BACK TO BEST FOR HAYDEN
16 September 2006 - Moto GP

GMC Australian Grand Prix - Saturday 16th September

As a number of riders chip away at his championship lead, Nicky Hayden this week emphasised his desire to “stop the bleeding” with a good result in Australia. The ‘Kentucky Kid’ came out fighting in today’s qualifying session at Phillip Island and took his first pole position of the season, and first since this race last season, giving him the early advantage for tomorrow’s GMC Australian Grand Prix.

Hayden leads the MotoGP World Championship by 22 points from team-mate Dani Pedrosa, with reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi only a further four points behind and in form after a recent victory in Malaysia. Having finished outside the podium places in the last two races the Repsol Honda rider knew that a front-row start was crucial to his hopes of extending his lead further, and with a lap set just two minutes from the end of the session, Hayden put himself in the prime spot to achieve his third victory of the year.

The fastest of a tightly-packed top three, Hayden clocked a best time of 1’29.020 to put him ahead of a storming Shinya Nakano on the Kawasaki and title rival Rossi. The Italian could perhaps have been even further up the timesheets if he hadn’t have gone off track moments before his hot lap, but added to the wheelie he pulled as he entered the home straight, the Yamaha rider was forced to settle for the outside of row one.

Late bursts from Kenny Roberts Jr. and Colin Edwards made it three Americans in the top five, who head up row two ahead of one of the weekend’s most impressive performers, Carlos Checa on the Tech3 Yamaha. Marco Melandri, discreet during the practice sessions, took seventh in front of local rider Casey Stoner. The first eight were all within a second of each other as they looked for higher grid positions for tomorrow’s race.

Randy de Puniet dropped down the standings after riding fastest in yesterday’s practice sessions, and will start from ninth ahead of Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa, who is still suffering from the knee injury he sustained in Malaysia.

Jorge Lorenzo maintains his stronghold on the 250cc visit to Australian soil, as he looks to extend his lead in the World Championship over Andrea Dovizioso. The Spaniard took his ninth pole position of the season today ahead of Alex de Angelis, who recovered from a crash in the morning.

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli will start from an impressive third on the grid tomorrow on board his private Aprilia, with title-hopeful Dovizioso rounding out the front row. Marco Simoncelli, Hiroshi Aoyama, Hector Barber and Jakub Smrz complete row two.


Mika Kallio continued his dominant practice form at Phillip Island to take his fourth pole position of 2006 today. Red Bull KTM’s Finnish rider was also involved in a crash on his final lap, when he collided with Fabrizio Lai, however both were fortunately unhurt. Alvaro Bautista, who only needs to finish ahead of Kallio this weekend to clinch his first 125cc world title, was unable to meet the 1’36.625 challenge laid down by his rival, and had to settle for second on tomorrow’s grid. Lukas Pesek and reigning champion Thomas Luthi complete the front row of the grid.

Row two will be headed by Joan Olive, ahead of Mattia Pasini, Raffaele de Rosa and Hector Faubel, with Fabrizio Lai and Julian Simon completing the top ten.

Tomorrow''s races will take place an hour later than usual, with MotoGP set to start at 3pm local time (5am GMT), 250cc at 1.15pm, and 125cc at 12.00pm.

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