Dani Pedrosa has closed the gap on
Jorge Lorenzo in the
MotoGP World Championship standings after a faultless performance saw him take a commanding second win of the season at Indianapolis.
The pole position man came into the race in good shape after breaking the lap record in qualifying, his 'favourite' status arguably compounded further by Jorge Lorenzo's set-up concerns on the Yamaha and Casey Stoner's ankle injury.
Even so, it appeared Pedrosa would still be presented a stiff challenge for the win as Ben Spies swept around the outside of him into the opening turn to nose his Yamaha into the lead, much to the delight of the American fans.
Spurred on by a determination to give his flagging season a timely boost, Spies proceeded to hold sway out front until the start of lap four when an evidently faster Pedrosa drafted by across the famous brick-marked finish line.
Even so, Spies was still looking fairly comfortable in second place ahead of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who was back up to third after being shuffled down to fourth initially, when his desperate run of luck struck yet again on lap seven, the former World Superbike Champion's engine letting go in spectacular fashion down the home straight.
Yet another set-back for a rider that has suffered a myriad of issues in his second season aboard the factory Yamaha, the DNF means he leaves the USA double-header having finished neither of his home races.
Promoting Lorenzo up to second place, the Spaniard found himself three seconds back on Pedrosa with 20 laps remaining, but that was as small as the gap between the pair would be as the Repsol Honda rider steadily increased his lead with his fast and consistent lap times.
Though part of the eventual 11 second gap between them can be attributed to stubborn backmarker Steve Rapp taking almost an entire lap to move from the path of a clearly aggrieved Lorenzo late on, Pedrosa never once looked threatened as he completed his second win of the season.
An important victory that nibbles Lorenzo's advantage in the overall standings down to 18 points with seven races remaining, it also helps Pedrosa in his quest to be nominated as Repsol Honda's most convincing title challenger.