Starting from pole position, Stoner did not get the start he wanted as he and fellow Repsol Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa got tangled up, allowing Yamaha's Ben Spies to take the early lead. Stoner made quick work of the Yamaha, however, and was soon out front followed only by Pedrosa who finished in second place, over 8 seconds behind Stoner.
The battle for third place stretched its way out over the course of several laps, with Ben Spies taking the early position for third but being studied carefully by Marco Simoncelli. Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo was also able to close the gap and challenge for the third and final spot on the podium. While Spies and Simoncelli battled for third, it was eventually Jorge Lorenzo whose consistently quick ride brought him to finish in third position. Marco Simoncelli finished in 4th place while Ben Spies settled for 5th.
Spain's Alvaro Bautista put in yet another impressive performance finishing 6th aboard his Rizla Suzuki, ahead of American Nicky Hayden, who finished in 7th position on his Ducati. Hector Barbera, Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi, who started from pit lane due to an engine penalty, rounded out the top ten.
Rookie rider Karel Abraham crashed out of the race on the first lap, as did Honda's Andrea Dovizioso. Loris Capirossi and Toni Elias also did not finish as the two collided in the latter half of the race.
With four races remaining, Casey Stoner seems well on track to win the world championship title with a total of 284 points, 44 points ahead of defending champion Jorge Lorenzo. Andrea Doviziosi remains third in the championship, but with only 185 points, it seems only Lorenzo will be able to challenge the Australian Honda rider for the championship.
Current MotoGP championship standings:
1. Casey Stoner, Honda, 284 points
2. Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, 240 points
3. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 185 points
4. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, 170 points
5. Ben Spies, Yamaha, 146 points
6. Valentino Rossi, Ducati, 139 points
7. Nicky Hayden, Ducati, 114 points
8. Marco Simoncelli, Honda, 106 points
9. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, 90 points
10. Hiroshi Aoyama, Honda, 87 points
11. Hector Barbera, Ducati, 77 points
12. Alvero Bautista, Suzuki, 67 points
13. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha, 52 points
14. Karel Abraham, Ducati, 50 points
15. Tony Elias, Honda, 47 points
16. Randy de Puniet, Ducati, 33 points
17. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 29 points
