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Post by BADGER on Feb 29, 2008 7:00:13 GMT
MotoGP lap times from the opening night of the Qatar test. The two-night test marks the first time that MotoGP bikes have ridden on a floodlit circuit and the last chance for track time before the inaugural MotoGP night race, to be held back at Losail on March 9, opens the 2008 racing season. The full 18-rider 2008 MotoGP line-up are present for the special test, which concludes on Friday night. 1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 55.330 secs 2. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 56.019 secs 3. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 56.062 secs 4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 1min 56.121 secs 5. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 56.251 secs 6. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 56.571 secs 7. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 56.614 secs8. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 56.621 secs 9. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 56.749 secs 10. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 56.762 secs 11. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 57.007 secs 12. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 57.010 secs 13. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 57.223 secs 14. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 57.522 secs 15. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 57.551 secs 16. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 57.593 secs 17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 57.644 secs 18. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.787 secs
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Post by BADGER on Feb 29, 2008 7:02:14 GMT
The first night of the first ever MotoGPnight test, held at the Losail circuit in Qatar, has been dominated by world champion Casey Stoner.
Just 167 days after the project's approval, the world's largest permanent sports lighting system - covering an area akin to 70 FIFA football pitches - was officially switched on in a ceremony ahead of the test, which finished at 1am local time.
The quest to eliminate as much shadowing as possible has resulted in the provision of enough light for a hypothetical street running from Qatar's capital, Doha, to Moscow in Russia - while the power required amounts to some 5.4 million watts, enough to provide electricity simultaneously to some 3,000 houses.
None of which was probably on Stoner's mind as the young Australian burst three-seconds clear of the field just 45-minutes into the test and, after the full seven hours of day one track time, the Ducatistar - making a rare appearance in full Marlboro livery - was still standing 0.689secs in front.
"The first impression is like playing on the videogame 'Need for Speed'!" said Casey. "It's definitely a lot different to what we're used to. It's not better or worse, just different. The most interesting thing is that with lower visibility, at least with regard to the imperfections on the track, you have to have more confidence than your instinct tells you to have."
Stoner's best lap, of 1min 55.330secs, was 1.2secs inside his own fastest race lap at the 2007 grand prix - set en route to his debut MotoGP victory - and just 0.3secs from Valentino Rossi's pole position time.
Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo was the rider closest to Stoner, the reigning 250cc world champion headlining an impressive opening day for the four premier-class rookies - who were all inside the top six.
Randy de Puniet continued his excellent pre-season form with third for LCR Honda, just 0.043secs behind Lorenzo, with rookies Andrea Dovizioso (+0.791secs Stoner) James Toseland(+0.921secs) and Alex de Angelis (+1.241secs) in close pursuit.
The top six thus consisted of two Bridgestoneand four Michelin riders, although the top ten was a more even six-four split in favour of the French brand.
John Hopkins took an encouraging seventh for Kawasaki, just ahead of another injured rider, Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa, who used a softer tyre at the end of the session to cut his lap time.
Seven times world champion Valentino Rossiwas ninth - and complaining about the cold temperatures - with former factory team-mate Colin Edwards tenth (and 1.4secs behind Stoner) on the second Tech 3 M1.
2006 world champion Nicky Haydenwas just twelfth fastest, while Rizla Suzuki riders Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi again struggled - the pair being left 14th and 15th on day one, just in front of Stoner's beleaguered team-mate Marco Melandri.
Anthony West was the session's only crasher, the Kawasaki rider escaping from a big accident early on, whilst the majority of the feedback from the teams and riders with regard to track visibility and riding conditions was highly positive.
The two-night Qatar test concludes in the early hours of Saturday morning, after which the MotoGPriders will be in action for real during the season-opening Qatar Grand Prixfrom March 7-9 - MotoGP's first ever night race.
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Post by kevrex on Feb 29, 2008 20:25:17 GMT
cant wait for the first race
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Post by Young Burchy on Feb 29, 2008 20:59:13 GMT
This has to be one of the best carbon footprints going :rockon:
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Post by brakeline on Mar 1, 2008 6:28:12 GMT
wonder how it wid be if they jus fitted lights oan the bikes instead o awe the fancy lightin roon the track. Noo that wid sort the men fae the boys An whit a race it wid be. Only the brave or the insane wid won
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Post by BADGER on Mar 7, 2008 23:06:42 GMT
Full free practice times (1 and 2 combined) from the Qatar Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2008 season and first ever MotoGP event to be held at night. 1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 55.442 secs 2. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 55.453 secs 3. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 55.812 secs 4. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 55.942 secs 5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 1min 55.963 secs 6. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 56.120 secs 7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 56.234 secs 8. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 56.269 secs * 9. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 56.279 secs 10. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 56.478 secs * 11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 56.922 secs 12. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 57.011 secs 13. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 57.045 secs 14. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.085 secs *15. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 57.091 secs 16. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 57.311 secs 17. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.934 secs 18. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 58.500 secs * time set in FP1
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Post by Young Burchy on Mar 8, 2008 21:04:18 GMT
Just been following quali on the web - WELL DONE J.T. front row, absolutely fantastic.
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Post by brakeline on Mar 9, 2008 5:20:24 GMT
Nice Toseland, hope he does well, an this is comin frae a Scottish person.
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