Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner claimed the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca besting Spain's championship leader Jorge Lorenzo by almost three and a half seconds.
Australian Stoner defended his victory from 2011 on the California course with his Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa of Spain taking 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 the second of 32 laps before passing Lorenzo down the main straight with 11 laps left.
Stoner was the only one of the front-runners to start on softer option rear tyre, a tactical masterstroke in the end.
"Made some nice moves during the race today and you know it was surprisingly similar to last year so very, very happy with the way it all turned out for us," Stoner said.
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.
Top Ten Finishers:
1. Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 43minutes 45.961seconds.
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 43:49.390
3. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 43:53.594
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Yamaha 44:04.563
5. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 44:04.740
6. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 44:12.863
7. Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 44:14.354
8. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 44:36.207
9. Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 45:04.954
10. Karel Abraham (Czech Republic) Ducati 45:08.037
Reuters