Today’s MotoGP qualifying session at Indianapolis saw Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Ben Spies stun the paddock by taking his first ever pole position with a blazing lap of 1′40.
105 that not even his future Yamaha factory team mate Jorge Lorenzo could touch.
Lorenzo claimed second and was 0.
220 slower than Spies and he just managed to knock out Ducati’s Nicky Hayden from the second spot by 0.
011s.
The Kentucky Kid is will take off from third and it’s the first time since his debut in Ducati in 2009 that he’s on the front row.
The second row will see Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso and team mate Dani Pedrosa in fourth and fifth respectively, while Casey Stoner who lead both free practices could only manage a sixth spot, baulked by traffic on his fast lap and exchanging heated hand waving gestures with Mika Kallio and returning a tit for a tat, slowing down both Kallio and Hector Barbera on their fast laps.
Valentino Rossi will start in seventh and he crashed out in the last six minutes of the session.
It was his second crash of the day and it’s difficult to remember when this last happened to the Italian rider.
Rossi has struggled all weekend with front end issues and has never been able to break the 1.
41 barrier.
Rookie Marco Simoncelli will start alongside Rossi in eighth, despite crashing again.
Colin Edwards qualified in ninth and Loris Capirossi took the tenth spot.
Hiroshi Aoyama who is making his first return to racing after fracturing his vertebra at Silverstone took the 13th spot, while Randy de Puniet who after fracturing his left tibia and fibula at Silverstone was 17th and struggling on the bumpy IMS track.
MotoGP Indianapolis Qualifying Results:01- Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 1′40.
10502- Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
22003- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 0.
23104- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.
45405- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.
53206- Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 0.
55907- Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
90008- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 0.
98709- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
12710- Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1.
40711- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1.
42912- Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.
51813- Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1.
52614- Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.
54415- Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.
75116- Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.
79117- Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1.
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