Stoner tops drying practice session

A downpour during the preceding 125cc session ceased before the MotoGP bikes took to the track, but it would still be half an hour before anyone was able to use slick tyres.

Inevitably with the conditions improving by the minute, the times tumbled and the top spot changed hands incessantly.

Stoner claimed first place with a 1m22.779s lap near the end, while Honda's Dani Pedrosa followed up his Laguna Seca victory by taking second place, 0.3 seconds down on the Ducati, with his final lap.

Championship leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) completed the top three, followed by LCR Honda's Randy de Puniet and Gresini Honda's Alex de Angelis.

Ducati's Nicky Hayden fell to eighth by the end, but had regularly held the top spot during the change from damp to dry conditions.

Marco Melandri had also been extremely quick on the slippery track with his Hayate Kawasaki, before ending the afternoon in 10th.

The only rider to come to grief on the treacherous track was Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen, who had a high-side when he hit one of the remaining damp patches in the closing stages. He landed heavily in the middle of the track, but was avoided by the other competitors and was able to limp away from the scene.

Pos  Rider             Bike             Time       Gap
 1.  Casey Stoner      Ducati           1m22.779s
 2.  Dani Pedrosa      Honda            1m23.034s  + 0.255s
 3.  Valentino Rossi   Yamaha           1m23.088s  + 0.309s
 4.  Randy de Puniet   LCR Honda        1m23.133s  + 0.354s
 5.  Alex de Angelis   Gresini Honda    1m23.282s  + 0.503s
 6.  Colin Edwards     Tech 3 Yamaha    1m23.295s  + 0.516s
 7.  Toni Elias        Gresini Honda    1m23.351s  + 0.572s
 8.  Nicky Hayden      Ducati           1m23.367s  + 0.588s
 9.  Andrea Dovizioso  Honda            1m23.370s  + 0.591s
10.  Marco Melandri    Hayate Kawasaki  1m23.466s  + 0.687s
11.  Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha           1m23.496s  + 0.717s
12.  Loris Capirossi   Suzuki           1m23.705s  + 0.926s
13.  Mika Kallio       Pramac Ducati    1m24.090s  + 1.311s
14.  James Toseland    Tech 3 Yamaha    1m24.317s  + 1.538s
15.  Niccolo Canepa    Pramac Ducati    1m24.908s  + 2.129s
16.  Chris Vermeulen   Suzuki           1m25.161s  + 2.382s
17.  Gabor Talmacsi    Scot Honda       1m25.416s  + 2.637s