Pedrosa leads Stoner after practice day at Motegi

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Pedrosa leads Stoner after practice day at Motegi

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Dani Pedrosa topped the practice sheets with second session times faster than the first.

01 October,2011 07:39 am

Pedrosa posted a 1:46.790 to beat Casey Stoners 1:46.844. Third, on yet another Repsol Honda, was Andrea Dovizioso on 1:46.952.Fourth was Marco Simoncellis Honda with world champion Jorge Lorenzo in fifth and Nicky Haydens leading Ducati in sixth.Hiroshi Aoyamas Honda was seventh and Valentino Rossi was down in eighth on his Ducati.Stoner leads the MotoGP championship with 284 points, 44 ahead of Lorenzo on 240. Dovizioso is third with 185 and Pedrosa fourth with 170.Stoner, Lorenzo and Rossi were the highest profile riders to proclaim they would not attend the Japanese Grand Prix because of the proximity of the Fukushima nuclear plant, approximately 110 kms away, which was damaged in the earthquake and tsunami in March of this year. However radiation tests gave the Motegi track the all-clear and the riders announced they had reversed their decisions.In the Moto2 category Thomas Luthi of Switzerland was fastest with 1:53.002 in the second, fastest, session. Second fastest was championship leader Stefan Bradl of Germany with a 1:53.182.Third was Yuki Takahashi of Japan with Switzerlands Dominique Aegerter well-placed in fourth. Pol Espargaro was fifth with Bradley Smith sixth. Marc Marquez, second in the championship, was eighth fastest.