MotoGP Motegi: Ogura delights at home in Moto2

Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura became the first Japanese winner on home soil in 16 years after a dramatic Moto2 race at Motegi.

A stellar fightback from 13th on the grid saw the championship challenger 1.1 seconds clear of Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez after 22 laps of Honda’s home track on Sunday, the pair now just two points apart, in reverse order, in the standings with four races left to run. CAG Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez completed the podium celebrations with Britain’s Jake Dixon fourth.

The intermediate action saw Elf Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes out of the proceedings as his recovery from injury continues, VR46 Master Camp’s Manuel Gonzales also withdrawn due to a shoulder injury sustained on Saturday.

Flexbox HP40’s Aron Canet headed the grid alongside CAG Speed Up’s Fermin Aldeguer and Inde GasGas Aspar’s Dixon with championship leader Fernandez down in 11th and title-rival Ogura starting his and Honda’s home race further back, in 13th.

Canet maintained control as the pack released with Idemitsu Honda’s Somkiat Chantra straight up to third. Dixon dropped back to seventh after a storming start from Ogura while Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino and American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier battled for fourth.

Canet and Aldeguer checked out with Chantra a second behind the leading pair by the start of lap two. Ogura continued his charge as he claimed fifth from Beaubier with Lopez through on Dixon behind.

Fernandez was into the top ten and running ninth next time around as Ogura tagged onto his teammate with podium contention in his sights after the fastest lap of the race so far. A crash for Aldeguer providing the promotion before Arbolino took his shot for third at turn nine.

Beaubier was going backwards as Fernandez advanced to