2012 Indianapolis Moto3 Race Result: Last Lap Drama Settled In Penultimate Corner

Results and summary of the Moto3 race at Indianapolis:

Luis Salom has taken his first ever victory in Moto3, cleverly taking advantage of the title battle between Maverick Vinales and Sandro Cortese to take the lead in the final few corners. With Cortese taking 2nd and Vinales crashing out in the excitement, Cortese solidifies his lead at the top of the championship.

Salom, Vinales and Cortese were part of a group of nine riders who made an early break at the start of the race. Zulfahmi Khairuddin led the dance, with Alex Rins, Miguel Oliveira, Efren Vazquez, Jonas Folger and Romano Fenati joining Salom, Vinales and Cortese in the chase. As the race approached the halfway mark, Maverick Vinales decided it was time to pull the pin, slotting past Khairuddin to take the lead at the start of lap 10. This was the signal to Cortese that he had to react, and as Vinales pushed away at the front, Cortese barged his way forward to take 2nd, and then get on to the back wheel of Vinales. Luis Salom soon followed suit, his task made a little easier by Efren Vazquez crashing out just ahead of him, and the RW Racing GP rider was soon past Khairuddin and with both Vinales and Cortese.

The three men then set about sizing each other up. Vinales led, while Cortese looked for the best place to attack the Spaniard, while Salom bided his time waiting for a mistake to be made. As the trio headed down the back straight and into Turn 10, Salom's tactics paid off. The RW Racing man got ready to dive underneath Cortese just as Cortese was looking to get past Vinales, and as the two title candidates got in each other's way, Salom took advantage and grabbed the lead. The battle intensified over championship points behind Salom, with Vinales desperately trying to claw back 2nd from Cortese. His attack took him a fraction too wide at Turn 15, and onto the dirty section of the track, where he lost the front and crashed out of the race. Salom went on to win, while Cortese concentrated on taking points and extending his championship advantage. Behind Cortese, Jonas Folger took an outstanding 3rd place finish on his debut race with the Mapfre Aspar team, having left the IODA Racing team after Mugello.

Cortese's 2nd place finish and Vinales' crash now gives the German a comfortable 29 point lead in the championship. There are still a lot of races to go, but Cortese's consistency is paying off.

Results: