Stoner storms to seventh victory of the season with Pedrosa second and Dovizioso fifth

After recording the a new circuit best lap record yesterday whilst claiming pole position for today's race with a 1'38.850 lap, Stoner also achieved a new fastest race lap record of 1'39.807. This is Stoner's seventh win of the season and third consecutive win in a row after Laguna Seca and Brno.

Dani Pedrosa rode a great race to finish second behind Stoner. Pedrosa made one of his trademark flying starts and took an early lead in the 26 lap race however, Stoner passed him on lap seven and Pedrosa maintained second position comfortably, fending off the Yamaha's.

Andrea Dovizioso was hoping for a podium here in Indianapolis, but he endured some tough laps early in the race after being blocked by Hayden which knocked him down a few positions. Andrea remained focused and recovered these positions to finish the race in fifth position.

Casey Stoner now leads the Championship with 243 points (a 44 point margin over Lorenzo), with Andrea Dovizioso in 3rd position on 174 points and Dani Pedrosa, 4th position on 130 points.

Casey Stoner:

"We got an OK start and I should have been a little more aggressive in the first corner. As I entered turn two, Dani hit the breaks quite hard and I just had nothing, my brakes weren't warmed up yet and I had trouble stopping, I was lucky to get through the first lap. The race was tough, conditions were very hot and the track surface a little more slippery than practice and qualifying which made things difficult to know how much to push. At one point, I closed the front and dropped the bike on my knee, I was pretty much down but managed to pick it back up and not lose too much confidence. From there we started to make our way past Dani, put in a few good lap times and pull an advantage. Under challenging track conditions everything has worked really well this weekend, the crew did a fantastic job and gave me a great bike so a huge thanks to them all!"

Dani Pedrosa:

"We are very happy with second place today for several reasons. After yesterday's qualifying session, we had to work hard to reduce the one second gap we had from Casey, it wasn't normal to be so far away from him. To finish second after the crash in Brno is a great feeling. I knew that my race pace wouldn't be as fast as Casey's, but the team did a very good job, helped me to feel more comfortable with the front and I was able to find a good rhythm, just 3-4 tenths slower than Casey. It was a tough race being alone, but I focused on my lap times and I made my best lap at the end, so I'm happy with my performance and the bike. To get 20 points is not so bad after the crash in Brno and I look forward to going to Misano next week to try and take another step forward."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“I can’t be happy with today’s result because our target was the podium and gaining some points on Lorenzo, but we also have to look at the positives and I'm pleased I managed a 1’40.1 lap time, my fastest of the race on my final lap. Considering the demanding conditions of this track and the hot temperatures, this lap time shows that we were fast even at the end. We had a bad start, Nicky (Hayden) blocked me and then Ben (Spies) and I touched in turn four and I lost valuable time. From that moment I tried to remain focused and lap by lap I found the pace that allowed me to recover positions. We knew that the race would be tough and it really was. It was also a strange race, from the beginning we had no rear grip and especially in the first laps I had the feeling that the front was closing a lot. However, I was able to adapt my riding style to the conditions to manage the tyres in the best way and ride consistently. We are competitive and we go to Misano, my home GP very determined and confident of a good result”.

Repsol Honda press release.

De Puniet eighth at the Brickyard

After a mediocre start, de Puniet was at the back of the field by the end of the first lap, but fought back and managed to move up in the rankings throughout the race, finishing in eighth place. It was a great end to a promising race that provides hope for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile Capirossi encountered unexpected problems and was forced to retire at lap sixteen due to extreme front tyre wear. The Italian rider will look for revenge in seven days at his home track at Misano Adriatico.

Randy De Puniet:

"I'm happy, this is my best race of the season! I had a poor start when Loris touched me and I lost at least three positions, otherwise I could stay with the group and probably I could have fought for a better position. But its OK, our pace, like I said yesterday, has been steady until the end and this allowed me to overtake many riders in the second half of the race. I'm satisfied with how things went today, the team worked very well and after a difficult start of the season we all deserve a good result. We needed it and I look forward to continue at this level next week at Misano."

Loris Capirossi:

"From the fourth lap the bike didn’t respond as I wanted. I kept losing the front tire and risked falling at every turn. At one point I could no longer manage the bike and I was forced to retire. When I returned to the box we noticed that the front tire was really worn. I'm so sorry that this happened in this race because the whole weekend we didn’t have problems like this. Not much else to add, we are going to look ahead and concentrate on Misano, where we hope to get a good result in front of our fans."

Pramac Racing Team press release

Simoncelli hindered by tire wear, ninth for Aoyama

A minor breakthrough in the morning's warm-up did not prove to make the required difference and with track temperatures again exceeding 50°C, the nightmare for the Italian began after just five laps. From that point, the Team San Carlo Honda Gresini was resigned to a rescue mission as he focused on simply reaching the checkered flag. Things went somewhat better for Hiroshi Aoyama, who did not suffer from the front tire problem and with a more aggressive start could have perhaps even challenged for a higher position.

Hiroshi Aoyama: 

“I am happy but not altogether satisfied with this result. The way the tyres worked and also my physical conditions in this intense heat were plus points for us and we went much better in the race than we had managed in practice but maybe with a better start I could have been fighting further up the field. Overall it has been a positive weekend and gives us a boost for the next races.”

Marco Simoncelli: 

“Unfortunately today my race only really lasted five laps, during which time I had a lot of fun – it's just a shame about the other 23! We have had this problem all weekend and even though we thought we had improved the situation this morning it was only because the track temperatures were lower. In the afternoon heat the problem came back after just five laps and even though I was able to keep it consistent for the next six or seven laps I could do nothing to prevent the decline in performance after that. It was a real mission just to make it to the end – I was putting myself on the line just ride slowly. Now we need to look into exactly what caused this problem.”

San Carlo Honda Gresini press release.

Consistent Edwards delivers another top ten in Indianapolis

The Texan made a fast start from the second row of the grid, but as the pack jostled for position in the tight first section of the 2.62 miles track, Edwards was bumped back to eighth. He was involved in an exciting early battle with factory riders Alvaro Bautista, Ben Spies and Valentino Rossi before the field began to stretch out at the halfway stage of the 28-lap encounter. With temperatures reaching close to 30C degrees, Edwards was left in a personal duel with Spaniard Bautista until lap 23, when a big front end slide cost him crucial time. With his front tyre starting to progressively push, Edwards decided to slow down his pace to secure a deserved seventh place, which moves him into eighth place in the World Championship standings ahead of Marco Simoncelli on 84 points.

Cal Crutchlow's reward for a weekend in which he worked tirelessly to improve the front end feeling with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine was his best finish since the Catalunya race in early June. He maintained a consistent pace throughout the race having led Loris Capirossi, Toni Elias, Randy de Puniet and Hiroshi Aoyama in a frantic opening few laps. And a series of strong laps in the final stages saw him snatch 11th from Marco Simoncelli on the final lap to end his recent run of disappointing results.

Colin Edwards:

“I thought I got a fantastic start but the problem is the Yamaha is lacking a bit of grunt. I needed Fred Flinstone behind giving me a push to go faster, so I had a few people come by me on the run to the first corner. The first few laps I felt I could go faster but with Bautista sitting in front of me, I'd get close and then coming out of the corner he would just grab a few metres on me. In the twisty stuff at the end of the lap I was gaining it all back and at the last corner I almost ran into him. But by the time we got to the first corner he'd pull a few bike lengths on me again. I really wanted to beat Bautista but he started to ride really well in the second half of the race. I was on his back wheel and looking for an opportunity to make an overtake but I lost the front at the end of the back straight and that was a warning just to back off and take seventh. The front tyre lost a fair bit of grip in the last few laps though I wasn't the only one to have a problem. But I was top non-factory rider, I got another top ten and I moved up another place in the Championship, so it wasn't a bad afternoon's work. We go to Misano now and see if we can fight for the top six."

Cal Crutchlow:

“Firstly I want to say a big thanks to all my guys in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. They never gave up all weekend, even when we were struggling a little bit and it might sound silly but I don't think any of us in the garage have ever been so pleased to get an 11th place. After the bad recent run it was important to finish the race and I did that. The result wasn't the best but my speed at the end of the race was really good and I'm happy about that, so there are a lot of positives to take to Misano. At the end of the race I was lapping faster than Jorge Lorenzo. I was a long way behind him but that still gives me a lot of encouragement. Like a lot of people I had a few issues with the front tyre and in the early part of the race it wasn't easy but I never gave up and pushed right to the end. This result at least gives us something to build on for the next races, starting at Misano, which is a track that at least I don't have to learn. I've needed to finish races to gain some experience and I'm glad we did because I learned a lot this afternoon and gave the Team a lot of good feedback to hopefully improve the bike in Misano.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team press release

Last corner move doesn't pay off for Barberá

With less than five hundred meters remaining in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Barberá was on course for a great finish. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, a brave move to try and regain positions failed to pay off, and he crashed out on the final turn of the race. Barberá had taken big strides forward over the course of the weekend, and showed his talent during the 28-lap contest. He had to adapt his riding style to a slippery front tyre right from the beginning, and had rivals Hiroshi Aoyama and Randy de Puniet closing in on him ahead of the chequered flag. Both passed him, and Barberá decided to lay it on the line with a spectacular pass attempt. It didn't quite go as planned, and he slid along the asphalt after lowsiding his Ducati. Unable to restart, his top ten finishing position chances ended in a flash. He hopes for a better result at the next round of the World Championship next weekend at Misano.

Héctor Barberá:

"It is a real shame that the race ended like this, after so many laps riding at the limit. After the opening four laps I realised that the front tyre had practically melted away. I made a sudden drop in pace, because I was trying to push the front end down and losing control on every corner. What I did was improvise with my riding style, and it took some five or six laps to get back to feeling comfortable. It should have been a lot sooner. The important thing is that I have regained confidence and ridden comfortably again, despite not having the front tyre in good condition. The last lap was going perfectly, until I reached the final sector. I knew that the final turn would be tricky, because the tyre wasn't responding at all and I could barely dip into the corner. That had meant that De Puniet and Aoyama passed me beforehand. I went all-or-nothing into the last corner, trying to regain a position, but unfortunately I lowsided. I enjoyed myself out there though, and gave 100%. We have taken a big step forward at this race and that leaves me satisfied, but I hope that we can continue like this and finish the race at Misano."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Difficult race for Ducati Team at Indianapolis

A transmission problem caused Rossi to slip to last place on the ninth lap, but he recovered as far as tenth place by the finish. Meanwhile, Nicky Hayden got a great start and was in the top four, but the decision to use a soft front tyre didn’t pay off. After seven laps, he steadily lost ground before finishing in fourteenth place.

Nicky Hayden: 

“It was a really tough day. We thought the soft front tyre could be a good option for the race, but unfortunately it only worked for seven or eight laps. Then I began to steadily lose ground until it even began shaking on the straightaways, and I had to come in. Since you’ve got to finish to get points, I went back out, and it was actually worth getting two points. I got a good start and was up front the first few laps, and that was the first time I put up a real fight in the dry all season. My bike felt fast in a straight line, and with this new gearbox, I could get out of that last corner and keep guys in the draft early on. We’re on our first race with this bike, and maybe we don’t know enough about what it needs. Sorry to all my US fans and the Ducati fans here who came to support us, but we’ll try again next week.”

Valentino Rossi: 

“A number of things happened this weekend that contributed to making this a particularly difficult race: the crash yesterday in qualifying, which robbed some confidence and was part of the reason we had to start so far back on the grid, and today there was a problem with the gearbox. The bike stuck in neutral six or seven times, and the first two caused me to go straight and lose time. I found myself in last place, but I decided to do what I could to at least get some points. In this morning’s warm-up, we had made a small change that let us improve the pace a little, but the race was really difficult. We know that we have to work hard. Ducati is doing that, and my team and I are as well, because we must try to not let up and to get the bike ready while we wait for technical updates.”

Ducati Team press release

Spies Strikes back to score home podium at Indy

Starting from second on the grid the Texan rider was caught up in first a bottle neck of riders in turn one, then came together with Andrea Dovizioso in turn four, dropping him back to ninth as he fought to stay on the bike. Despite the setback Spies went on to deliver one of the star performances of the day, taking an impressive number of overtakes and setting some of the fastest laps of the race. He finally took the chequered flag in third place and stood on the podium to a huge applause from the US crowd. Spies picks up 16 points, moving up to fifth in the standings, just five points behind Dani Pedrosa in fourth.

Team mate Jorge Lorenzo’s race was a battle not with his competitors but with the resurfaced Indianapolis track. The reigning World Champion continued to be plagued with a rapidly wearing front tyre causing critical control issues from as early as lap four. Lorenzo battled on regardless, having made a great start he eventually had to relinquish position to team mate Spies and crossed the line in fourth, pushing to stay ahead of Dovizioso to the line.

Ben Spies: 

“My actual start wasn’t too bad, just a couple of people got into turn one too hot and I got bottled in. I think Dovi came across in front of me in turn four and I was just glad to stay on the bike. I never even saw him. After that happened we just had to pluck away and not get ahead of ourselves. We rode well but just needed to be up there in the first four turns. I rode as fast as I could; it was tough to pass out there as we couldn’t get it done on the straight so we had to figure out some different spots. I was happy to be able to do that and still run good pace at the end.”

Jorge Lorenzo: 

“It's a shame; I thought I could reduce my gap with Casey at Indy but since the first practice I have had many problems with the asphalt and the front tyre. I've tried everything with my team to fix it, but we couldn't. After four or five laps the front tyre was destroyed. I saw the other three front riders and their tyres were perfect. I don't know if it was because of the track and I’m not the only one complaining. Now the Championship is much more complicated, but hope is the last thing you can lose. Next weekend we ride again at Misano, I looking forward to forgetting this result."

Yamaha Factory Racing press release