James Toseland claimed a solid ninth position in his first MotoGP at Laguna Seca raceway in California yesterday.

The Ramsey resident had an excellent start, seizing fourth position going into turn one from fifth place on the grid.

The Tech 3 Yamaha rider then settled into seventh for the majority of the 32-lap race in sunny conditions.

Despite a prolonged battle with the more experienced Shinya Nakano, Toseland was able to retain his advantage over the Japanese rider.

However, as the chequered flag neared, tyre issues meant Toseland was unable to push hard to retain seventh.

He was passed by Toni Elias and then AMA Superbike contender Ben Spies before finally coming home in ninth.

The race was won by Valentino Rossi, his first at Laguna Seca, ahead of Australian duo Casey Stoner and Chris Vermeulen.

Rossi now leads nearest rival Stoner by 25 points in the championship table, with Toseland in ninth.

The next MotoGP round is at Brno in the Czech Republic on 17 August.