Dani Pedrosa Announces His Retirement
After more than a decade of being one of the top contenders in
motorcycle racing's premiere class Dani Pedrosa has announced he
will retire after this year's MotoGP season. Pedrosa will leave the
sport with a stellar record that is pinnacled with several
championships and multiple astounding achievements.
Born in 1985 in Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain, Pedrosa started on
motorcycles when most people were just learning how to ride
bicycles. By the time he was nine he was already lining up at the
grid giving spectators a glimpse at the prosperous career that lay
ahead for him, He first began racing in the Spanish Minibike
Championship and placed second overall in his first season.
Pedrosa started his Grand Prix racing career in 2001 competing in
the 125cc class aboard a Honda RS125. He quickly made a name for
himself in his rookie season by scoring two podiums and placing
8th overall. In 2003 he won his first 125cc
championship, moved up to the 250cc class the following year and
won the 250 title on a Honda
RS250R, and then repeated the feat in 2005.
Despite naysayers and teams overlooking him because of his small
stature, he measures in a 5-foot 2-inches tall and tips the scale
at just over 110 pounds, many felt he was too light to handle the
power of a premiere MotoGP bike, Pedrosa hopped aboard a Honda
RC211V in 2006 for the Repsol Honda team and never looked back. In
his inaugural MotoGP season he recorded two wins, eight podiums,
and a fifth overall finish.
Although Pedrosa's career was plagued with injury and he was never
able to capture the coveted MotoGP title (he finished runner up
three times), he spent 18 years racing in the world's premiere
series and is second overall in Grand Prix career points. What's
almost more impressive than his records and championships is that
Pedrosa spent his entire Grand Prix career aboard a Honda. Since he
entered the series in 2001 he's competed in all three Grand Prix
classes on the same motorcycle brand and that's something that
greats like Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, and Valentino Rossi can't
claim. Now that's cool! 
Here's a list of just a few of Pedrosa's accomplishments:
He has been on a Honda since his first season in the Grand Prix
series (2001)
2003-125cc championship
2004 won the 250cc championship--rookie season and youngest 250cc
world champ
2005 won 250cc championship
2006 Entered the premiere MotoGP class --he's been a Repsol Honda
rider ever since (13 seasons)
2007, 2010, 2012 runner-up in MotoGP class
Has never placed outside of top 10 in entire Grand Prix career
Second in overall career Grand Prix points with 4,086 points.
Valentino Rossi in number one with 5,974
Third overall in Grand Prix career podiums with 153.
Tied for second with Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP podiums with 112:
Rossi has the most with 195.
