Ai Ogura out-ran Augusto Fernandez in the Moto2 Japanese Grand Prix to secure a popular home success and close on the points lead.
The Honda Team Asia pilot made a lightning getaway from 13th on the grid to rise well into the top ten by the end of the opening tour before reaching fourth by the end of lap two.
He then systematically worked his way through the front runners across the opening half of the contest, his victory hopes boosted by a crash from runaway leader and poleman Aron Canet less than half-a-dozen laps into the encounter.
Ogura wrestled the lead away from Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez just past the half-way mark as the duo enjoyed a strong battle, the Japanese racer first moving clear at Turn 5 before Lopez dived back through at the esses, with Ogura then snapping back to make the move stick at Turn 11.
He then sprinted clear as the fading Lopez battled with a charging Fernandez – who started 11th – for second, Ogura’s lead standing at a commanding 1.8 seconds by the time the Ajo rider had dispensed of his countryman.
Fernandez tried to chase down Ogura by firing in the fastest lap but it was no use as the leader hit back with a fastest lap of his own, leaving him to eventually take the chequered flag by 1.1 seconds to take a thrilling home success – the first Japanese rider to do so at Motegi since his team boss Hiroshi Aoyama won in the 250cc world championship back in 2006.
Ogura’s win also sees him close to within just two markers of Fernandez with four races to go, the two now well clear of the rest in the standings.
Lopez managed to hold on to take the final rostrum position despite coming under pressure from GasGas rider Jake Dixon in the climactic stages, the Briton managing fourth ahead of Somkiat Chantra.
Tony Arbolino ran solidly within the podium places in the early laps but eventually fell away to sixth on his Marc VDS machine ahead of Pedro Acosta’s Ajo entry, the reigning Moto3 world champion recovering from 18th on the grid to seventh.
Albert Arenas also fought back well from 17th at the start to eighth ahead of SAG’s Bo Bensneyder, with Gresini’s Filip Salac completing the top ten.
Fermin Aldeguer saw a good qualifying effort go to waste after crashing from second at Turn 5 on the third tour, while Celestino Vietti’s title chances looked to have likely been finished off with a crash at Turn 1 running a lowly 15th – the early season series leader now 72 points down on Fernandez.
Canet’s day also went from bad to worse as he crashed for a second time at Turn 1 in the closing stages, cementing his wait for a maiden intermediate class victory – the Pons man now 57 markers away from the peak of the title tree.
