World Champion Casey Stoner still has one hand on the MotoGP World title after leading the first day of practice for the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi this afternoon. In drying conditions round the 2.983 miles circuit the Australian was determined to carry on the incredible record of his Marlboro Ducati team at the track which was built and is owned by Honda.
Ducati have won the Motegi MotoGP race for the last three years and the World Champion knows he must make it four in a row to have any real chance of preventing Italian Valentino Rossi regaining his crown with three rounds still remaining. If Stoner wins, Rossi who has won the last four grands prix has to finish third or second to regain the title he lost two years ago.
After a wet morning session the track was drying in the afternoon with Stoner leading the way from Dani Pedrosa with Rossi keeping the World Champion well in sight in third place just over four tenths of a second behind.
Andrea Dovizioso, who will be named as Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda team-mate later this afternoon, was fifth fastest riding the JIR Team Scot Honda in front of Loris Capirossi who has won those last three races for Ducati and Sylvain Guintoli who is seeking a MotoGP ride for next season.
The only two fallers were in the wet morning session with Alex De Angelis and Kousuke Akiyoshi falling without injury.
TOSELAND HAPPY WITH DEBUT DAY AT MOTEGI
Despite the difficult conditions James Toseland was satisfied with his very first day of practice at the Motegi circuit. The 27 year old Yorkshireman may have only finished 14th fastest on his Motegi debut but was happy with the work on the set-up on the machine with his Tech 3 Yamaha team.
“The 14th place may not look that good but we are happy with the work we’ve done on the set up of the bike after my first day of practice,” said Toseland.” It always seems to rain at some stage of the weekend but let’s hope that’s it and we have a dry track for qualifying and the race on Sunday.”
SMITH ON THE PACE
On a drying track Bradley Smith led the considerable British charge in the 125 cc class by qualifying second fastest just over one tenth of a second behind provisional pole setter Spaniard Joan Olive.
Drizzle just before the start of the session made it a difficult surface after the first morning 125 cc practice session was held in the rain that typically started just 40 minutes before proceedings got underway.
Smith, riding the Polaris World Aprilia, was an early leader on the wet track in the first qualifying session but then dropped back until the final couple of minutes when the track started to dry.
Kent - based Danny Webb was 16th with 15 year old Scott Redding, fresh from his fourth place at Indianapolis, 20th on his Motegi debut riding the Blusens Aprilia.
The weather forecast is for drier weather tomorrow and the track could be dry for the vital second qualifying session that could ultimately decide the grid positions for the 20 lap race on Sunday.
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