MotoGP: Stoner Stays on Top After FP2

Saying that Casey Stoner wants to win the Red Bull Indy GP, is an understatement. Stoner has set the tone and pace for the MotoGP at Indianapolis, and he is riding aggressively to stay on top of the field.

Stoner ripped the slider from his knee during the second free practice session, and then had a lowside fall about halfway through. But a determined Stoner was able to limp his way back onto his bike, and on his final lap, overcame the two Repsol Honda riders to top the time sheets once again.

Stoner set a 1'40.331 time, dropping his first free practice time down by a half second. But despite Stoner's tone setting speed, the Honda riders were still nipping at his heels. Dani Pedrosa finished just .058 seconds behind Stoner, improving on his first free practice time by more than a second.

Pedrosa's teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, also had a much improved second session, finishing just a tenth of a second behind Stoner.

Jorge Lorenzo was next across the line. The season leader finished three tenths of a second back. With a 77 point lead, Lorenzo says that he is aiming for top five finishes, but Lorenzo has yet to show that he has the discipline to resist pulling back the throttle.

The two American boys were next across the line. Nicky Hayden, again, was the highest placing American during today's free practice session. His 1'40.878 time for fifth place made him the final rider under the 1'41 mark. Ben Spies finished just over 1'41 for the sixth best time in the session.

Marco Simoncelli and Colin Edwards took spots 7 and 8, while Valentino Rossi came across in ninth. Rossi took a fall with 20 minutes left in the session, but uninjured, was able to return quickly to the track. Still, Rossi was not able to improve on the day, setting his best time on just his fifth lap.

Rossi was the final rider to finish within one second of Stoner, but he'll need to improve his speed if he wants to start on the front row of the grid.

MotoGP - Indianapolis - Second Free Practice Session