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Monday July 6, 2009

Spain’s Lorenzo crashes after claiming pole position

LOS ANGELES: Jorge Lorenzo needs to pass a medical test before taking part in the US MotoGP following a crash just moments after snatching pole position.

The Spaniard was taken from the Laguna Seca circuit in an ambulance after he tumbled over the handlebars and slid into a sand trap at high speed at the end of Saturday’s qualifying.

The official MotoGP website (
www.motogp.com) said initial tests showed he had a partially dislocated right shoulder and a bruised right foot, but a decision on whether he could race would not be made until Sunday.

“The foot is very bad, I have a lot of pain. But my worry is the collarbone to change direction,’’ Lorenzo said at a post-session news conference.

“I’m quite disappointed, because I was very quick on this track. We will try tomorrow, and maybe I can do it.”

Lorenzo, currently second in the championship standings, had taken pole position with a fastest qualifying time of 1:21.678.

His Yamaha team-mate and championship leader Valentino Rossi was second quickest, 0.167 behind, with Australian Casey Stoner third despite crashing heavily on his Ducati.

Rossi will match a record on race day when he makes his 158th consecutive Grand Prix start.

Rossi, who has never missed a GP race since moving up to that class in 2000, will equal the record set by Alex Barros in 1992-2003.

“I hope Lorenzo and Stoner are OK for the race tomorrow, because it should be a great battle between the three of us,” Rossi said.

Dani Pedrosa qualified fourth ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and Toni Elias. — Reuters

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