Twenty-two year old Italian Valentino Rossi is poised to take the 500cc World Championship at the Qantas Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday. Following his eighth grand prix victory of the season at the Pacific Grand Prix of Motegi in Japan last Sunday, Rossi needs just eight more points in the final three rounds of the 16 round title chase to add the 500cc title to his 125 and 500cc crowns. He arrives at the 4.448 kms (2.764 miles) Phillip Island circuit for the 27 lap race holding a massive 67 point lead over his great rival Max Biaggi, who crashed out of the race in Japan while leading.

"When we returned after the summer break I held a ten point lead over Biaggi but in four races I've increased that to 67 and so I'm very happy," explained the Italian rider." I need eight points in the next three races to win the title and I would love to do it in Australia. I really like the Phillip Island circuit and finished third there last year in a great race." Eighth position or better at any of the three remaining races will give Rossi the title. Biaggi won the race in Australia last year after a superb battle with the Honda Pons pair of Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros and Rossi. He returns lacking in confidence after three front end crashes from his Yamaha in the last four grands prix. Italian Capirossi has happy memories of the flowing Phillip Island circuit , having won his first 125cc World title there in 1990. He currently lies third in the championship just 20 points behind Biaggi while his team-mate Barros is only a further 16 points adrift in fourth place, after finishing second in the last two grands prix.

There is a close fought battle for fifth with just 30 points separating Japanese Yamaha rider Nakano in fifth place and World Champions Roberts and Criville who share ninth. Australian Yamaha star McCoy will be hoping to put on a good show on his one and only appearance in front of the home fans. He's had a wretched injury hit season which was highlighted by his spectacular accident in the morning warm-up at Motegi.

Japanese Honda rider Daijiro Katoh must have been targeting the 25 lap race at Phillip Island to win his first World title but that was before the race in Motegi. Katoh was involved in a spectacular accident with Italian Aprilia rider Marco Melandri as they fought for second place. He damaged his wrist but will be fit to ride on Sunday at the race in which he finished third last year. While Katoh and Melandri were being examined in the medical centre, Japanese Aprilia rider Tetsuya Harada secured a comfortable victory which slashed Katoh's championship lead to 24 points. If Harada could win again on Sunday it would put pressure on Katoh who seemed to be cruising to the title that was clinched by Frenchman Olivier Jacque in Phillip Island last year.

Another Championship leader fell at Motegi but in his case the mistake was more costly than Katoh's fall. Eighteen year old Spanish rider Toni Elias fell from second place in the 125cc race. The Honda rider not only failed to score any points but lost his Championship lead to his great rival Manuel Poggiali. The Gilera rider finished second to Youichi Ui and now leads Elias in the championship by 12 points with three rounds remaining. The 18 year old from San Marino has hit top form at the right time winning two and finishing second at the last three races. It's a big race for Elias who'd been on the podium for the previous seven grands prix.