Eurosport - Sat, 04 Jul 20:58:00 2009
Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi, looking for a third consecutive victory at Laguna Seca this weekend, set the fastest lap of the American GP opening practice session.
The Italian was the only rider to go under the one minute, 22-second barrier, setting a fastest lap of 1:21.981.
His team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was second quickest in 1:22.093, while Ducati Marlboro's Stoner ended third after leading the way for most of the session.
The trio were in a class of their own, relegating Dani Pedrosa to fourth place a whole six-tenths of a second behind.
Having received a chassis update this weekend, San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Toni Elias set the fifth-fastest lap of the session.
Andrea Dovizioso was sixth ahead of Marco Melandri, while there was disappointment for Chris Vermeulen and Colin Edwards, eighth and ninth fastest respectively.
Britain's James Toseland, team-mate of Edwards at Yamaha Tech 3, was down in 13th.
Those top three riders - Rossi, Lorenzo and Casey Stoner - are also covered by just nine points in the world championship standings and the only riders to win races this season, setting up the prospect of an exciting weekend.
"I am happy with the session today, it was a good performance and at the end, with the harder tyre, we did an especially good job and I was able to make the best time, said reigning six time MotoGP champion Rossi.
"We got a lot of data about the track, which we will use tomorrow in order to improve things further.
"We need to work a bit to improve the front feeling because we can still make the bike a bit easier to ride in one or two corners and then we will also look at the electronics in order to control the wheelie, because there are a lot of bumps and jumps on this circuit.
"Once again me, Lorenzo and Stoner are very close so we can expect another big fight this weekend, but we are confident that our M1 is working well," added Rossi, who claimed one his greatest victories by beating Stoner in last year's event.
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Comment 39 - 58 of 58
Hey remember 2006 when Elias bumped shoulders with rossi a couple of times? Rossi was allowed to moan about that, or don't you remember!
I also remember mafia rossi not wanting Stoner as a probable (Yamaha) team mate for 2007, he made sure that was NOT going to happen!
ooh great response Tracey, that put me in my place. For all you others joining the conversation a few hours too late, the point here is that Ms Hindmarsh thinks that nobody but Stoner whinges, where as Rossi complained throughout 2007 about his tyres and how he could not compete without Bridgestones, something he complained about so much that he got himself out of his contractual obligation for 2008 whilst his team mate and Repsol Honda continued with their Michelin contracts @#$%il Pedrosa threw a similar whinging fit and started to use Bridgestones also).
So everybody whinges, some are just a bit more subtle in how they do it, or certain fan bases choose to ignore it when their rider does it.
The other fact that gets spouted about is that Stoner only wins because the Ducati is the fastest/best bike. This is clearly true and is demonstrated because in 2007 when Stoner won the title, Ducati regularly locked out the podium. Everyone who has ridden the Ducati has scored multiple race victories when previously they had been unable to win on other makes, no hopers like Melandri, hayden, Barros and Gibernau (the latter 2 who were unable to beat Rossi on identical machinery) have become regular race winners on the Duke so of course it must be the bike!
D R,
Get a life, mate!
Stoner is a little whining aussie who feigns an injury when he's not doing well and by some miracle the injury has gone when he wins, nobody likes stoner he got booed off the stage at the day of champions at donnington!!
yeah! So pathetic! Typical response!
Sure you dont want to get a letter from yr mum?
And who are you too judge how bad my scaphoid break was? !!! Hmm Still waiting for surgery, still in a splint! My husband can tell you how bad that break was! OOh but not nooooooooooooo, poor Casey! Poor poor poor poor Casey!
Hey! I still have the scaphoid problem! You are a just looking a little ways to wind people up!
I don't rest my case! I temporarily leave my case! At the end of the day I am a Hayden Fan! After Hayden I am a Rossi fan! Both superb riders, when they have the right bike! Stoner is a sad and bad loser!!!!!!!!!!!
stop me if im getting too technical for you
If you know injuries then you will know that no 2 are the same, slight differences in the type of break, where the break is or even the riders style can alter the outcome.
Your father could be a Noble Prize winner! But Hey. My Point was, I grew up with racing and have seen it all from the Pit Lane. I know injuries, my dad sustained quite a few life threatening ones! I have suffered injuries through bikes! I still live with racing! I will never leave racing!
That would be why he was behind Lorenzo and Stoner in the 2nd session then?
So D - R whats? that about lol?
ROSSI IS THE GREATEST MOTORCYCLIST OF ALL TIME..STONER WILL NEVER BE SPOKEN ABOUT IN TERMS OF GREATNESS............GET OVER IT..........
Nope none, you?
I don't do the scoring points! Do u have an issue?
Not sure how being related to somebody who raced makes you more qualified, my dad works at a nuclear power plant but if you put me in charge of it Chenobyl would look like a tea party. I guess some people just like to make themselves feel important
make that 3-0
Ohh D_R Please`do not put me down! I am the daughter of a certain racer from the 60's and 70's! I grew up with bikes! I know too many racers! How I broke mine was not regarding racing, but even so, I know tooooooooo much about racing! So a big bike racing dad, who now lives abroad! he used to do well in the TT in his day! Dont talk to me about bike injuries, I had to have my knee operated on! I do know bikes too well! So dont judge a girl, by her cover!
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