Honda’s Casey Stoner set a lap record with a time of one minute 45.267 seconds in Saturday’s qualifying to take pole for the Japanese Grand Prix as the Australian closes in on a second MotoGP world title.
The 2007 world champion was more than two tenths quicker than defending title holder Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha at Motegi’s Twin Ring circuit, with Italian Andrea Dovizioso third on the grid after clocking 1:45.791 for Sunday’s race.
It was Stoner’s 10th pole of the season and he holds a 44-point lead over Lorenzo in the standings with four races remaining this season.
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MotoGP: Casey Stoner Fastest in Final Practice at Motegi
MotoGP: Japanese Grand Prix - Final Practice Results
“Everything has gone fantastically very well so far this weekend,” said Stoner, winner of last year’s race for Ducati. Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was the last rider in the ‘45s at 1:45.966 mins. just behind teammate Stoner on the second row. Next to Pedrosa came Yamaha’s Ben Spies, after a remarkable recovery from severe intestinal distress early in the weekend. San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Marco Simoncelli is the final rider on row three. Simoncelli cut his qualifying time by crashing, then racing back to the pits to get on his second bike.
Simoncelli’s final lap dropped fellow Italian Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro) to the third row.
Rossi shared the row with Rizla Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista and Hector Barbera (Mapfre Aspar Ducati).
Nicky Hayden, Rossi’s teammate, was back on the fourth row in tenth and about .3 sec. behind Rossi.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards also crashed, also returned to the pits for his spare bike, then qualified 14th. Cycle News
Pos. Num. Rider Team Time 1 27 Casey STONER Repsol Honda Team 1'45.267 2 1 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha Factory Racing 1'45.523 3 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Repsol Honda Team 1'45.791 4 26 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'45.966 5 11 Ben SPIES Yamaha Factory Racing 1'46.042 6 58 Marco SIMONCELLI San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'46.211 7 46 Valentino ROSSI Ducati Team 1'46.467 8 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'46.586 9 8 Hector BARBERA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1'46.694 10 69 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'46.763 11 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'46.811 12 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'46.818 13 14 Randy DE PUNIET Pramac Racing Team 1'46.917 14 5 Colin EDWARDS Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'47.165 15 17 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'47.922 16 24 Toni ELIAS LCR Honda MotoGP 1'48.169 17 64 Kousuke AKIYOSHI LCR Honda MotoGP 1'48.367 18 6 Damian CUDLIN Pramac Racing Team 1'48.962 19 72 Shinichi ITO Honda Racing Team 1'49.971
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