US MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest in first practice

Casey Stoner has made a flying start to the US Grand Prix weekend to set the quickest time in opening MotoGP practice session at a cool and overcast Laguna Seca in California.

The Repsol Honda rider, who is chasing his first win at Laguna Seca since 2007, topped the timesheets with a best time of 1.22.300, set on his sixth of 19 laps completed.
Team-mate Dani Pedrosa, brimming with confidence after his brilliant win in Germany just five days ago, was second fastest.

A 1.22.420 set on his final lap knocked compatriot Jorge Lorenzo back to third with Pedrosa just 0.102s behind Stoner.

Earlier, Pedrosa ran off the track at Turn 2 after 15 minutes and he toppled off the side of his RC212V machine at slow speed having been unable to maintain his balance in the gravel trap.

Stoner’s main championship rival Lorenzo had provided the closest competition for the majority of the session, the factory Yamaha rider finishing 0.120s back in third.
Lorenzo’s best time of 1.22.420 was 0.386s faster than team-mate Ben Spies, who climbed into fourth in the final stages.

Home crowd favourite Nicky Hayden led the way in the early stages but he finished seventh with a best time of 1.23.297. That was 0.997s behind Stoner, with factory Ducati team-mate Valentino Rossi two places and nearly 0.2s further back in ninth.
Once again, Rossi was just over one second off the fastest pace, the 32-year-old finishing with a 1.23.467.

British rider Cal Crutchlow’s first experience of the spectacular Laguna Seca track saw him clock the 13th best time. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider ran off at the famous Corkscrew corner and ended with a quickest time of 1.24.018.

Ben Bostrom, making his MotoGP debut at the age of 37 on the LCR Honda, finished 18th fastest with a best time of 1.27.286. That was 4.986s off Stoner’s pace. Toni Elias, who has had give up one of his RC212V machines for Bostrom, was 14th fastest and almost three seconds faster.