Pedrosa, Lorenzo reach podium at Indy MotoGP race

Spain has added to this year’s sports successes, putting two riders in the top three positions at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dani Pedrosa of the Repsol Honda team took the checkered flag, winning by 3.575 seconds over American pole winner Ben Spies. Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, the leader in the MotoGP points standings heading into the race, finished third.

The final podium reversed the pattern made during qualifications when two Americans, Spies and Nicky Hayden, surrounded Lorenzo in the front row.

Pedrosa, the 2009 pole winner, crashed early in last year’s race and never had a chance.

This time, he made it look easy.

Pedrosa has won a career-high three times this season.

Lorenzo maintained his large lead in the overall classifications, holding a 68-point lead
against Pedrosa.

Aside from Spies, Americans did not finish high in the third MotoGP event on U.S. soil.

Hayden dropped three spots from his starting position to finish sixth, while Colin Edwards fell from ninth to 15th.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.