Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner pipped Ben Spies by 0.015s for the final MotoGP win of 2011, outdragging the Texan from the last corner to cross the line first after the Texan ran out of horsepower and Stoner occupied the Honda lane to take victory.
With three laps left, Spies took top spot after the Australian made an error but on the drag to the line, Stoner was able to nose in front of the Texan after taking a couple of extra risks on a damp surface in the final corners to build a fraction more momentum.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow also took advantage of the tricky conditions, going past Dani Pedrosa on the final lap to bag fourth and the Rookie of the Year crown which also meant that Andrea Dovizioso secured third in the championship table before he moves to be Crutchlow's team-mate. It is the Coventry man's best result in MotoGP so far, the best for a Brit in the four-stroke era and stands him in good stead for the move up to litre bikes in 2012.
The race started with high drama as, on the entry to turn one, Dovizioso looked to clip Alvaro Bautista's front wheel causing him to crash and take Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden and Randy De Puniet with him. All three Ducati riders had the chance of top five results today and it was the end of a possible podium finish for The Doctor.
Oblivious to all that, Stoner cleared off at the rate of a second a lap while Dovizioso, Pedrosa and Spies fought it out for the podium spots. After some paint trading by the Repsol riders, Dovizioso and Spies finally made a break before the rain came down with five laps remaining.
Stoner's ten second lead dropped to two seconds in as many laps and, after Spies did a number on number four, he caught the newly-crowned world champion with three laps remaning when Stoner made an error on the brakes, running wide.
It was then a case of defensive riding for the former World Superbike Champion but Stoner pushed that little bit harder in the final three corners and used the superior power of his HRC RC212V to mug Spies over the line.
Spies' temporary team-mate Kats Nakasuga just held off AMA Champion Josh Hayes for sixth place while Karel Abraham, who had the measure of Crutchlow until he crashed in the dying laps, managed to salvage eighth place.
Pramac Ducati's Loris Capirossi bode an emotional farewell to racing with a ninth place in his special helmet and leathers while Toni Elias, whose future is far less certain, rounded out the top ten.
