Valencia MotoGP: Stoner secures twelfth pole of season

2011 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has continued his dominant form to secure his twelfth pole position of the season, equalling Mick Doohan’s record, and will start from the front of the grid for the final race of the season in Valencia.

With two minutes of the qualifiying session remaining the Australian set a 1.31.861 to cement pole position with a 1.014s lead over Repsol Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa in second.

Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) managed to pick up the pace in the final moments of the session to qualify in third, pushing a consistent Randy De Puniet (Pramac Racing Team) back on to the second row in fourth, ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) in fifth, who had also put in an impressive performance in the practice sessions.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) completes the second row, qualifying in sixth place ahead of team mate Nicky Hayden in seventh.

Andrea Dovizioso suffered a big crash on his final lap that sent the Repsol Honda rider tumbling into the gravel trap, but the Italian walked away and will start tomorrow’s race in eighth.

Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) qualified in eleventh place, behind Hector Barbera (Mapfre Aspar) in ninth and Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) in tenth.

1. 27 Casey STONER AUS Repsol Honda Team Honda 309.9 1’31.861 
2. 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 309.4 1’32.875 1.014 / 1.014
3. 11 Ben SPIES USA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 303.0 1’33.057 1.196 / 0.182
4. 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 305.1 1’33.118 1.257 / 0.061
5. 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 305.6 1’33.443 1.582 / 0.325
6. 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 303.7 1’33.478 1.617 / 0.035
7. 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 304.2 1’33.656 1.795 / 0.178
8. 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 306.8 1’33.824 1.963 / 0.168
9. 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP Ducati 307.8 1’34.186 2.325 / 0.362
10. 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati 306.6 1’34.265 2.404 / 0.079
11. 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 303.1 1’34.329 2.468 / 0.064
12. 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 303.3 1’34.671 2.810 / 0.342
13. 24 Toni ELIAS SPA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 313.2 1’34.680 2.819 / 0.009
14. 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 305.7 1’34.838 2.977 / 0.158
15. 89 Katsuyuki NAKASUGA JPN Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 299.9 1’35.999 4.138 / 1.161
16. 41 Josh HAYES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 296.1 1’36.042 4.181 / 0.043