Stoner on pole for Japan Moto GP

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Stoner on pole for Japan Moto GP

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Casey Stoner will start on pole in Sunday's Grand Prix of Japan.

01 October,2011 09:09 pm

Australian Moto GP world championship leader Casey Stoner will start on pole in Sundays Grand Prix of Japan after recording the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday.The Honda rider, who won in Motegi last year on a Ducati, clocked 1min 45.267sec, the fastest lap time here on a motorcycle and 0.256sec faster than reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo of Spain on a Yamaha. He was also 0.524sec ahead of Italian Honda teammate Andrea Dovizioso, who took pole last year. It is Stoners 10th pole position of the season, also a new record for Moto GP, and his fourth in a row after the last three races in Aragon, San Marino and Indianapolis.The new surface of the Twin Ring Motegi, laid after damage caused by Japans 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11, gave his soft tyres fantastic grip, Stoner said. “Everything seems to be going well. The bikes working well,” he said.“We still need to improve a few small things. For me, on this circuit, I am pretty happy with the way things are going. We just have to wait out for tomorrow and see what the weather does and give it our best,” he said.Having won eight of the 14 races so far this season, Stoner enjoys a 44-point lead over Lorenzo and victory in Motegi would improve his chances of securing the championship at his home Grand Prix in Australia on October 16.