Stoner Takes Indianapolis MotoGP Title and Leaps To the Top of the Standings

Casey Stoner is on top of the MotoGP standings once again as he took took the title, his seventh of the season, at the Indianapolis MotoGP and set a new lap record along the way.

The new circuit record, a blistering 1’38.850 lap, was set during qualifying for the priemier US event, and Stoner went on to set the fastest race lap record of 1’39.807.

The win was Stoner’s seventh of the season – and third consecutive win in a row – after the Australian rider took the titles at Laguna Seca and Brno.

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

– Casey Stoner

Dani Pedrosa finished second behind Stoner and took the early lead in the 26 lap race, but Stoner passed him on lap seven while Pedrosa maintained second position until the finish.

Stoner now leads the MotoGP Championship standings with a total of 243 points and that represents a 44 point margin over Lorenzo), with Andrea Dovizioso in 3rd position on 174 points and Dani Pedrosa, 4th position with 130 points.

“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,” Stoner said. “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. Under challenging track conditions everything has worked really well this weekend.”

RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX

MotoGP Race Classification 2011 

Indianapolis, Sunday, August 28, 2011