Though both Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen were present at Laguna Seca, Ben Spies (who had replaced Capirossi at Donington Park) rode a wildcard entry to 8th place. He also finished 2nd to Mat Mladin in the AMA Superbike race, and went on to claim another AMA Superbike title for 2008.

On race day, the famed Corkscrew was about to host one of those special moments in MotoGP history.

With Stoner having won the previous three races and owning the momentum for the 2008 season, Valentino Rossi had to make a stand or watch Stoner claim a consecutive title.

Accompanied on the grid by wife Adriana, Stoner was in for a race he’d never forget.

I thought this picture would tell the story of the race. I was wrong. Even though it was my first race ever with a photo pass, instead of making the most of that access by moving around the circuit, I stood by the large screen at the start finish line, mesmerized by the Stoner-Rosi battle on track. I watched The Pass happen at the Corkscrew while professional shooters were up there in person, capturing the action rather than watching it on TV. #amateur

On the podium afterward, each rider had his own opinion about what had transpired on track.

It was great to be at that race in person, even if I could have done a much better job photographing it. But I was at the beginning of my MotoGP journey, and I know that if I could go back to that weekend armed with what I’ve learned since, my collection of photos would be at lest a little bit better…

Photographs: ©2008 by Scott Jones / PHOTO.GP – All Rights Reserved