Stoner claims US GP, keeps slim title hopes alive

Wednesday, 1 August 2012 01:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: Reigning MotoGP world champion Australian Casey Stoner has claimed the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca on Sunday, besting Spain’s championship leader Jorge Lorenzo by almost three and a half seconds.

Stoner defended his victory from 2011 on the California course with his Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa of Spain claiming third place, 7.633 seconds behind.

Nicky Hayden was the best of the locals, finishing sixth, 26.902 seconds off the pace.

Stoner started second on the grid behind Lorenzo and after dropping to third early he set about chasing down the Spanish pair.

He took down Pedrosa on lap two of 32 before passing his main rival with 11 laps to go with a crisp move down the main straight.

Stoner was the only one of the front-runners to start on softer option rear tyres, a tactical masterstroke in the end.

“It was tactical from the start we went on the softer option which nobody decided to go on so I wanted to go in front from the outset,” Stoner said. “I bided my time, hunted Jorge down and in the end went past.”

Lorenzo, who has finished inside the top two in all nine of his 2012 races, increased his championship lead to 23 points over Pedrosa, with Stoner now 32 points adrift in third as he chases a third world title before his impending retirement at the end of the season.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.