Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner has unsurprisingly set the fastest time in this morning's initial MotoGP free practice session at Motegi, lapping a quarter of a second faster than team-mate Andrea Dovizioso while Nicky Hayden stuck the factory Ducati in third and was only a little less than half a second off the pace.
Aussie Stoner went round in 1'47.289, which is already only two tenths off his own lap record set in 2008, with Dovizioso on a 1'47.566. Hayden, meanwhile is on a 1'47.732 while his team-mate Valentino Rossi is just less than a second further back in tenth on a 1'48.667.
Dani Pedrosa, on the third Repsol bike, is in fourth and just a tenth slower than Hayden while Jorge Lorenzo out his factory Yamaha in fifth, one place ahead of Marco Simoncelli, who has just signed a year's renewal to his San Carlo Honda contract to remain an HRC rider, who got off the floor after a turn nine front-end spill to set his time.
Texas Tornado Colin Edwards was seventh on the Monster Yamaha, one place in front of an ill Ben Spies on the second works M1. The former World Superbike Champion is a little under a second off the pace and two tenths ahead of Hector Barbera's Mapfre Ducati. Cal Crutchlow is in 14th at a track he has never seen before and two seconds in arrears.
You won't be surprised to learn the three wildcards occupy the foot of the timesheet with Damian Cudlin last, some six seconds off the pace on Loris Capirossi's Pramac Ducati.
