2012 Indy Moto3 | Results

2012 Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix

In a Moto3 race with drama until the end at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix it was RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom who stormed to his first-ever victory ahead of Sandro Cortese and Jonas Folger, as Maverick Viñales crashed out in the final turn.

Red Bull KTM-Ajo’s Danny Kent, RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom and Kent’s teammate Sandro Cortese got off to the best start, leading the pack in the early bends. There was however a big crash early on as JHK Laglisse’s Adrian Martín took out TT Motion Events Racing’s Niklas Ajo, whilst Moto FGR’s Jasper Iwema was collected by San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Niccolò Antonelli. Ajo, who got back on track was black-flagged shortly after for “unsporting behaviour” after confronting Martín after the crash.

With 17 laps to go, Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins and Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales were swapping positions in second place, as AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Malaysian Khairuddin tried to pull out a gap at the front. Whilst the scrap at the front was going on, Ambrogio Next Racing’s Alex Márquez crashed out of his first ever Moto3 race.

JHK’s Efrén Vázquez, who was in the pursuing group behind the top three, slid off track with 12 laps to go, ending a frustrating weekend for the Spaniard. Salom’s teammate Brad Binder had retired with an engine problem, and with only seven laps remaining Technomag-CIP-TSR’s Alan Techer lost the front of his bike, putting an end to his race.

The last lap was a nail bighting affair with Cortese, Viñales and Salom swapping positions fiercely with fairings touching throughout. Yet it was Salom who judged it perfectly to take his first ever Grand Prix victory ahead of Cortese, while Viñales provided last minute drama by falling in the final turn, unable to get his bike re-started.

Folger benefited from this to take his first win of the season on his first race with the Aspar team. This now gives Cortese a 29-point lead at the top of the championship. Rins’ teammate Oliveira was the first non-podium finisher in fourth, in front of Team Italia FMI’s Romano Fenati, Khairuddin, Rins, Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil, Andalucia JHK Laglisse’s Alberto Moncayo and Caretta Technology’s Alexis Masbou.

Folger’s teammate Hector Faubel was absent from the race due to injuries sustained in a crash yesterday, as was Caretta Technology’s Jack Miller, after breaking his left collarbone for the second time this season yesterday. Mahindra Racing’s Danny Webb was another withdrawal, having fractured his right wrist in qualifying.

2012 Indy Moto3 Results:

2012 Moto3 Point Standings: