MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez has topped the first free practice timesheet at Indianapolis and had an almost half-second lead over the pack until Cal Crutchlow's final lap brought him to three-tenths behind the Repsol Honda man.
Marquez is still two seconds off Dani Pedrosa's lap record with his 1'40.781 with Crutchlow on a 1'41.081 but the circuit is still very green as it doesn't get much use when MotoGP isn't in town.
Lorenzo, who says he is about 90 per cent recovered from his two big crashes at Assen and the Sachsenring, is a little under two-tenths behind Crutchlow's Monster Yamaha with Stefan Bradl slipping to fourth after twice leading the session.
Valentino Rossi climbed into fifth place with his last lap of 1'41.547. The Doctor did the most laps of the front runners with 21 as everyone used the softer of the Bridgestone options to get up to speed.
Alvaro Bautista is back to his usual sixth place but less than a tenth behind Rossi with Dani Pedrosa making a slow start in seventh and eight-tenths off the pace. Andrea Dovizioso snuck ahead of his works Ducati team-mate at the death for eighth.
Britain's Bradley Smith rounded out the top ten with a 1'42.405, just staying ahead of returnee Ben Spies on the Ignite Ducati with team-mate Andrea Iannone just behind in 12th. Aleix Espargaro was first of the CRT men in 13th, followed by Yonny Hernandez and Colin Edwards.
Michael Laverty finished in 24th and five seconds off the pace on hid first visit to the brickyard while Karel Abraham crashed early doors and was taken to the medical centre with a shoulder injury.