Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo blitzed Casey Stoner's 2008 outright lap record on the way MotoGP pole position at Laguna Seca today, adding insult to injury by taking top spot from the Australian with his final lap of the Californian circuit.
Lorenzo mounted a charge to the head of the timesheet with ten minutes to go, putting in a 20.693 which was enough to go past Stoner's four-year-old record but then the reigning world champion put in what he thought was enough to take pole, lapping at 1'20.628.
But Spaniard Lorenzo had other ideas, going out with a brand new soft compound Bridgestone for his last run and bagged a 1'20.554 as Stoner simply ran out of time and laps to put in another re-joinder. It cocked a snook at HRC, who brought the 2013 engine for Stoner to use and a whole new bike for team-mate Pedrosa.
The tiny Spaniard, who was fastest all day yesterday, took third place with a 1'20.906 just ahead of Ben Spies. The American had a massive highside at turn three on an out-lap with 13 minutes to go and returned to his pit garage looking shaky. He returned to the track but didn't improve.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow stayed ahead of his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso for fifth place but is nearly three-tenths faster than the Italian. Alvaro Bautista found some pace overnight to take seventh with Nicky Hayden the lead Ducati in eighth.
German Stefan Bradl, on the LCR Honda, continues to impress in his rookie year and took ninth place in front of an obviously-frustrated Valentino Rossi who could only muster tenth and is nearly two seconds off the pace.
Randy De Puniet was top CRT man in 11th and only three-tenths slower than Rossi bit he was chased hard by team-mate Aleix Espargaro and Colin Edwards. James Ellison had something of a disaster on a track he knows well, slipping to 21st and four seconds in arrears.
