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MotoGP
MOTOGP: Stalking Stoner Strikes Again
Reigning MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner executed a repeat of his '11 Laguna Seca triumph to score his third-career USGP victory.
Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner (Photo: Evan Williams)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix from Laguna Seca will air on SPEED today at 6:00pm ET. #MotoGPonSPEED
Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner put his title defense back on track on Sunday at Laguna Seca with a brilliant performance reminiscent of last year's USGP triumph.
Coming off a pair of disappointing outings -- a last-lap crash in Germany and an uncharacteristic eighth at Mugello -- the Australian came to California finding himself in a rather deep hole in his quest to retire as a three-time MotoGP World Champion. That hole is just a bit shallower today after Stoner executed yet another textbook stalk and strike to claim his third career USGP victory.
Stoner sat behind teammate Dani Pedrosa and early leader Jorge Lorenzo, who leapt into first from pole, during the contest's early stages. Stoner quickly blitzed past Pedrosa and attached himself to Lorenzo's rear wheel.
Lorenzo threatened to snap away, slowly widening the gap to 0.857 seconds by lap 16 of 32, but then Stoner went to work. The Honda ace closed back in and put himself in position to replicate last year's storming into the lead, blasting past Lorenzo as they crested the hill in Turn 1 to open lap 22.
The title leader hung strong for a number of laps but Stoner's pace was simply too much for the Spaniard to maintain and Stoner finally broke him on lap 25 to escape for his fourth victory of the season.
The Aussie chose to work the soft tire rather than the hard his opponents picked and managed to make his last while still taking advantage of its superior grip.
The win sees Stoner inch back to within 32 points of Lorenzo (and still nine back of teammate Pedrosa in second) with eight rounds left to decide the championship in the retiring Stoner's final season.
While still in the hole, Stoner can point to his past successes at Laguna Seca -- '07 and '11 -- which helped to lay the groundwork for his two prior title successes.
Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner put his title defense back on track on Sunday at Laguna Seca with a brilliant performance reminiscent of last year's USGP triumph.
Coming off a pair of disappointing outings -- a last-lap crash in Germany and an uncharacteristic eighth at Mugello -- the Australian came to California finding himself in a rather deep hole in his quest to retire as a three-time MotoGP World Champion. That hole is just a bit shallower today after Stoner executed yet another textbook stalk and strike to claim his third career USGP victory.
Stoner sat behind teammate Dani Pedrosa and early leader Jorge Lorenzo, who leapt into first from pole, during the contest's early stages. Stoner quickly blitzed past Pedrosa and attached himself to Lorenzo's rear wheel.
Lorenzo threatened to snap away, slowly widening the gap to 0.857 seconds by lap 16 of 32, but then Stoner went to work. The Honda ace closed back in and put himself in position to replicate last year's storming into the lead, blasting past Lorenzo as they crested the hill in Turn 1 to open lap 22.
The title leader hung strong for a number of laps but Stoner's pace was simply too much for the Spaniard to maintain and Stoner finally broke him on lap 25 to escape for his fourth victory of the season.
The Aussie chose to work the soft tire rather than the hard his opponents picked and managed to make his last while still taking advantage of its superior grip.
The win sees Stoner inch back to within 32 points of Lorenzo (and still nine back of teammate Pedrosa in second) with eight rounds left to decide the championship in the retiring Stoner's final season.
While still in the hole, Stoner can point to his past successes at Laguna Seca -- '07 and '11 -- which helped to lay the groundwork for his two prior title successes.
Grand Prix of The Americas
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