Marco Simoncelli took his second pole position of the 2011 MotoGP season today at Assen. Simoncelli is still looking for his first win, and he looks determined to do so this weekend.
But Simoncelli isn’t the only MotoGP rider putting up quick times. Ben Spies was .009 seconds off of the pole position today during the MotoGP qualifying session. Spies second place starting position is his best qualifying result this year.
Casey Stoner, who has won the last three races, will also be starting on the front row. Stoner put in a 1’35.008 lap time today at Assen, .29 seconds behind the pole sitter.
Jorge Lorenzo was fourth fastest for the day, and was followed by Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow. Crutchlow is still recovering from a broken collarbone, but it seems like the injury is good luck. Crutchlow took his first podium finish of the season just days after his injury.
Karel Abraham, Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden and Randy de Puniet completed the top 10.
Valentino Rossi struggled to find the right settings throughout the MotoGP qualifying session. Rossi, who is riding the Ducati GP11.1 this weekend, made multiple trips to the pits to find an extra second or two, but Rossi ended 11th for the day.
