Crash.net columnist Mike Nicks is running an exclusive blog during this weekend's season opening Qatar Grand Prix - the first ever MotoGP event to take place at night - check back regularly to read his behind-the-scenes news...

Sunday pm - What to Look for in Today's Race

So what can we look forward to in this debut night MotoGP race, after Jorge Lorenzo, James Toseland and Colin Edwards produced the first all-Yamaha front row since the senior class went to three-rider rows in 2004?

In the first place, the Yamaha quartet - Valentino Rossi languishes on the third row, seventh fastest, on his Bridgestone-equipped bike - will need to make scorching starts to have any hope of holding off Casey Stoner on the Marlboro Ducati GP8 night-express down the straight.

In theory, all Stoner has to do to use his renowned mental steel, and the Ducati's 5-10mph speed advantage, to club the Yamahas down one by one until he tops the podium after 22 laps of the 3.34-mile Losail circuit.

But can Bridgestone match Michelin's race-tyre grip? The Bridgestones were superior last year, but after their rivals' winter rebound - maybe beleaguered French president Nicolas Sarkozy should take strategy classes from Michelin race chief Jean-Philippe Weber - the situation is much less clear.

At least the Bridgestones seem to grip right from the green light, which is what Rossi is counting on in his preferred tactic of whacking straight through from the third row while the Michelin lads may be doing a bit of cautious teetering on the first lap or two.

If you had to place bets, you'd probably go for Stoner or Lorenzo, after the latter's sensational pole in his first MotoGP race at only 20 years of age. But as we have been reminded yet again in the past two nights of practice and qualifying at Qatar, anything can happen in MotoGP.

The Tech 3 riders Toseland and Edwards, on their under-powered valve-spring engines, certainly have a great chance of standing on the podium - and maybe even on the highest step.