MotoGP Laguna Seca - Qualifying
Toseland claims brilliant fifth, Edwards on third row for
home race Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland produced his
best qualifying performance since his MotoGP debut in Qatar
today to claim an impressive fifth place on the grid for tomorrow's
32-lap American GP.
A best lap 1.21.848 on Michelin's qualifying rubber secured
him the second best grid position of his rookie campaign.
He missed a second career front row start by just 0.4s after
his best lap had moved him into third spot in the final two
minutes.
Delighted to put a tough recent spell behind him, the British
rider is also confident that he can run a competitive race
pace tomorrow and challenge for the top six having evaluated
a softer compound rear tyre this afternoon. The softer compound
was much more suited to the cooler conditions.
Edwards will start just two places further back in seventh.
The Texan encountered problems in finding a set-up to absorb
some of Laguna Seca's notoriously bumpy sections. Seventh
place ended Edwards' impressive 2008 qualifying record as
he finished outside of the top six for the first time this
season. He did gain five valuable places on the grid with
his last Michelin qualifying tyre, having been uncharacteristically
outside of the top ten for most of the session.
James Toseland 5th 1.21.848 - 27 laps
"With the way we have worked today with the set-up, I
was confident that once we got on the qualifiers with a bit
more grip that I could get up there. I had to pin it and to
do a 21 around here is not easy but I got the job done. I'm
just so pleased for my team because we have been working really
well and so hard that I feel we have deserved it after our
bad luck over the last two rounds. We have all kept plugging
away and nobody has dropped their heads and now we are on
the second row, which is great. When I went out on my last
tyre I saw 21.9 was third and I came across the line and saw
21.8 on the dash and I was hoping that would be good enough
for the first two rows. You can get two laps on a qualifier
here but on my second lap I ran wide at the first corner and
I knew I couldn't really get that time back. I was just hoping
that was going to keep me on the first two rows and it did.
I have got that softer race tyre which I saved for today and
kept one back for the race. I can do mid to low 23s on that
and that could be a possible top six finish. With some of
the issues we have had this weekend I'd be satisfied with
that. I just need a decent start to try and get away with
the leaders. I'm getting the hang of the starts and I'm not
as nervous as before because it is quite a technique to get
these bikes off the line. When you're flat-out at 14,000 revs
and you want to dump that clutch as fast as you can, you really
need to know what you're doing."
Colin Edwards 7th 1.21.947 - 27 laps
"It wasn't great to be honest given how well I've qualified
all year, but considering I thought I was going to be on the
plane home last night, I can't complain too much. My neck
was really bad yesterday but today it was unbelievable. I
had some injections and also a couple of sessions of massage
at the Clinica Mobile and I feel great. But it has been a
tough weekend so far and I'm expecting a tough race tomorrow.
I don't remember the track being this bumpy but on the qualifiers
when you need to go so much faster, I could barely see where
I was going. My head was bouncing around all over the place
on the bumps. We have been working hard to change the bike
to try and find some more grip but everything just feels really
rigid. I'm just hanging on in some places and in the last
two sections I'm terrible. It is not through a lack of trying
because my guys have been working incredibly hard as usual.
But we've taken weight off the front, put more weight on the
front and put weight on the rear, but nothing has really improved
the situation. Hopefully I can get a good start to try get
away with the leading bunch, because I really want to get
a good result for my home fans. I will be giving it everything
I've got that's for sure."
Circuit Length: 3610
Weather: Dry
2008 MotoGP United States - Laguna Seca 20/07/2008
Qualifying 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 1'20.700
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'21.147
3 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 1'21.430
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'21.636
5 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'21.848
6 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 1'21.921
7 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 1'21.947
8 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 1'21.971
9 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 1'21.974
10 Toni Elias Ducati ESP 1'21.999
11 Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 1'22.039
12 Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 1'22.092
13 Ben Spies Suzuki USA 1'22.127
14 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1'22.719
15 Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 1'22.957
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