Reverend
August 31st, 2009, 20:03 PM
Spain's Jorge Lorenzo won the Indianapolis MotoGP to cut Valentino Rossi's championship lead to 25 points as the world champion failed to finish.
Dani Pedrosa set the early pace before skidding off on lap four, leaving Rossi and Lorenzo to battle for the lead.
Two laps later Lorenzo had gone ahead when the Italian skidded off and out.
Lorenzo, who failed to finish in the last two races, came home nine seconds ahead of Alex de Angelis in second with home favourite Nicky Hayden in third.
Pedrosa did superbly to come back and finish in 10th place, and Britain's James Toseland boosted his chance of earning a new contract with the Tech 3 Yamaha team by equalling his career-best sixth place finish.
With five races of the season left, Lorenzo has cut Rossi's championship lead to just one win's-worth of points.
Afterwards, Lorenzo told BBC Sport he was happy to have luck go his way for a change.
"The last races have been very bad results for us, when I crashed in both of them, but today it happens to the others," he said.
"In this championship, if you want to win you have to be always at the limit. My bike was really good and I was riding OK."
Ducati rider Hayden was equally thrilled after struggling for much of the season.
"It's not a win, but it feels like one," he said.
"This season has been so hard, the hardest challenge of my life, but we're on our way.
"I was on the limit but I wasn't going to bring home anything less than a podium."
Indianapolis MotoGP result:
1. J Lorenzo (Sp) Fiat Yamaha
2. A de Angelis (RSM) Gresini Honda
3. N Hayden (USA) Ducati
4. A Dovizioso (Ita) Repsol Honda
5. C Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha
6. J Toseland (GB) Tech 3 Yamaha
7. L Capirossi (Ita) Rizla Suzuki
8. M Kallio (Fin) Ducati
Championship standings:
1. V Rossi 212 pts
2. J Lorenzo 187
3. C Stoner 150
4. D Pedrosa 141
5. C Edwards 123
6. A Dovizioso 120
7. A de Angelis 88
8. L Capirossi 86
BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/8229900.stm)
Dani Pedrosa set the early pace before skidding off on lap four, leaving Rossi and Lorenzo to battle for the lead.
Two laps later Lorenzo had gone ahead when the Italian skidded off and out.
Lorenzo, who failed to finish in the last two races, came home nine seconds ahead of Alex de Angelis in second with home favourite Nicky Hayden in third.
Pedrosa did superbly to come back and finish in 10th place, and Britain's James Toseland boosted his chance of earning a new contract with the Tech 3 Yamaha team by equalling his career-best sixth place finish.
With five races of the season left, Lorenzo has cut Rossi's championship lead to just one win's-worth of points.
Afterwards, Lorenzo told BBC Sport he was happy to have luck go his way for a change.
"The last races have been very bad results for us, when I crashed in both of them, but today it happens to the others," he said.
"In this championship, if you want to win you have to be always at the limit. My bike was really good and I was riding OK."
Ducati rider Hayden was equally thrilled after struggling for much of the season.
"It's not a win, but it feels like one," he said.
"This season has been so hard, the hardest challenge of my life, but we're on our way.
"I was on the limit but I wasn't going to bring home anything less than a podium."
Indianapolis MotoGP result:
1. J Lorenzo (Sp) Fiat Yamaha
2. A de Angelis (RSM) Gresini Honda
3. N Hayden (USA) Ducati
4. A Dovizioso (Ita) Repsol Honda
5. C Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha
6. J Toseland (GB) Tech 3 Yamaha
7. L Capirossi (Ita) Rizla Suzuki
8. M Kallio (Fin) Ducati
Championship standings:
1. V Rossi 212 pts
2. J Lorenzo 187
3. C Stoner 150
4. D Pedrosa 141
5. C Edwards 123
6. A Dovizioso 120
7. A de Angelis 88
8. L Capirossi 86
BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/8229900.stm)