Indianapolis MotoGP: Eugene Laverty on provisional front row

Irish rider Eugene Laverty produced a brilliant display of wet weather riding to claim a place on the provisional front row of the grid for Sunday’s Indianapolis 250GP.

In appalling conditions for much of the opening qualifying session, the Blusens Aprilia rider was always in contention for the top four as the conditions helped level the playing field, with Laverty’s Aprilia much inferior to the bikes run by his rivals.

He clocked a best time of 2.03.317 in the nine laps he did manage in treacherous conditions with standing water on several new sections of the Indy circuit.

He was only 0.788s adrift of Czech Republic rider Karel Abraham who claimed provisional pole. Factory KTM duo Hiroshi Aoyama and Mika Kallio were second and third respectively.