Rossi looking to clinch title at Japan GP

Italy's Valentino Rossi is on the brink of winning his sixth MotoGP world championship and could wrap up the title at this weekend's Grand Prix of Japan.

Rossi, who last won the MotoGP world championship in 2005, has an 87-point lead over defending champion Casey Stoner of Australia heading into the 15th event of the season, where needs only a podium finish to secure the title.

"We cannot put too much pressure on ourselves and I will try to treat it like another normal race," Rossi said on the MotoGP official Web site. "We have a good margin of points, but there are still four more races so it's not over."

Rossi has won seven races this year including four straight from the United States Grand Prix in July.

Stoner wrapped up the 2007 MotoGP world championship at Motegi with a sixth-place finish last year.

After a practice session Friday, qualifying for Sunday's race will be held Saturday at the 4.8-kilomter (2.98 mile) Twin Ring Motegi course north of Tokyo.

Rossi has only won once before at Motegi, on a 500cc Honda in 2001. He ran off the course with four laps to go and finished 13th last year.

Italy's Loris Capirossi has won the last three MotoGP races in Japan, but is struggling this year and has yet to claim a podium finish.

Spanish riders Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo are third and fourth in the standings respectively, followed by Italy's Andrea Dovizioso.

Veteran rider Shinya Nakano will carry the hopes of the host nation.

Nakano, the only full-time Japanese rider in the MotoGP world championship, will be looking for his first podium of the season, while countryman Kousuke Akiyoshi will make his first appearance of the season as a wild card for Rizla Suzuki team.