American Nicky Hayden electrified the sell out crowd at his home Grand Prix, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, by taking his first-ever MotoGP pole position with a lap record time of 1:22.670 on his Michelin-shod Repsol Honda RC211V. “It’s just qualifying, so there’s no need to get too excited,” said Hayden, who was quickest in all but one practice session and was at the top of the leader board for nearly the entire 60-minute qualifying session Saturday afternoon. “The bike is working good and the lap times are just coming. It feels good. The last couple of years have been frustrating, so I’m happy to be back up front. I hope I can give the American fans something to go wild about tomorrow.” Defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi put in a strong run at the end of the session, turning a 1:23.024 on his Michelin-equipped Gauloises Yamaha YZR-M1. He told reporters that it was important to qualify on the front row today because it is very difficult to overtake on Laguna Seca’s 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. Camel Honda’s Alex Barros earned the third and final spot on the front row with a time of 1:23.312 on his Michelin-backed RC211V and told the media that he is very confident in his motorcycle’s race set-up and his tire choice. Strong throughout the weekend, Barros’ teammate Troy Bayliss (1:23.358) qualified fourth and will share row two with Americans Colin Edwards (1:23.469, Gauloises Yamaha) and John Hopkins (1:23.493, Red Bull Suzuki). Bridgestone-sponsored Hopkins was the highest qualifier not using Michelin tires. Telefonica Movistar Honda’s Marco Melandri lowsided in turn 10 early in the qualifying session. He was seen walking away from the incident. It was his second crash of the weekend. MotoGP Qualifying Results: 1. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:22.670 2. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 1:23.024 3. Alex Barros, Honda, 1:23.312 4. Troy Bayliss, Honda, 1:23.358 5. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, 1:23.469 6. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:23.493 7. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:23.596 8. Carlos Checa, Ducati, 1:23.597 9. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:23.750 10. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, 1:23.799 11. Marco Melandri, Honda, 1:23.905 12. Kenny Lee Roberts, Suzuki, 1:24.011 13. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:24.145 14. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:24.257 15. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 1:24.480 16. Ruben Xaus, Yamaha, 1:24.741 17. Toni Elias, Yamaha, 1:25.462 18. Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, 1:25.881 19. Shane Byrne, Proton, 1:25.937 20. James Ellison, Blata, 1:26.800 21. Franco Battaini, Blata, 1:28.435 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: NAKANO QUALIFIES TOP TEN FOR USGP DEBUT Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano claimed a top ten starting spot for the USGP in today’s highly competitive qualifying session at a sun-drenched Laguna Seca. Nakano will start from tenth on the fourth row of the grid, after posting a time that was just 0.3s off the second row. Nakano’s Ninja ZX-RR teammate, Alex Hofmann, qualified 15th to complete the fifth row of the grid. Both Kawasaki riders are making their first racing appearances at Laguna Seca and are continuing to learn the finer points of this compact, rollercoaster circuit. The USGP will be raced over 32 laps, the longest of the season in terms of laps, and is promising to be a tough examination of physical and mental endurance for riders. Race distance tyre performance will also be a key factor. Times tumbled dramatically in qualifying, with Nakano slicing more than 1.6s from his best time from Friday’s free practice sessions. Following set-up changes to spring balance, both riders reported improved rear grip today as they evaluated a new construction rear Bridgestone tyre. Both riders will race with this tyre tomorrow. Qualifying was run in windy and dusty, but warm track conditions. With 22 minutes of the one hour session remaining, Nakano claimed the third fastest time for a provisional front row start before continuing his set-up work for tomorrow’s race. Nakano was consistently in the top ten during the session and only slipped to tenth in the final minutes. Meanwhile Hofmann was disappointed with the outcome of the session, with his final fast lap on a soft qualifying tyre spoilt by traffic. This race marks the return of the USGP to Laguna Seca and the World Championship after an absence of 11 years. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Tenth – 1’23.799 “I was aiming for the top three rows and missed by one position but I’m confident, I learnt a lot this afternoon during my fast laps on qualifying tyres. I have found a better line up the hill and on the approach to the Corkscrew, which I will use in the race. I expected a little more on this short track, but tenth is not so bad on my first visit here, and I’m not so far from the front group. The wind was a problem for me today, especially in the fast left corners. Our race package is consistent, but 32 laps here is going to be very, very tough.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Fifteenth – 1’24.480 “I’m not happy; 15th is not where I wanted to be. I had a good lap going behind Valentino late in the session when a couple of guys got between us, just cruising, and that screwed my lap. I’m more comfortable than yesterday, and we have a better rear end set-up, but for sure it has not been love at first sight between me and this track, especially the Corkscrew and downhill section. The American riders can do it blindfolded, but I will continue the learning process in the morning warm-up.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director “Overall a good performance, the gap to the top group was closer than yesterday. Tomorrow we will race a new construction Bridgestone tyre and from our tests today we can see that this development is in the right direction. The Bridgestone engineers are confident of our endurance potential over the race distance.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “For 32 laps around Laguna Seca this is going to be a tyre race, and very tough in these conditions. It’s difficult to pass, so both Shinya and Alex will need good starts and a strong effort in the opening sequence of corners. Our lap times are very close to the top group ahead and Shinya is ahead of riders like Gibernau and Melandri. I’m very happy with the debut efforts of Shinya and Alex at Laguna Seca, now it’s wait and see for the race.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Hayden clinches first pole for home Grand Prix Nicky Hayden will start the Red Bull US Grand Prix from the front of the grid on Sunday after setting his first ever MotoGP pole position in today’s sell-out qualifying practice at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Honda rider dominated the morning free practice and set a scorching pace throughout the afternoon before knocking over a second off his best time with a stunning late lap of 1’22.670. “It’s a great feeling after all these years to be first when it counts,” said Hayden. “It’s been a frustrating couple of years for me because I was used to being on pole and winning races before I arrived in MotoGP and since then it hasn’t happened. The weekend just keeps getting better and better and it’s great to give my people something to cheer about, I just hope it keeps going that way tomorrow. The whole team has done a great job and the bike feels so good. I’m not really worried about the race – I just want to enjoy it.” Hayden’s effort left the rest of the field reeling, with reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi the only rider able to get close in the final stages but still some 0.354 seconds adrift of the 2003 MotoGP Rookie of the Year. Whilst Rossi’s late effort secured a place on the front row after spending much of the session outside the top five positions, Alex Barros made a similar charge to clinch third at the expense of his Honda team-mate Troy Bayliss. However, fourth place for Bayliss represents his best grid position so far this season and the Australian will start from the second row for the first time since the final race of 2004 at Valencia, when he also finished on the podium. Colin Edwards will start alongside Bayliss in fifth place as the pair chase a repeat of previous victories here in the World Superbike series, with the American also looking to score consecutive podium finishes for the first time in his MotoGP career after finishing third in the last round at Assen. John Hopkins joins Edwards and Hayden as the third home rider to qualify on the front two rows after lapping sixth fastest on the Suzuki. With Marco Melandri qualifying eleventh fastest after crashing for the second time this weekend in this afternoon’s qualifying practice, Max Biaggi will be aiming to close the gap to second place in the championship as he starts from seventh. The Italian currently lies twenty points adrift of his compatriot and a further 63 points behind series leader Rossi. Biaggi is joined on the third row of the grid by Ducati’s Carlos Checa and Honda rider Makoto Tamada, who was the fastest rider other than Rossi to have no previous race experience at this circuit – despite the fact that he underwent an arm operation just nine days ago. Shinya Nakano completed the top ten ahead of Melandri, Kenny Roberts and Sete Gibernau, whilst Loris Capirossi recovered from a bout of gastroenteritis to qualify fourteenth. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: ROSSI STORMS ONTO FRONT ROW AT LAGUNA SECA Yamaha Factory Racing riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will start from the first and second rows respectively in the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship, after finishing second and fifth fastest in today’s sell-out qualifying session at Laguna Seca. After lapping fifth and sixth quickest in the morning free practice, both riders were consistently on the pace in the afternoon heat and are confident of their chances in tomorrow’s Grand Prix, the first to be held on U.S. soil since 1994. Riding at the Californian circuit for the first time, Rossi produced a stunning lap to gatecrash the top three at the end of the session and out-qualify ten riders with previous race experience at this circuit. The only man capable of lapping faster than Rossi today was local rider Nicky Hayden (Honda), who took his first ever MotoGP pole position with a time of 1’22.670. Edwards rode equally hard for a top grid position in front of passionate home support and is now targeting a second consecutive podium finish following his third-place in Assen two weeks ago. VALENTINO ROSSI (2nd; 1’23.024 31 laps) “It was very important to make a good lap time today and to be on the front row and second place is very good. The team have worked so hard and there was a big difference in the bike between yesterday and today. This track is very particular compared to any other circuit in the world so the settings have to be very particular too. Now I have started to understand the track and I was able to do a fast lap, but I think I will discover some more secrets in the warm-up. It’s always difficult to win races in MotoGP but this time it’s even worse because there are more riders than usual with a chance of victory Hayden is very fast, also Bayliss and Colin. The Americans have an extra motivation but we all want to win and that is what I am here for. We have a good position on the grid, now we need to improve the setting some more and choose the tyres. We’ll see what happens at the end of the race.” COLIN EDWARDS (5th; 1’23.469 28 laps) “It took a big effort to set that lap and I’m actually quite lucky to be on the second row because we made a small mistake with the front tyre choice at the end of the session. Anyway, the important thing is that we’re on the second row and I’ve got a decent race pace. Nicky did a few laps in the 1’23 mark today, which looks to be the benchmark, and it will be tough to go with that but I’m confident we can do it. Laguna is a funny track and you never quite know what to expect on race day because a lot of things can happen, so we’ll just concentrate on the job at hand and go for it. The support here has been amazing all weekend and I can’t imagine what the atmosphere will be like tomorrow. Hopefully we can give them all something to shout about.” DAVIDE BRIVIO YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM DIRECTOR “Valentino did a very good lap at the end and he has an excellent position to start the race, which is important at this circuit. Colin is also in good shape because he managed to keep a good pace. At the end he qualified on the second row so I think both Colin and Vale have a chance to stay with the top group in the race, although they will be 32 hard laps. It will be a big emotion to see our riders in the yellow and black colours for Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary and I’m sure our riders will try their best to help us celebrate.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: HAYDEN TAKES HOME ADVANTAGE TO CLAIM POLE Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) powered to the first pole position of his MotoGP career with a commanding demonstration of courage and precision at Laguna Seca here this afternoon. His lap time of 1:22.670 was enough to relegate Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) to second and Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) to third. Hayden has been the man setting the pace here from the go, and the American showed his utter mastery of this place while many of his European counterparts faded in the Californian sun. Barros, the only current rider to have ridden here on a Grand Prix machine, showed his resolve and experience with that cool front row performance. Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V) was another man who used his previous time here to good effect with a fourth-placed qualifying ride. The Australian has had a difficult season so far and this effort is precisely what he needed to get back in the groove. The revised track, safer, though not quite as safe as some European riders would like, has not been easy for first-timers to get to grips with. The Americans have, not unsurprisingly, shone here. Nicky Hayden’s pole time was just what the homeboy needed to lift the crowd. The only man in the 1:22 category was understandably ecstatic about his strong showing at the first Grand Prix on American soil for 11 years. “It’s a great feeling after all these years to be first when it counts,” he said. “The weekend just keeps getting better and better I just hope it keeps going in that direction because tomorrow is when it really counts. It’s great to give all my people something to cheer about. The whole team has done a great job the bike feels so good. We used some great Michelins and I’m just so happy. I’m not really worried about the race tomorrow I just want to enjoy it.” Alex Barros was equally delighted with his second front row start of the season. His lap of 1:23.312 was only 0.288 seconds shy of Rossi’s second fastest time. “Things went well today,” said the hugely experienced Brazilian. “The grip was much better, and we were able to put in very good work on the set-up. It’s just a shame I found some traffic on the track when I was going for my fastest laps. During my last lap I found Melandri, Hopkins and Roberts, three slower riders, in front of me. I’m not saying I could do the pole, Hayden made a brilliant job today and he is the man to beat for tomorrow’s race. Anyway, I’m very happy also to see Troy so close. It’s good for the whole team.” Troy Bayliss’ best lap of 1:23.358 enables the durable Aussie to claim his best qualifying lap of the season so far, and it was just what he needed. A second row start gives him a chance of staying with the front-runners at a track where he has tasted success before in the World Superbike series. “So far it’s been good,” he said. “We’ve always been close to the top during the whole week-end. We just had a little problem when something went wrong with the rear brake this afternoon, maybe due to my crash in the morning. It caused a little bit of stress, but after that we got going well again. When I made a 1:24 with my first soft tyre I said to myself “Well Troy you have to do better with the next one.” So I did, I pushed very hard and 1:23.3 is not so bad. Alex is just in front of me and this is good for the team.” Another US hope Colin Edwards (Yamaha) lines up on row two next to Troy in fifth, with John Hopkins (Suzuki) sixth fastest. Then it’s Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) heading up row three in seventh. “Starting with the seventh best time from the third row is a bit of a disappointment to me and my team,” said Max. “After the good job we did yesterday and this morning we were expecting to do much better, and we should have done. The changes we made to the rear suspension this afternoon didn’t give us the result we were looking for, and made us even slower. We still have a chance to ride a good race, but the start will be so important.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V), recovering from surgery to his injured forearm last week, managed the ninth fastest lap time of 1:23.750 and starts from row three. “We have worked hard to be able to find a good setting for the race and tomorrow we’ll try some more small adjustments to define the setting of the bike,” said the Japanese. “We still have to solve little problems that slow me down while entering the turns, and for this reason I hope to have a good warm-up session tomorrow. This afternoon we worked well and at the end I made the third row. A good start could help me finally achieve a good result.” Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) who injured his right knee and wrist in a fall in the earlier free practice session, has not been enjoying the American experience. The Italian, who lies second in the World Championhip points standings, has struggled here. He will start from 11th on row four. “This a difficult weekend for me,” said Marco. “We didn’t start well and I couldn’t find a good feeling with the bike. After I slid off, I tried to finish the practice staying calm. It will be a tough race tomorrow. My aim is just to finish the race. ” His team-mate Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) was equally out of sorts here in California. The Spaniard qualified 13th. “We will have a lot of work to do tomorrow during the warm up,” he said. “Today we made some changes on the bike but without improving the feeling. It seems we’ve lost a bit of direction because we haven’t improved the lap times at all. Tomorrow will be a complicated race.” Honda Rider Quotes: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team. 1st: 1:22.670 “It’s a great feeling after all these years to be first when it counts. The weekend just keeps getting better and better I just hope it keeps going in that direction because tomorrow is when it really counts. It’s great to give all my people something to cheer about. The whole team has done a great job the bike feels so good. We used some great Michelins and I’m just so happy. I’m not really worried about the race tomorrow I just want to enjoy it.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda. 3rd: 1:23.312 “Things went well today, the grip was much better, and we were able to put in a very good work on the set-up. It’s just a shame that in the of the qualifying session I found some traffic on the track when I was going for my fastest laps. During my last lap I found Melandri, Hopkins and Roberts, three slower riders in front of me. I do not say I could do the pole, Hayden made a brilliant job today and he is the man to beat for the tomorrow race, but I would like to make a 1:22 something. Anyway, I’m very happy also to see Troy just so close, it’s good for the whole team”. Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda. 4th: 1:23.358 “So far it has been a good week-end, we’ve always been close to the top during the whole week-end. We just had a little problem something went wrong with the rear brake this afternoon, maybe due to the this morning crash I do not know, anyway nothing to do with the manufacturer, just a normal little problem that can happens. It caused a little bit of stress but after we going well again. When I made a flat 1:24 with my first soft tyre I said to myself “Well Troy you have to do better with the next one” . So I did, I pushed very hard and 1:23.3 is not so bad. Alex is just in front of me and this is good for the team, but I’m just there and that’s make me feeling good for the tomorrow race”. Sito Pons, Camel Honda “I’m pleased with how things went today, the whole squad worked well and both Troy and Alex have been amongst the top four throughout, and always at the top level. This means that tomorrow they will have the chance to start well and fighting for the podium. Alex has worked very well on set-up and has found a fast and consistent rhythm, which allowed him to grab a front row starting position. As for Troy I’m so happy for him, he has made a huge step forward, and has got a fourth place in the qualifying that rewards the good job him and the team made here”. Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team. 7th : 1:23.596 “Starting with the seventh best time, from the third row, surely disappoint me and my Team. After the good job done yesterday and this morning, during the free practice, we were expecting to do much better, and we could. The change we made to the rear suspension this afternoon didn’t give the result we were looking for and on the other hand made us even slower. We need to go back to the precedent step. We still have chances to make a good race, but the starting will be very important.” Makoto Tanaka, Repsol Honda Team Manager “Obviously we are all very happy and pleased for Nicky. He has ridden very strongly all weekend and has been getting faster with every session. It is very encouraging for the race to see him lap consistently fast and his first really quick laps this afternoon were all done on race tyres. It’ll be a long hard race tomorrow. Max had a few problems today but it is all so close at the front, he was unlucky not to keep his second row start that he lost right at the end of the session. He is a racer and we expect a good battle from him tomorrow.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta. 9th- 1:23.750 “We have worked to be able to find a good setting for the race and tomorrow we’ll try some more small adjustment to define the setting of the bike. We still have to solve little problems that slow me down while entering the turns, for this reason, I hope to make it to have a good warm up session tomorrow. This afternoon we have worked well and at the end I made it obtain the third row which makes me fairly satisfied. I hope that a good start could help me to finally achieve a good result in the race.” Gianluca Montiron, Konica Minolta Honda Director “Today we have continued to work on the setting of the bike which we have started yesterday, trying to improve the balance of our RC211V. Makoto will start from the third row and this could reveal an important factor because this track doesn’t allow simple overtaking. Makoto, as we know, gives his best during the race, therefore we don’t consider our self too behind, considering the fact that Makoto has always ridden alone on the track. I hope that the last modification that we’ll try tomorrow in the twenty minutes of warm up will reveal decisive.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda MotoGP.11th: 1:23.905: “This a difficult weekend for me. We didn’t start well and I couldn’t find a good feeling with the bike. After I slide off, I tried to finish the practice staying calm. It will be a tough race tomorrow, my aim is to finish the race. ” Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP. 13th: 1:24.145 “We will have a lot of work to do tomorrow during the warm up. Today we did some changes on the bike but without improving the feeling. It seems that we have lost the direction of working as we haven’t improved the lap times. Tomorrow it will be a complicated race.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: US GRAND PRIX – MOTOGP QUALIFYING PRACTICE Laguna Seca will open its gates at the crack of dawn tomorrow as over 60,000 fans descend on the circuit to witness the best motorcycle race series in the world. The atmosphere generated at the Californian circuit today has already provided a glimpse of what is to come in the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship, eleven years on from the last Grand Prix here. The MotoGP field have made the most of three free practice sessions with an extra hour compared to other rounds as they look to gather confidence and information at a track that is not only unknown to the majority of riders, but also extremely demanding from a mental and physical point of view. In sunny but blustery conditions during the afternoon session, the Telefónica Movistar Honda team saw their riders qualify on the fourth and fifth rows of the grid for what will be their first race appearance at Laguna Seca. Marco Melandri, who slide off just ten minutes into the session, qualified eleventh fastest whilst his team-mate Sete Gibernau was unable to get his rhythm together in the decisive session and ended up in thirteenth place, his worst grid position since the Grand Prix of Japan last year. MARCO MELANDRI (11th, 1’23″905): “They have been two difficult days for me because we haven’t managed to find a good feeling for the bike. After I slide off this afternoon we just focused on getting through the practice. Tomorrow will be a tough race and I just want to finish it in the best way possible.” SETE GIBERNAU (13th, 1’24″145): “We have a lot of work to do in the warm-up tomorrow. We got lost today and we have to find out why because we’ve gone backwards for the first time in a long while. We went faster yesterday than we did at any point today. We’ll have to work very hard in the morning although it’s pretty obvious that it’s going to be a tough race.” More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Suzuki: Red Bull Suzuki on the pace at Laguna John Hopkins (P6, 1’23.493) will start tomorrow’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix from sixth place on the grid following today’s hard fought qualifying session at Laguna Seca. Hopkins was in second position right up until the final moments of qualifying and was narrowly edged out of what would have been a well deserved front row start on his return to America. Team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr (P12, 1’24.011) will begin the race from the fourth row after he battled to find more rear grip for his Suzuki GSV-R around the challenging Californian circuit. American Nicky Hayden set today’s fastest time after the hour long session that was again held in brilliant sunshine, with warm track temperatures. Tomorrow’s race is the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship and will begin at 14.00hrs local time (23.00 hrs CET). John Hopkins “I’m definitely disappointed. I don’t want to be sitting on the second row, I want to be on the front. I gave it my all and did everything I could but unfortunately I ended up sixth. This will make me even more determined to run harder tomorrow. I’m going to give it everything I can, that’s for sure. “Race times are there, the bike’s set-up is good and the Bridgestone’s are working quite well, now it’s up to me to go out, get a good start and haul ass.” Kenny Roberts Jr “We have tried hard today to get everything right but we are still struggling to get a consistent amount of grip out there. I would have liked a better position – obviously – but I think where we are is about right for what the bike and the tyres gave me today. “I will be looking to get a good start tomorrow and make up a few places early on and as the race progresses we will just have to see what happens.” Paul Denning – Team Manager “John was again so close to a front row start. He got caught in traffic on one of his faster laps and I’m sure he could have gone a fraction of a second quicker, if he had got a clear run. Kenny is still looking for that extra bit of grip but he is hoping that he can make up some places early on in tomorrow’s race. “We will have to wait and see what tomorrow’s weather is like and if we will have the tyre durability over 32 laps of this very demanding circuit. Both riders will be going for it from the start in front of their home fans. “It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to represent Red Bull at the USGP so far, I hope we can perform to our maximum for them tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: CHECA ON ROW THREE, CAPIROSSI STILL SICK Ducati Team rider Carlos Checa qualified on the third row at warm but blustery Laguna Seca this afternoon. Team-mate Loris Capirossi ended the day on the fifth row, suffering the after-effects of yesterday’s attack of gastroenteritis. Second quickest with five minutes to go, Checa eventually slipped to eighth, though his impressive pace on race tyres earlier in the session gives the Ducati Team some hope for tomorrow’s US GP. “Carlos ran a good rhythm on race tyres today, so he could have a good race tomorrow,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “We had been hoping he might start from one of the front two rows but now he’ll need a good getaway from the third row. It’s a pity Loris still isn’t well, he’s not feeling strong and he’s finding it difficult to concentrate, but we hope he will be in much better shape for the race.” CHECA EIGHTH Carlos Checa will start tomorrow’s US GP from eighth on the grid, sandwiched by Max Biaggi and Makoto Tamada. “Race-bike set-up is always a compromise, especially here because it’s uphill, downhill, slow and fast,” said the Spaniard. “It’s not even easy to keep the front end on the ground around this track, so it’s impossible to feel 100 per cent confident here. But we’ve come up with the best compromise we can and now I’m looking forward to the race. I’ve run some good times on race tyres and the bike is the best it’s been all weekend. Tomorrow will be tough – the first few laps will be interesting, I hope no one does anything stupid, and it’s a long race too.” CAPIROSSI STILL NOT 100 PER CENT Loris Capirossi missed most of yesterday afternoon’s practice session following a nasty attack of gastroenteritis. The Italian Ducati Team rider was able to ride again today but he’s still not back to full strength and is still suffering from a lack of track time. “I’m not feeling great, I don’t feel 100 per cent clear-headed, so I can’t ride the way I’d like to ride,” he said. “On my fast lap I had some traffic in my way, so I wasn’t able to fully exploit the extra grip of my Bridgestone qualifiers. Also, I didn’t manage to find the perfect set-up, so the bike still isn’t properly fixed for this track. I hope we’ll be able to use warm-up to improve the settings, so the bike turns into the corners better.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: The Camel Honda is the best team at Laguna Seca in the qualifying The positive first half of the weekend was rounded off in fine style by the striking yellow Camel Honda bikes at Laguna Seca today. Alex Barros will start the race from the front row with the third fastest time, with his team-mate Troy Bayliss, who has been fast throughout these first two days, just behind in fourth on the second row of the grid. Both riders are in with a good chance at the Californian track with a record crowd assured. They will make final tyre choices and any last-minute fine-tuning tomorrow morning, before the 32 tough laps of racing around the Laguna Seca hills. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I’m pleased with how things went today, the whole squad worked well and both Troy and Alex have been amongst the top four throughout, and always at the top level. This means that tomorrow they will have the chance to start well and fighting for the podium. Alex has worked very well on set-up and has found a fast and consistent rhythm, which allowed him to grab a front row starting position. As for Troy I’m so happy for him, he has made a huge step forward, and has got a fourth place in the qualifying that rewards the good job him and the team made here”. Alex Barros Honda Pons 1’23.312 3rd fastest “Things went well today, the grip was much better, and we were able to put in a very good work on the set-up. It’s just a shame that in the of the qualifying session I found some traffic on the track when I was going for my fastest laps. During my last lap I found Melandri, Hopkins and Roberts, three slower riders in front of me. I do not say I could do the pole, Hayden made a brilliant job today and he is the man to beat for the tomorrow race, but I would like to make a 1’22 something. Anyway, I’m very happy also to see Troy just so close, it’s good for the whole team”. Troy Bayliss Honda Pons 1’23.358 4th fastest “So far it has been a good week-end, we’ve always been close to the top during the whole week-end. We just had a little problem something went wrong with the rear brake this afternoon, maybe due to the this morning crash I do not know, anyway nothing to do with the manufacturer, just a normal little problem that can happens. It caused a little bit of stress but after we going well again. When I made a flat 1’24 with my first soft tyre I said to myself “Well Troy you have to do better with the next one” . So I did, I pushed very hard and 1’23.3 is not so bad. Alex is just in front of me and this is good for the team, but I’m just there and that’s make me feeling good for the tomorrow race”. More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: XAUS UNABLE TO USE WINNING EXPERIENCE AT LAGUNA SECA, ELIAS HAS MINOR CRASH AND STILL FEELS PAIN IN WRIST The moment of truth came around in the form of the qualifying practices, and Toni Elias and Rubén Xaus will both start tomorrow’s United States Grand Prix from the sixth row . The two Fortuna riders put in a lot of effort to reduce their lap times; Rubén dropping a second with regards to the free practices, but he was unable to improve on grid position. Toni had a minor crash in the final minutes of the timed session, still unable to make the most out of the soft tyres. Rubén Xaus Free 3: 17th, 1’25’729, +2.011 from pole Qualifying: 16th, 1’24,741, +2.071 from pole The Barcelona rider improved his best time from free practice by a second, but he is still at a disadvantage which he is unable to resolve. “In the official session I took a second off my best lap, but it wasn’t enough to move far up the grid. I like the track, the crowd, the atmosphere, but of those riders who have done well before here in other categories, unfortunately I’m the one who is now unable to show his talent. I want to take some good memories away from here, if not i’ll have to be content with my Superbike victory here in 2003.” Toni Elias Free 3: 15th, 1’25’449, +1.731 from pole Qualifying : 17th, 1’25’462, +2.792 from pole Toni stil had problems with his left wrist, with even more pain than yesterday. He is not at 100%, but he is not shying away from the job at hand, adapting to a track which he has come to love. “The crash made things worse because we weren’t going well. I’ve got a problem with the set-up which is proving hard for us to solve. it’s my first year in the class and I’m working hard to improve and to get a base to work from. Added to that Laguna Seca is a complicated track. I hope that the time we have left will allow me to find a solution so i can go out in the race in the best shape possible.” Antonio Jiménez, Toni Elias’ Chief Mechanic “Toni has estly done a great job, but it’s one thing to ride with race tyres and get a rhythm going, and another to stick on the qualifiers and take a half to one second off your time. Toni is still short of being in a position to make the most of the qualifying tyres. That’s why he has the slight crash. Tomorrow we will try and get a good start and pick up points.”
