Marco Simoncelli extended his lead in the world 250cc championship Sunday with a win in the Australian MotoGP.
The Italian, riding a Gilera, finished ahead of Spain's Alvaro Bautista aboard an Aprilia.
He now takes a 37-point lead over Bautista into the Malaysian Grand Prix. The season-closer is in Valencia, Spain.
Finland's Mika Kallio was third.
The mop-topped Simoncelli was the 2002 European 125cc champion. He was fifth in the 125 class in 2005 before graduating to 250cc bikes.


Indian authorities have issued a birth certificate to a Japanese baby born to an Indian surrogate mother, easing the way for her Japanese father to take her home, news reports said Saturday.