rorlow
10-31-2004, 04:36 AM
Tamada takes final pole of 2004
Report, 30/10/04
Makoto Tamada will start the final MotoGP race of the season from pole position at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Sunday after clocking the fastest time in the final qualifying practice this afternoon. Watched from the stands by basketball legend Michael Jordan, Tamada held off the challenge of his team-mate Max Biaggi in an exciting climax to the session, with World Champion Valentino Rossi qualifying third fastest to join the Camel Honda pair on the front row.
““We used soft tyres to make the fast time, that’s all I can say,” revealed Tamada, who has set pole position twice already this season. “It was a great lap and the pole came with it. We have done so much work adapting to the constant changes in the track conditions on these first two days. We still have a few details to sort out, but we have the warm-up tomorrow to do that. It’s the race where I really have to do well though.”
Local favourite Sete Gibernau was held up by a slower rider on his fastest lap and could only manage fourth place after setting provisional pole yesterday. The Spaniard is joined on the second row by Nicky Hayden, who was cheered on from pit-lane by his two brothers Tommy and Roger Lee, in fifth place and Troy Bayliss in sixth. Bayliss makes his final appearance for Ducati tomorrow after two years with the Italian factory in the MotoGP series.
John Hopkins signed a new contract with Suzuki yesterday evening and celebrated with the seventh fastest time, putting him at the front of the third row ahead of American compatriot Colin Edwards. Whilst Edwards makes his final appearance for Honda before switching to Yamaha tomorrow, the man he will replace at the Japanese factory, Carlos Checa, starts alongside him in ninth place.
Report, 30/10/04
Makoto Tamada will start the final MotoGP race of the season from pole position at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Sunday after clocking the fastest time in the final qualifying practice this afternoon. Watched from the stands by basketball legend Michael Jordan, Tamada held off the challenge of his team-mate Max Biaggi in an exciting climax to the session, with World Champion Valentino Rossi qualifying third fastest to join the Camel Honda pair on the front row.
““We used soft tyres to make the fast time, that’s all I can say,” revealed Tamada, who has set pole position twice already this season. “It was a great lap and the pole came with it. We have done so much work adapting to the constant changes in the track conditions on these first two days. We still have a few details to sort out, but we have the warm-up tomorrow to do that. It’s the race where I really have to do well though.”
Local favourite Sete Gibernau was held up by a slower rider on his fastest lap and could only manage fourth place after setting provisional pole yesterday. The Spaniard is joined on the second row by Nicky Hayden, who was cheered on from pit-lane by his two brothers Tommy and Roger Lee, in fifth place and Troy Bayliss in sixth. Bayliss makes his final appearance for Ducati tomorrow after two years with the Italian factory in the MotoGP series.
John Hopkins signed a new contract with Suzuki yesterday evening and celebrated with the seventh fastest time, putting him at the front of the third row ahead of American compatriot Colin Edwards. Whilst Edwards makes his final appearance for Honda before switching to Yamaha tomorrow, the man he will replace at the Japanese factory, Carlos Checa, starts alongside him in ninth place.