The US MotoGP at Laguna Seca 32 lap race was from the lights out was a story just between Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, with both making completely different tire choices than they used during practice amd qualifying, with Stoner chosing the soft and Lorenzo the hard compound, and for eleven punishing laps Lorenzo sustained the hard and tatical pressure of the Repsol Honda rider, but on the short straight heading into turn one Stoner passed the Spaniard and from there ran away to take his fourth victory of the season and make Laguna Seca history by equaling Wayne Rainey and John Kocinski with three wins each.
Dani Pedrosa rode to a lonely third after trying to keep the pace with the frontrunners, but a big moment with his new spec Honda caused him to desist and decide to take some safe points and continues to be second in the standings.
Ben Spies who was riding in fourth a fending off the attentions of Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow, but once again his luck ran out as his M1 seemed to baulk at the Corkscrew (the swingarm broke) and he crashed out with nine laps to go.
With the Yamaha factory rider out, the two Tech3 riders inherited the 4th and 5th spots, with the Brit trying to pip the Italian at the finish line but without success.
Nicky Hayden took sixth after passing Stefan Brad in the final laps, while probably soon-to-be former team mate Valentino Rossi’s race went from bad to worse (he was riding in a lonely 8th) when he crashed out at the entry of the Corkscrew losing the front of his Ducati with just two laps left.
Hayden on the cool down lap gave Rossi a lift back to the garages.
Alvaro Bautista finished in 8th, while CRT rider Aleix Espargaro took ninth for Power Electronics and Karel Abraham rounded out the top ten.
Randy de Puniet was 11th after finding himself last after a contact with Michele Pirro (crashed) and Toni Elias on the first turn on the first lap.
Elias would crash out just one lap later.
As expected the massive gap differences between the CRTs and prototypes on the short circuit became even bigger in the race and saw Ivan Silva, Colin Edwards and de Puniet lapped.
MotoGP Laguna Seca Race Results: 01- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 32 laps in 43’45.
961 02- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 3.
429 03- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 7.
633 04- Anddrea Dovizioso – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 18.
602 05- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 18.
779 06- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 26.
902 07- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 28.
393 08- Alvaro Bautista – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 50.
246 09- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – 1’18.
993 10- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – 1’22.
076 11- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – 1 lap 12- Yonny Hernandez – Avintia Blusens – BQR MotoGP – 1 lap 13- Colin Edwards – NGM Mobile Forward Racing – Suter BMW – 1 lap 14- Ivan Silva – Avintia Blusens – BQR MotoGP – 1 lap
