Comments (0) 1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 25 points
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 20 points
3. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 16 points
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 13 points
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 11 points
6. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 10 points
7. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 9 points
8. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 8 points
Repsol Honda RC212V rider Dani Pedrosa was in dazzling form at Assen this afternoon, ending up just 0.032 seconds off pole position. Team-mate Nicky Hayden also enjoyed a strong qualifying session, the American fourth quickest, just 0.455 seconds off pole.
Pedrosa and Hayden were also impressive in this morning’s practice session, run on a damp and drying track, ending the outing in first and third positions. This afternoon’s conditions were dry but blustery, Pedrosa’s final lap taking him to a tantalisingly close to pole-sitter Casey Stoner. Hayden, using the pneumatic-valve RCV engine for the second race, might have done even better if he had had time to use his final qualifying tyre. He also lost some time on his fastest lap when John Hopkins crashed just in front of him as they attacked the high-speed Ramshoek left-hander in the closing stages of the hour-long outing.
Tomorrow’s 60th Assen World Championship TT is the ninth race of the 2008 season and the halfway point in the 18-race campaign.
Nicky Hayden, 4th fastest, 1m 35.975s
1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1′35.520
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1′35.552
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1′35.659
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1′35.975
5. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1′35.985
6. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1′36.278
7. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1′36.532
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1′36.768
Repsol Honda riders Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa made a solid start to this week’s Dutch TT at Assen today, placing fourth and ninth fastest after the first two practice sessions.
In sunny but blustery conditions Hayden and Pedrosa were second and third fastest this morning. Both riders improved their times this afternoon, though Pedrosa dropped several places while trying out different settings. Hayden is using the pneumatic-valve RCV engine for the second time this weekend while Pedrosa sticks with the conventional spring-valve engine.
This year’s Dutch TT is a particularly historic event. Assen is the only MotoGP track surviving from the World Championship’s inaugural year in 1949, making this the 60th consecutive World Championship event at the Dutch venue.
Nicky Hayden, 4th fastest, 1m 37.012s
1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1′36.087
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1′36.819
3. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1′36.931
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1′37.012
5. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1′37.126
6. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1′37.137
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1′37.187
8. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1′37.251
