Americas Moto3: Outstanding Ortola powers through pack for victory

Ivan Ortola was the star of the show in the lone star state, winning for the first time in the world championship after almost not making it to the end of lap one in the Moto3 Americas Grand Prix, round three of the championship.

Ortola enjoyed a front row start, however the Angeluss MTA Team rider nearly saw his race end on lap one - landing a huge out of seat moment, sitting back on his squirming bike after hitting the paint at the first right corner, he dropped from fighting to lead to 20th. The Spaniard had made it to 18th by the end of lap one.

He continued his fierce fightback, and found himself leading the chase pack in tenth by lap three, with the Valencian swelling the lead group to sixth, then passing his way to fourth by lap nine. Three laps in a row the #48 made the same turn one overtake, with his lap ten move pushing him into the top three.

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Ortola found himself leading the race after Ayumu Sasaki exited from the lead, which saw Jaume Masia have to run wide, though he was able to stay aboard for his own comeback.

There was pressure, with both Xavier Artigas and Diogo Moreira hitting the front, with everything coming down to the final corners - Moreira ran wide and Ortola took his opportunity again for a first win for both rider and team.

It was all going on behind - Moreira ended up off the podium.

Masia survives fall for second

Jaume Masia, who had started from pole, was a lonely fifth after avoiding the strewn Sasaki, but had the same determined mist descend that fired Ortola back into the race.

The Leopard rider got the best out of his Honda and was swiftly back in the lead pack - his experiece paid off in the run to the line where he found a strong slipstream in the blustery conditions to pull himself into second, 0.457s behind.

It is the Spanish riders first podium visit since San Marino last season.

The #5 slipped passed The MT Helmets - MSi of Moreira, as did Artigas for CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP, leaving the Brazilian, who started the lap leading, fourth.

Daniel Holgado was the last of the front group in fifth for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Deniz Oncu made his last lap count, rising from ninth to sixth to finish behind his teammate despite the gap on track.

David Salvador was next to see the chequered flag in that chasing group for CIP Green Power. The KTM rider was the top rookie - but only just - David Alonso was right behind him in eighth for Valresa GasGas after making up an impressive fourteen places on his grid position.

Ryusei Yamanaka on the second GasGas and Jose Antonio Rueda (red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top ten.

There was a small gap back to Kaito Toba in eleventh for SIC58 Squadra Corse, with Mario Aji making up a huge thirteen places for twelfth for Honda Team Asia.

The remaining points went to Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in 13th, Scott Ogden who lost a place in the run to the line in 14th for VisionTrack and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in 15th.

Romano Fenati was sixteenth after a double long lap penalty for a jump start.

Crashes, Injuries and replacements

There were late falls for Stefano Nepa and David Munoz, who were in the points until the final lap.

Joshua Whatley crashed on the warm-up lap on the way to the grid. A pit lane start was needed for the VisionTrack rider who retired on the first lap.

Tasuki Suzuki was thrown off his Leopard , which switch around 180 degrees, throwing the Japanese rider from one side of turn five to the other. The #24 was taken to the medical centre for a check-up.

Soon after Syarifuddin Azman left his group on track, with Filippo Farioli doing well to avoid, just before Matteo Bertelle exited from the points places.

David Almansa (In for Joel Kelso at CFMOTO)  Andrea Migno (replacing Lorenzo Fellon at CIP Green Power)  finished 18th and 19th.

Where does that leave the championship?

Three rounds in and it is a tie for the lead in the early standings. Both Daniel Holgado and Diogo Moreira lead on 49 points despite neither finishing on the podium in Austin. Holgado is placed first thanks to his race win.