Casey Stoner still on top after second practice for Australian GP
World championship leader Casey Stoner remained in control of his home event at Phillip Island after second practice for the Australian MotoGP, having once again frequently lapped faster than anyone else during the 45-minute session
The factory Honda rider set a 1m30.535s lap, which was a tenth slower than he had managed in the morning session, but more than enough to depose reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo from the top of the times. But the interesting aspect of Stoner's pace was how frequently, and apparently easily, he was able to produce it.
Lorenzo had set the early running with a 1m31.111s until Marco Simoncelli filed a wild lap of 1m30.912 that moved him to the front.
Then Stoner emerged from the pits with 20 minutes of the session gone and banged in a 1m30.689s. He followed that up with a 1m30.580s, and then eventually a 1m30.535s. That, as they say, was that.
Meanwhile Simoncelli dropped the Gresini-run factory Honda down at Turn 10 - just as he had in the first session. After that incident his speed, finally, appeared to be tinged by a hint of caution.
Lorenzo ended up third fastest ahead of his factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies. Dani Pedrosa was 1.5s slower than team-mate Stoner in fifth ahead of Hiroshi Aoyama on the other Gresini bike.
Randy de Puniet put the Pramac Ducati up in seventh ahead of Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista, Colin Edwards (Tech 3 Yamaha) and Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) in a lowly 10th.
The factory Ducatis again appeared to struggle with Nicky Hayden 11th and Valentino Rossi 13th, split by Briton Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3).
Pos Rider Team/Bike Time Gap 1. Casey Stoner Honda 1m30.535s 2. Marco Simoncelli Gresini Honda 1m30.912s + 0.377s 3. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m31.111s + 0.576s 4. Ben Spies Yamaha 1m31.495s + 0.960s 5. Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m31.543s + 1.008s 6. Hiroshi Aoyama Gresini Honda 1m31.582s + 1.047s 7. Randy de Puniet Pramac Ducati 1m31.670s + 1.135s 8. Alvaro Bautista Suzuki 1m31.777s + 1.242s 9. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 1m31.805s + 1.270s 10. Andrea Dovizioso Honda 1m31.825s + 1.290s 11. Nicky Hayden Ducati 1m31.899s + 1.364s 12. Cal Crutchlow Tech 3 Yamaha 1m31.969s + 1.434s 13. Valentino Rossi Ducati 1m32.014s + 1.479s 14. Loris Capirossi Pramac Ducati 1m32.082s + 1.547s 15. Karel Abraham Cardion Ducati 1m32.360s + 1.825s 16. Toni Elias LCR Honda 1m32.639s + 2.104s 17. Damian Cudlin Aspar Ducati 1m33.658s + 3.123s
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