Casey Stoner celebrated his 25th birthday by taking a dominating pole position at a windy Phillip Island ahead of tomorrow’s Australian GP and taking his third pole of the season.
Stoner who has won the last three years at the Island showed a devasting race pace and his qualifying lap set him a head over the rest of the field with a blazing lap of 1′30″107, just before rain starting falling in the final two minutes of the session.
World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was second and unable to match Stoner’s dominating lap and was down 0.
668s from the Ducati rider.
Third went to an excellent Ben Spies who pipped Gresini’s Marco Simoncelli by just 0.
016s for the last spot on the front row.
The American rider who won a race at on his WSBK debut in 2009 on this track, was a massive 1.
279s from the Ducatista, which showed just how fast Stoner is on his home track.
Colin Edwards was fifth, making it three Yamaha’s in the top five.
Nicky Hayden finished in sixth after crashing in the final five minutes probably due to the first drops of rain hitting the circuit.
Hayden was followed by Randy de Puniet and Valentino Rossi.
The Italian qualified only eighth and his second worst session this year after getting baulked by slow riding Espargaro on his fast lap and then catching the yellow flag after Hayden’s crash.
Andrea Dovizioso, was another rider who struggled.
The Honda Repsol ride managed only a ninth spot after finishing second in the last two races.
Marco Melandri closed out the top ten after a crash in this morning’s free practice.
Other crashers included Hector Barbera and Loris Capirossi, both limping away from their crashes.
Dani Pedrosa, returning two weeks after fracturing his collarbone at Motegi qualifyied 15th.
Motogp Phillip Island Qualifying Results:01- Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 1′30.
10702- Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
66803- Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
27904- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.
29505- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
30806- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.
42307- Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1.
44708- Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
52009- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 1.
91110- Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 2.
26011- Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 2.
43512- Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 2.
70913- Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 3.
08314- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 3.
11715- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 3.
27716- Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 3.
28317- Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 4.
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