'Best ever racing' as Toseland closes on title

HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Toseland holds a commanding 66-point lead over Yamaha Motor Italia’s Noriyuki Haga and with just 150 points available the Sheffield-born rider looks odds-on to recapture the crown he won in 2004.

And after signing a deal to ride for the Tech 3 Yamaha squad in Moto GP from next season the 26-year-old Kiveton man is desperate to bow out by winning the title again.

“It means so much to me to win this championship again,” he said. “The racing’s been the best ever this year in the strongest field.

“With Max Biaggi, Troy Bayliss, Troy Corser and Haga we’ve had five winners and it’s made for great racing.”

The championship has had a month off since Toseland’s dramatic double win at Brands Hatch propelled him to the brink of a second world crown but he insists there is no time for complacency.

He said: “Brands Hatch was a dream come true for me but it is all about this race now.

“I’ve just got to concentrate and be consistently at the front all weekend and if I do that it will be very difficult for anyone to catch me with only two rounds left.

“If I can leave Germany with a 70-75 point lead then with just 100 points up for grabs it’ll more or less a done thing so that’s my aim.”

Australian veteran Bayliss has admitted his title challenge is all-but over after a disastrous round at Brands left the Xerox Ducati man 97 points behind Toseland.

The 38-year-old fought back from an horrific crash - in which he lost most of the little finger on his right hand - earlier in the season at Donington to be back in contention but accepted the struggle to push a five-year-old bike to its limits is taking its toll.

Ducati will replace the 999 with the brand new 1098 next season and Bayliss is counting down the days.

“Ducati have done very well in the past but this bike has stayed the same now for quite a while and I’ve got to stick my chin out just to get the bike to do well,” he said. “The other guys’ bikes have all come on so much but we’ve stayed still.”