Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith aims for strong finish

Having secured second place in the 125GP world championship with a brilliant run of five successive podium finishes, Bradley Smith is aiming to end 2009 on a high at the season’s final race in Valencia this weekend.

Smith, who has won two races in an impressive campaign for the Aspar Aprilia squad, is confident of another victory challenge in Spain after he finished a narrow second to team-mate Julian Simon in Australia and Malaysia last month.

The 18-year-old, who is likely to confirm he will stay in 125GPs in 2010 with Nicolas Terol as his team-mate, said: “It is really nice to have wrapped up second place in the championship because now I don’t have anything on my mind in Valencia – I just have to focus on going out there and doing my best.

“We have put two great races together in Australia and Malaysia, although finishing second in both of them was a disappointment for me so we are going to try and win the last one any way we can.

“I know the circuit well from my time in the Spanish championship, so it will be important to try and use that to our advantage.

“It will be a tough weekend because the Spanish riders are always fast at their home circuits, but I won’t be backing down.

“I’m very confident in myself because the feeling with the bike is fabulous at the moment and we’re putting on a very strong finish to the season.”