Dani Pedrosa wins Indy MotoGP

Spain's Dani Pedrosa won the Indianapolis MotoGP to claim his third victory of the season and close the gap on runaway championship leader Jorge Lorenzo to 68 points.

Pedrosa started fifth on the grid but snatched the lead at the end of the seventh lap and was never headed as he took the chequered flag at the famous 'brickyard' circuit.

American Ben Spies took second place on a Yamaha, his best finish in his first full season in MotoGP, after starting on pole for the first time.

Pedrosa's fellow Spaniard Lorenzo crossed the line third to maintain his perfect record of finishing on the podium in all 11 races this season, although it was his worst result after he had finished no worse than second in any previous race.

With seven rounds to go, Lorenzo leads the championship standings with 251 points.

Pedrosa is second with 183 followed by Italian Andrea Dovizioso (126) who leapfrogged Casey Stoner (119) into third place after the Australian lost the front end of his Ducati.

World champion Valentino Rossi remained fifth overall, one place ahead of Spies, after finishing fourth in the race despite crashing in morning practice.

Pedrosa won the 125cc world championship in 2003 and the 250cc category in 2004 and 2005 before switching to the premier class in 2006.

He won two races in each of his first four seasons in MotoGP but already has three victories this year after previous triumphs in Italy and Germany.

- Reuters