MotoGP News
Date: 29/June/2012
Casey Stoner defied the pain from one of the biggest crashes of his career to snatch pole position at the very end of MotoGP qualifying for the Dutch TT at Assen.
The reigning world champion was flung from his Repsol Honda in Friday morning’s final practice session after riding into a rain shower at turn nine.
Stoner, 26, said: “I saw a bit of rain as I approached the corner so I backed off, but as I went through the turn there was more and more rain and I had no chance.
“It was a huge off, one of the biggest in my career and certainly one of the most painful. It really knocked the wind out of me. I hurt my head, neck, wrist, knee and shoulder.”
The crash completed a tough practice for the reigning world champion, who continues to struggle with vibration problems on his Repsol Honda.
Rain showers were again a factor in Friday afternoon’s qualifying hour, when a sore Stoner continued his quest for a race set-up with only minimal success.
But a window of dry track time late in the session saw Stoner switch to the softer rear tyre and rocket from the brink of the top ten to pole position in the space of just two flying laps.
“That surprised me as much as everyone else,” Stoner said of his pole time. “But we're still struggling for race pace and need to make some decisions for tomorrow.
“We haven’t been able to get the hard tyre working well enough, unlike most other riders. But when we put the soft tyre on everything seems to work a lot better.
“However we’d prefer to run the hard tyre in the race, depending on the weather.”
But Stoner doesn’t expect to be held back by his injuries.
“I’ve done something to the top of my knee, but I’m able to walk and I can get on a bike and ride,” he declared.
Although team-mate Dani Pedrosa qualified second on the grid, just 0.115s from Stoner, it is title leader Jorge Lorenzo who again looks the man to beat.
Winner of the last three rounds, the Yamaha star has been able to match the soft tyre lap times, whilst running the harder tyre, during practice.
Lorenzo, who will start on the outside of the front row, currently holds a 25 point lead over Stoner at the top of the standings, after six of 18 rounds.
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