Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen started from pole position and began superbly, leading the field for the first half of the race. Unfortunately a fuel supply system issue – possibly caused by the extreme heat at Laguna - made his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R lose power and he was overtaken by eventual winner and Championship leader Nicky Hayden. Although Vermeulen fought to preserve his podium position and looked certain to achieve that feat, his slowing bike was unable to keep pace with those around him and he eventually limped home in fifth place – his best finish of the season so far.

Race winner, Nicky Hayden, rocketed into third place at turn one, but then took his time to settle into a race rhythm that would get the only result he wanted: a win. The early order was Vermeulen, Roberts, Hayden, Casey Stoner, Colin Edwards and Marco Melandri. These would be the men fighting it out at the end, although Valentino Rossi looked as if he might be a contender until his machine let him down in the closing laps.

Hayden dived inside Roberts for second place at the Corkscrew turn on lap nine while Vermeulen held a 1.7 second advantage over his pursuers, while Pedrosa, Stoner and Roberts then set about each other for third. They would conspire to trip each other up for two hard-fought laps before they realised there was still more than two thirds of race distance to run over 32-laps of this 3.610km track.

As Hayden gained on Vermeulen, Stoner, who was still involved in the tussle for third crashed out while under pressure from Dani. Shinya Nakano stopped on the same lap and it was clear the heat and the sheer pressure of the pace was staking its toll.

On lap 17 Hayden seized the lead from Vermeulen as the Aussie Suzuki man ran wide at turn three. By lap 19 Nicky had a 1.4 second lead over Vermeulen and now the race looked as if it would a question of sensible tyre management as well as an ability to maintain concentration in these deleterious conditions.

Pedrosa soon closed on Vermeulen for second place and then as the final five laps drew near, the heat and the pace began to reap its vengeance. Vermeulen slowed and Melandri and Roberts took advantage of his plight. Perhaps more significantly in terms of the Championship Rossis machine emitted puffs of terminal smoke, and one lap from the flag he parked his stricken Yamaha at the side of the track.

John Hopkins finished just behind his team-mate in sixth place. After getting baulked at the start, he battled hard in the scorching Californian sun and was able to make his way up the field, continuing with his run of top 10 finishes and enabling him to move up one place into ninth in the World Championship table.

Tech 3 Yamaha Team has secured a season best result with Carlos Checa finishing in seventh position proving that the persistence and dedication the team has put in since the stat of the year is paying dividends. The race was run in the most severe conditions but Carlos showed his fitness and determination to also be the first Yamaha home after the demise of Valentino Rossi.

Ducati Team ended a difficult weekend with a double top-ten result at searing-hot Laguna Seca, Loris Capirossi coming home eighth, team-mate Sete Gibernau in tenth.The race was a gruelling endurance test for men, machines and tyres, especially for Capirossi and Gibernau who never managed to get the best out of their bike/tyre package at unusual Laguna Seca racetrack.

Things started out brightly for Colin Edwards before ending in disappointment. Texan got a decent start from the front row of the grid and lapped with the lead group before tyre troubles began to kick in. With the searing heat also playing havoc on his physical condition, having suffered from flu symptoms and an upset stomach throughout the weekend, Edwards was unable to maintain his pace and he dropped back from fifth place to eventually cross the line in ninth.

Laguna Seca - U.S. Grand Prix - full race results