Daily Update MotoGP

Casey Stoner on course for US Grand Prix victory after converting perfect free practice performance into his fifth consecutive pole position.
Casey Stoner's average advantage over his nearest rival, during the four track sessions held so far this weekend at Laguna Seca, has been 0.6815secs.
Multiply that by the 32-lap US Grand Prix race distance and the Australian should win Sunday's race by 21.808secs.
Taking just the three free practice sessions, when only race tyres are used, and Stoner's projected victory margin becomes 24.309secs.

No one is more aware of those figures than world championship leader Valentino Rossi, who joked that his plan to stop Stoner winning his fourth race in a row involves "starting 30 seconds earlier!"

Indeed, should Stoner convert pole into an early race lead it will be a major shock if he doesn't win his fifth race of the season. But it's not Stoner's fault that his rivals are so comparatively weak and the young Australian needs to do all he can to erase the current points gap Rossi.
Stoner had been languishing 50 points from the top at the start of June, but is now just four points behind the absent Dani Pedrosa and 20 from Rossi - numbers that look set change even further in Stoner's favour after round eleven of 18.
"I'm happy with how we're looking in race trim and with the fact we're on pole again," said Casey of his fifth pole in a row. "I didn't manage to get the most out of the first two qualifiers because the front tyre, which is working perfectly with the race rear, was a bit too soft for the qualifying and I wasn't confident enough push it 100%. With the third one I gave it my best shot and we've come out with another pole. Congratulations to the team, who are working as hard as always, and Bridgestone for another fantastic job."
Rossi will start alongside Stoner, with Honda's home hero Nicky Hayden completing the front row.
Stoner's Ducati Marlboro team-mate Marco Melandri was unable to carry his good morning from into qualifying and will line-up just 15th for what might be his last race as a Desmosedici rider.
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Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Casey Stoner Ducati (B) 1:20.700
2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha (B) 1:21.147 + 0.447
3. Nicky Hayden Honda (M) 1:21.430 + 0.730
4. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (M) 1:21.864 + 0.936
5. James Toseland Yamaha (M) 1:21.848 + 1.148
6. Randy de Puniet Honda (M) 1:21.921 + 1.221
7. Colin Edwards Yamaha (M) 1:21.947 + 1.247
8. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki (B) 1:21.971 + 1.271
9. Andrea Dovizioso Honda (M) 1:21.974 + 1.274
10. Toni Elias Ducati (B) 1:21.999 + 1.299
11. Loris Capirossi Suzuki (B) 1:22.039 + 1.339
12. Shinya Nakano Honda (B) 1:22.092 + 1.392
13. Ben Spies Suzuki (B) 1:22.147 + 1.427
14. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati (B) 1:22.719 + 2.019
15. Marco Melandri Ducati (B) 1:22.957 + 2.257
16. Alex de Angelis Honda (B) 1:23.035 + 2.335
17. Jamie Hacking Kawasaki (B) 1:23.309 + 2.609
18. Anthony West Kawasaki (B) 1:24.525 + 3.825

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A crash suffered whilst leading the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland could have left Dani Pedrosa with a broken finger and fractured ankle.
Whilst some of his MotoGP World Championship rivals will be making a direct journey to Laguna Seca for next weekend´s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Dani Pedrosa will be making a brief stopover in Barcelona to undergo examination on a suspected broken index finger and ankle injury.
The Repsol Honda rider was leading the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland when he crashed out of the race, taking a big impact as he was flung from his RC212V. The fall dealt a double blow to the Spaniard, who not only conceded the lead in the World Championship but also could be affected by the latest in a string of injuries.
Pedrosa was examined in the Clinica Mobile immediately after the crash, with MotoGP Medical Director Dr. Claudio Macchiagodena giving an initial diagnosis of a fractured left digit. Further examination at the Clinica Dexeus in Pedrosa´s home city will reveal the full extent of the damage caused by the Sunday afternoon spill, the cause of which he was at a loss to explain.
`It was a little strange. I had only just touched the brake and I crashed. It was a real pity because I´d got a great start and was going well. I had a good feeling. The front felt perfect, the rear was sliding just a little, but the general feeling was good considering the track conditions. It is a real pity, ´ said the rider himself.
Finger fractures are notoriously fickle for riders, as their effects can vary wildly depending on the exact location of the break and how this corresponds to the demands of gripping and operating levers. With this in mind, Pedrosa´s participation in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix could be in doubt.
Exclusive footage of the crash is available on motogp.com.

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Reigning champion Casey Stoner took a strong victory in appalling conditions in the German MotoGP, on his way to his fourth win - the third consecutive one - this season.
The Ducati Marlboro rider, who qualified on pole yesterday, was pipped at the start by Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa and JiR Honda's Andrea Dovizioso.
Pedrosa immediately opened up a gap - almost two seconds in the first lap - and set a blistering pace to be 7.4 seconds ahead of everyone else after the first five laps.
But it all came to an end for the Spaniard at the beginning of lap six, when he crashed out of the race at high speed while braking for turn one.

Pedrosa, who went from leading the championship to trailing Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi by 16 points and being ahead of Stoner by just four, was left with a broken left index finger.
After getting by Dovizioso on lap two, the crash opened the way for Stoner. But he had Rossi to keep under control.
The Italian, from seventh on the grid, had an ordinary start that didn't see him making up any places. But he quickly started making up ground and was up to second by lap nine, 3.4 seconds behind Stoner.
From then on, the two began exchanging fastest laps, but it was last year's champion doing it more often, with the gap slowly increasing to reach a maximum of 6.7 with four laps to go.
Mid-way through the race, Rossi's second place looked to be at risk, with wet-weather specialist Chris Vermeulen reaching an impressive third place and getting closer with his Rizla Suzuki after starting from the 14th spot.
But that didn't last long, with Rossi able to increase the gap again to finish over ten seconds in front of the Australian, who had to fend off the attack of Honda Gresini's Alex de Angelis, just 0.122 seconds behind at the flag.
Dovizioso classified in a distant fifth place, ahead of the ALice Ducati of Sylvain Guintoli and a jubilant Loris Capirossi, who on his return from injury just beat LCR Honda's Randy de Puniet for seventh.
Fiat Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo crashed once again on lap three from sixth place, while Marco Melandri crashed his factory Ducati on lap ten shortly after setting the fastest lap of the race up to that point. Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards also crashed out from fifth place on lap 21.
Works Honda rider Nicky Hayden dropped to last place during the first lap and was never able to recover. He visited the pits at the end of lap seven and then rejoined the track, eventually finishing last, two laps down from Stoner.

Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Casey Stoner Ducati (B) 47:30.057
2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha (B) + 3.708
3. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki (B) + 14.002
4. Alex de Angelis Honda (B) + 14.124
5. Andrea Dovizioso Honda (M) + 42.022
6. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati (B) + 46.648
7. Loris Capirossi Suzuki (B) +1:04.483
8. Randy de Puniet Honda (M) +1:04.588
9. Shinya Nakano Honda (B) +1:16.773
10. Anthony West Kawasaki (B) +1:29.275
11. James Toseland Yamaha (M) + 1 lap
12. Toni Elias Ducati (B) + 1 lap
13. Nicky Hayden Honda (M) + 2 laps

Retirements:

Rider Bike Laps
Colin Edwards Yamaha (M) 20
Marco Melandri Ducati (B) 9
Dani Pedrosa Honda (M) 5
Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (M) 2

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