 3 team in the 2011 season.-Early years:At the age of three, his Australian father, Colin...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	32	+1:02.380	7	2
15	65	Loris Capirossi Loris Capirossi Loris Capirossi is a retired Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who competed between and...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	32	+1:08.207	11	1
16	33	Marco Melandri Marco Melandri Marco Melandri is a motorcycle road racer currently racing for the Yamaha World Superbike Team. Melandri is also a former 250cc World Champion in 2002...	Ducati	32	+1:10.962	15
17	13	Anthony West Anthony West (motorcycle racer) Anthony "Ant" West is an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He has won one race, the 2003 Dutch TT in the 250cc class...	Kawasaki Kawasaki Heavy Industries is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....	31	+1 Lap	18
Ret	48	Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero , is a Spanish professional motorcycle road racer. He is the 2006 and 2007 250cc World Champion, and the MotoGP World Champion...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	0	Accident	4