MotoGP World Championship point’s leader and Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo won Sunday’s 32-lap GP motorcycle race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Second place went to Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner with the other factory Yamaha M1 ridden by Valentino Rossi taking the final podium position.

At the start of the race it was pole-sitter Lorenzo with the initial jump off the line but it wouldn’t last when Dani Pedrosa came screaming by aboard his Repsol Honda, bringing Stoner, and Monster Tech 3 Yamaha’s Ben Spies along with him. This left Lorenzo in fourth position going into Turn 3. Behind him was Pedrosa’s teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, Rossi, and Nicky Hayden.

“I make a good start but suddenly they overtake me quick on the outside,” said Lorenzo. “I tried to retake as soon as possible but Dani was braking so hard. I knew if I kept pushing like him he maybe would make a mistake.”

Rizla Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista would be the first casualty of the crash-filled race when he went down on Lap 3. He walked away from the incident uninjured. Back up front, Lorenzo was on the gas and the only rider to dip into the 21s until, on the next lap, Pedrosa matched his pace. Hector Barbera was the next crasher when he lost control of his Ducati. He also avoided injury. Meanwhile, Rossi had quietly moved up to fifth position.

On Lap 5, Stoner ran a bit wide into a corner which allowed Lorenzo to slip by on the inside taking second place away from the Australian.

“Everything felt good on the bike,” commented Stoner. “At this track we have to wait for the tires to warm-up maybe a lap, lap and a half. I tried to push but I lost the front and ran way wide. At that point it was time to gather myself up and try not lose too much time. As I started to get slightly closer [to Lorenzo] I lost the front again. So I decided it was time to ride as safely as possible.”

For the next few laps the running order was unchanged as the riders started to space themselves out. It was interesting to watch Pedrosa up front. His bike looked a little bit out of shape in some spots and it appeared he was riding very hard. Conversely, Lorenzo’s Yamaha looked poised and it appeared that he didn’t have to expend a lot of energy to ride the bike at that speed.

Four laps later, Pedrosa would crash out of the lead in Turn 5 when his front tire lost grip under braking. It was dramatic and Pedrosa did a bit of tumbling but was on his feet immediately. The bike, however, was too damaged to continue.

Halfway through the race the running order was Lorenzo, Stoner, Dovizioso, Rossi, Hayden, Spies, and Colin Edwards, with a 10 second gap separating first through seventh place. On Lap 15, San Carlo Honda’s Marco Simoncelli crashed when the front tire of his Honda lost traction during braking.

Meanwhile, Spies finally found his way around Hayden and set off for Rossi. For a few moments it appeared that he might actually catch him but then the Texan makes a mistake which allowed Hayden back by and put him well off of Rossi’s back tire. Further back Aleix Espargaro made a move on Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi, but the series veteran would instantly retaliate taking ninth position away from the young Spaniard.

With five laps to go Rossi put a perfect pass on Dovizioso and went on to claim the final podium position. The pass was made under braking as the two entered the Turn 10, Laguna’s final corner.

“It’s good for me and is very important to be back on the podium in a short time,” said Rossi. “I have to say ‘thank you’ to a lot of people for helping me get to this point. This track is one of the most difficult for the body. I suffered quite a lot but I tried to ride at my maximum and ride step by step to a good result. This result is very important to me.”

A couple laps later Espargaro would go down in the results as the fifth and final DNF of the race after a strange looking crash. It isn't often you see a motorcycle tuck the front when it's virtually straight up and down. Then again, a similar incident took Rossi out of the Indy GP last year.

Lorenzo would go on to win the race wheelieing down the front straightaway and taking the checkered flag almost 4-seconds ahead of Stoner. Nick Hayden would be the first American in fifth, followed by Spies and Edwards. Roger Lee Hayden would finish just ahead of Alex De Angelis in 11th position 21.275 seconds behind the race winner.

MotoGP Laguna Seca Results:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda)
5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati)
6. Ben Spies (Yamha)
7. Colin Edwards (Yamaha)
8. Marco Melandri (Honda)
9. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki)
10. Mika Kallio (Ducati)
11. Roger Lee Hayden (Honda)
12. Alex de Angelis (Honda)
DNF. Aleix Espargo (Ducati)
DNF. Marco Simoncelli (Honda)
DNF. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
DNF. Hector Barbera (Ducati)
DNF. Alvaro Bautista (Suzuki)