Andrea Iannone led the chase for the Repsols on the Pramac Ducati, with Cal Crutchlow close on his heels. Valentino Rossi joined the fray, along with Stefan Bradl and Andrea Dovizioso. Cal Crutchlow was the first to drop off the front, pitting for a new rear tire, then going back out only to suffer a massive crash in which he dislocated his finger. But with Iannone, Rossi and Bradl all battling for 3rd, trouble started to arise just before the halfway mark.
Valentino Rossi was the first man to run into trouble, Rossi' plummeting like a stone after a very strong start. His lap times went from high 2'04s to mid 2'07s in just a couple of laps, with rider after rider streaming past him. Andrea Iannone was the next to suffer, losing a couple of seconds and falling back into the clutches of Stefan Bradl, before dropping even further back to end the race in 7th. And Stefan Bradl was the final victim at the front, holding out to near the end, losing out only once he got caught up in battle with Bradley Smith.
The problem was simply one of tires. Not, as many had feared, the rear tire, but instead the harder of the two front options. Most riders suffered severe wear on the front tire, making it harder and harder to manage the bike. Valentino Rossi was one of the more serious victims, with Colin Edwards also in a bad shape. Andrea Iannone had similar problems, while for Stefan Bradl, it meant he had no chance of attempting to attack Dovizioso. Pol Espargaro, after a strong start to the race, ran into the same trouble and had to let his teammate Bradley Smith go.
The race turned into a war of tire management, though the victors in that battle won more by accident than by planning. Andrea Dovizioso had been ill all weekend, and knowing that Austin was the most physical track on the circuit, paced himself early in the race. He let the front group go a little, benefiting when they succumbed to tire wear. This wasn't a conscious strategy for tire wear, but Dovizioso had made a virtue of his weakened condition. The Ducati rider was forced to manage his own fitness, and in doing so, ended up with more tire.
Bradley Smith benefited from his own mistake in the early laps of the race. The Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider overheated his brakes in the first couple of laps, as well as cooking his tires. Realizing he had to be more careful, he backed off a little, tangling with his rookie teammate Pol Espargaro. Riding more calmly his brakes and tire recovered, and Smith had a bit more front tire when everyone else had destroyed theirs.
7 other races finished with their front tire. guess he was trying to hard in the beginning maybe he should adapt. oh i forgot he cant do that he has to have everything perfect for him.
