Despite being pushed hard by Mikko Hirvonen in the second half of the season, Sebastien Loeb took his sixth World Rally Championship title at Rally GB yesterday. If we can just get Petter Solberg in a consistently competitive car next year – and that looks fairly likely – then we could even have three drivers fighting for the crown next year.

Six world titles? Rubbish! Valentino Rossi took his ninth yesterday – and his seventh in the top MotoGP class.

The whole chicken celebration was slightly confusing, but easily explained by the man himself: when hens get old, they stop laying eggs, but he’s still laying eggs. Though his eggs are championships. Anyway, that’s why he had a live chicken with him on the cool down lap. He’s a funny little man.

What about Casey Stoner though? Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo scything through the field was impressive, but Stoner was just astonishing, all alone at the front. If only he hadn’t been sort of ill earlier in the season, then missed three races, the championship might still be alive. But there’s always next year.

Cal Crutchlow took the Supersport World Championship title in Portugal yesterday, and will partner the returning James Toseland in World Superbike in 2010, in the factory Yamaha squad.

Meanwhile Ben Spies, who will take Toseland’s place at Tech 3 Yamaha in MotoGP, took the Superbike World Championship title on his very first attempt. Poor old Noriyuki Haga finished second in the championship yet again.

Top Brit in the championship Johnny Rea took an impressive double podium, so with a season’s experience under his belt, big things will be expected of him next year on that factory Honda.

Encouraging signs too for British Superbike champion Leon Camier, who finished 6th and 7th in the races in Portugal. His plans for next year are yet to be announced, but surely the world stage beckons, whether it’s World Superbike, World Supersport or Moto2.