Dani Pedrosa has shown us how fast he can be time and again. However, whether it's due to bad luck or injury, something always manages to interfere his championship chase.
From practice sessions earlier in the Czech Republic race weekend, Pedrosa's bike was already the quickest on the grid. However, a crash during qualifying placed Pedrosa third on the grid after qualifying. Considering what a bummer crashes usually are, it's some luck that Pedrosa managed to start on the first row.
Early in the race, Jorge Lorenzo led the Czech GP from pole and held the lead for the first half of the race until Dani Pedrosa responded on lap 11, out-braking Lorenzo into turn three.
The one thing about racing drivers is their strange and wonderful combination of confidence and superstition. Sure, racers understand that winning takes a little luck but they believe that it's possible to create their own luck as well -- in the final lap of the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno, Jorge Lorenzo late braked hard into the inside of the stadium section to muscle past Pedrosa. Answering the challenge from the fellow Spaniard, Pedrosa exited the corner side-by-side Lorenzo on the uphill run, taking back the lead on the last chicane. Pedrosa won the Brno Grand Prix by 0.178 seconds. That's as heart-stoppingly close a finish as you'd want it.
Twelve seconds behind the two fastest riders of the season, Cal Crutchlow clinched third place, a steady six seconds ahead of his fellow Tech 3 Yamaha rider Andrea Dovizioso.
Following the Tech 3 team, Stefan Bradl on the LCR Honda, Alvaro Bautista for Gresini Honda, Valentino Rossi, and Randy de Puniet round the top eight finishers.
Once again, Ben Spies suffered another devastating weekend. Suffering a overheating clutch, Spies dropped back to 14th early in the opening lap and couldn't find rhythm for the first two laps. Finally recovering from the slow start, Spies pushed the bike to climb back six places to eighth before he lost the bike and crashed with 10 laps still to go.
Despite the DNF, Ben Spies' weekend was far from the worst. Dani Pedrosa's factory Honda teammate Casey Stoner returned to Australia for surgery on torn ligaments on the right ankle after a violent high side during the qualifying session at the Indianapolis GP. The Ducati garage was missing Nicky Hayden from injuries sustained in Indianapolis as well.
Finishing at the top step of the podium for two races in a row, Dani Pedrosa continues to eat away at Jorge Lorenzo's championship lead, as only 13-points separate first from second.
MotoGP moves on to Misano on September 16th, marking the first of the six remaining races of the 2012 season. As the MotoGP season goes down to the wire, can Lorenzo defend his season or will Pedrosa's momentum allow a late upset?
