From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Circuit de la Com. Val. Ricardo Tormo, 31st October

STATISTICS 2004

Gran Premio Marlboro de la Comunitat Valenciana ROUND 16

Official statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines

SUNDAY GUIDE
MotoGP

· Makoto Tamada starts from pole for the third time in 2004. In the last nine races Tamada has scored a total of 120 points; only Rossi has scored more points over this period.

· Less than one second covers the top thirteen riders on the grid.

· Max Biaggi has qualified on the front row for the first time since he was on pole at the Sachsenring back in July.

· Valentino Rossi starts from the front row for the thirteenth time in 2004. If Rossi wins, it will be his ninth victory of the year, equalling the number of wins he achieved last year riding a Honda.

· Sete Gibernau scored his first ever victory at Valencia in 2001 when riding for Suzuki.

· Nicky Hayden crashed out of third place on lap four last year in Valencia, after qualifying on the front row of the grid for the first time in his career.

· Troy Bayliss starts from sixth on the grid, his best qualifying result since Brno. Bayliss scored five podium finishes at Valencia during his World Superbike career, including victory in both races in 2002.

· If Colin Edwards finishes in the top fifteen he will have scored points in 15 of the 16 races during 2004. Every other rider in the class has already missed scoring in at least two races.

· Carlos Checa is making his 95th and final appearance for the Yamaha factory team that he has been with since the start of 1999.

· Shinya Nakano won the 250cc race at Valencia in 2000 riding a Yamaha.

· Alex Barros has twice finished on the podium in Valencia including a win in 2002 – the last time he stood on the top step of the podium.