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2012 AMA Pro Road Racing
Spoiler Alert: 2012 AMA Pro Racing results from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course listed below
Despite a dash of unexpected early drama, the inevitable occurred at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire as AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Champion Josh Hayes escaped to claim his sixth consecutive victory in AMA Pro Road Racing's premier class.
The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace seemed primed to run off from the start, pulling a quick three-quarter second lead on the opening lap. However, an early red flag was shown due to a malfunctioning starter light, which forced a complete restart.
The Mississippian didn't have things quite as easy the second time around, as Yoshimura Suzuki's Blake Young blasted from eighth on the grid to storm into first by the second turn. The racy Young proved difficult for Hayes to find a quick path by and the field bunched up behind them in the restarted race's opening stages.
Hayes managed to dive up the inside of Young to take control of the lead on lap three but soon found himself harried by his works Yamaha teammate, Josh Herrin, who followed past Young.
Similar to their race at Barber Motorsports Park, Herrin was able to stay in his wheel tracks and actually reel Hayes in at certain points. The champ broke his young challenger's hopes on lap 9, opening up an additional half-second. Herrin crashed just over a lap later in the Carousel in his bid to stay in the fight.
From that point on Hayes cruised to the checkered flag, notching up his ninth win on the season. The victory was also the 26th of the Yamaha superstar's career, moving Hayes to within two victories of three-time champ Ben Spies for third on the all-time order.
"The first half was a really tough race," Hayes said. "I was running what I thought was a really strong pace. Honestly, it was pretty tough to get around Blake. I gave it a shot a couple of times and was coming up short and overshot it once; he's pretty hard to pass. Once I did I just tried to keep my wits about me and ride smart and put together good, clean laps.
"I thought it would be tough for any of the guys to go out and do those laps. Josh, having me directly in front of him to measure off of, was doing a really good job of hanging in there. But at the pace, I felt pretty confident that one little mistake -- you overshoot a corner here or you overshoot a corner there -- all I needed was to keep the pressure on and the gap would begin to open up."
As a result, Young's close-quarters melee with National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden for third was elevated to a fight for second. The two traded the spot multiple times, but in the end the top-end hit of Young's Yoshimura Suzuki gave him the advantage required to beat Hayden for the position.
Young said, "I can't complain. I ended up getting slotted up into first in the first couple laps. It felt good to be out front but I was pretty hesitant in trying to run clean laps by myself out front. I knew I was making mistakes in just about every turn. I wanted to let the bike roll a little bit more and open it up but I had a tough time finding my mojo or finding my flow so to say.
"We definitely learned a lot today and I think we can apply that to tomorrow. I think it's mostly on my shoulders. I'm the one who is going to have to bring this thing back to the front and start winning races on it again."
"The second start wasn't as good to me as the first one," Hayden said. "I fell back to about fifth and just tried to work my way up. Me and Blake got together and kind of went back and forth the whole race. He was better than me in some spots and I was better than him in some others. I tried to make a pass on him with two laps to go and was going to try to split a little bit in the infield but he got back by me on the back straightaway and I just made a few mistakes that last lap and he got a bit of a gap. But overall it was a good ride for me considering the last few weekends haven't been that good. Hopefully we can get the ball back rolling and keep racing for podiums."
Attack Performance Kawasaki's Steve Rapp was an impressive, albeit lonely fourth, well clear of an intense shootout for fifth behind him.
Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom held the advantage for the majority of the tilt but eventually gave way to both Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing's Larry Pegram (fifth) and Team Amsoil/Hero EBR's Geoff May (sixth) in the end.
Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki's Taylor Knapp edged May's Team Hero EBR teammate, Danny Eslick for eighth, while M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki's Chris Ulrich came out on top of a duel for the final spot in the top ten with Young's Yoshimura teammate, Chris Clark.
The rolling Hayes now boasts a 44-point advantage over second-ranked Young (352-308) and will look to up his season win tally into the double-digit territory he famously sought, and fell short of attaining, in 2011.
2012 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike
The 21st and last lap of the Saturday AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Mid-Ohio was one of the highlights of the motorcycle racing season. Dane Westby won a battle of teammates on Saturday as he topped championship leader Martin Cardenas on the final time around the 15-turn, 2.4-mile track.
Westby, on his M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki, was the early leader and ran at the front the entire distance, but trailed Cardenas on his GEICO Suzuki on the last lap. Westby's bid for the win at turn six came up short, but he was able to zip back to the front just three turns before the finish.
"It was a barnburner and Martin wasn't going to give it up," said Westby, who got the holeshot for the first time this season. "I played my cards right and got the win but it was really close." The victory was Westby's second career Daytona SportBike win and allowed him to move into a clear second place in series points.
"It was a great battle," said Cardenas of the furious but clean battle. "I tried to close all the doors but Dane was very strong."
Cameron Beaubier was third, having lost the lead duo in the last few laps but rallying to turn in the fastest lap of the race the final time around on his Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6.
He finished ahead of teammate Tommy Hayden, who had worked his way up through the field during the event. Veteran Jake Zemke (Ducshop Ducati) followed in fifth. J.D. Beach (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull) was sixth, ahead of Fernando Amantini (Team Amantini) and Cory West (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki).
AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport
Polesitter Dustin Dominguez created a bit of early drama in Saturday's 17-lap AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race when he sputtered off the line and was instantly enveloped by the field. Dropping outside the top ten as the pack raced into the first corner, the Latus Motors Racing Triumph pilot quickly regrouped and sliced his way forward.
He actually took control of the lead before the completion of the race's second lap with a bold around-the-outside pass on Orient Express/Celtic Racing's James Rispoli. Once in first Dominguez immediately opened up some space and proceeded to power away to a clear victory over runner-up Rispoli.
"Unfortunately, I got a horrible start again and had to work my way through some traffic," Dominguez said. "But the bike is just handling awesome. I just tried to ride a consistent race. We're just happy to be here and get pretty much every point we've gotten this weekend; it really helps at this time of the year. Hopefully we can continue this positive momentum and go out and do it again tomorrow."
A pair of early-race leaders, Kneedraggers.com's Stefano Mesa and local favorite Ryan Kerr on the RFC Kawasaki, waged an intense war for the final spot on the podium, along with RoadRace Factory/Red Bull's Tomas Puerta and his late-arriving teammate, Hayden Gillim. The scrap featured a bevy of aggressive and creative passing maneuvers, but on the final lap Mesa did a superb job of blocking to ultimately walk away with third.
Kerr finished fourth, followed by Puerta, and Gillim.
AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series
In the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series, Michael Barnes put his MOB Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200 on provisional pole with a time of 1:36.234.
"We just rolled it right off the truck, bolted on some new suspension this weekend, and right out of the box it was fast this morning. I knew we had about another second in it," said the veteran.
The Sonoma winner topped his rivals Kyle Wyman (KLR Group) and Tyler O'Hara (Bartels H-D). Joining them will be Kyle's brother Travis Wyman on the Harv's H-D machine.  |
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2012 MotoGP Championship
Spoiler Alert: 2012 MotoGP Championship results from Mugello, Italy, listed below
The 2012 MotoGP Championship wrapped up its third consecutive week of racing Sunday at Mugello, Italy.
And for the fifth time this season, Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo was first to take the checkered flag on his YZR-M1. Joining Lorenzo on the podium at the 3.259-mile circuit containing 15 turns was Respol Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Andrea Dovizioso.
Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 MotoGP) says: "From the beginning I felt great on this track, the asphalt was completely different to Sachsenring which was a nightmare for us. From the first practice here I felt very strong, very good on the bike and a fast constant pace.
"It was a pity that we had the problem in the last lap of qualifying but the important thing was the race. Today I was hammering a lot to open a gap at the beginning of the race as I thought my competitors would have problems on cold tires. Unfortunately I couldn't do it immediately. Only hammering every lap and going faster and faster from 1'48.1 then into the 47s could I open a bit to Pedrosa then little by little it got better and I could start to breathe. It's been a great win for the whole team's efforts and for Yamaha who have given me such a good bike."
Pedrosa got his usual great start, getting out front of the 20-rider field (minus Cardion AB Racing Ducati's Karel Abraham, injury) first. But within a few second, Lorenzo, who started from the pole, took over the lead, and immediately began pulling away for Pedrosa.
Dovizioso then got pass Pedrosa, as Ducati Team's Nicky Hayden began battling with LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl. The reigning MotoGP Champion, Casey Stoner, didn't get a great start aboard the Repsol Honda RC213V, but began pushing ahead, eventually passing Pramac Racing Ducati's Hector Barbera for sixth. Meanwhile behind, San Carlo Honda Gresini's Michele Pirro was black flagged due to a cutting the track as he was heading back into pit lane with a technical issue.
By the second lap, Pedrosa found himself in an intense battle with Dovi. Behind, Ducati Team's Valentino Rossi, who started the race from the 10th position, found himself in seventh, pleasing his home crowd as he battled with Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow.
With 15 laps to go, Stoner's special-compound Bridgestone tres had come up to temperature, and the Australian managed to push his way past Hayden into fifth. A lap later Bradl put in a brave move on Dovizioso in turn one to slot into third. This was followed up by big drama as Stoner ran off track into the gravel, managing to keep the bike upright and re-joining in tenth.
Meanwhile behind, Avintia Blusens' Yonny Hernandez crashed out of 18th place, but managed to walk away unhurt. NGM Mobile Forward Racing's Colin Edwards also had his race cut short as he retired with a mechanical issue.
With eight laps remaining the grid had spread out, yet Crutchlow was still dicing with Rossi. A lap later Stoner had caught up to the back of San Carlo's Álvaro Bautista, and put in an aggressive move, pushing the Spaniard wide and moving up into ninth.
The final three laps promised further excitement as Dovizioso went past Bradl on the brakes into third, while Hayden, and the pursuing duo of Rossi and Crutchlow closed in on the podium battle. In the final lap Hayden made his way past Bradl, who fought back with a hard move, which pushed the American wide. This let Rossi through into fifth, with Crutchlow also taking advantage to nip into sixth.
Yet ultimately it was Lorenzo who took the checkered flag for his second successive victory, 5.223 seconds ahead of Pedrosa and Dovizioso, who recoded his fourth podium of the season. Bradl was however one of the happiest riders, as he recorded his best ever finish in the premier class.
Fifth went to Rossi, his best dry finish on the Ducati GP12, the Italian followed by Crutchlow, Hayden, Stoner, Barberá, Bautista and Yamaha's Ben Spies, who was suffering from food poisoning. Top CRT spot went to De Puniet in 12th.
With his win, Lorenzo now has 185 points, 19 clear of Pedrosa in second. In third with 148 points is Stoner.
The 2012 MotoGP Championship now takes a week break before heading to the United States for the Red Bull Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, Calif.
2012 Mugello MotoGP Results:
| Pos. | Points | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time/Gap |
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| 1. | 25 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | 173.9 | 41'37.477 |
| 2. | 20 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 173.5 | +5.223 |
| 3. | 16 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 173.2 | +10.665 |
| 4. | 13 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | GER | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | 173.1 | +10.711 |
| 5. | 11 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 173.1 | +11.695 |
| 6. | 10 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 173.1 | +12.060 |
| 7. | 9 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 173.0 | +12.235 |
| 8. | 8 | 1 | Casey STONER | AUS | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 171.8 | +30.617 |
| 9. | 7 | 8 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Pramac Racing Team | Ducati | 171.7 | +31.728 |
| 10. | 6 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | Honda | 171.5 | +34.589 |
| 11. | 5 | 11 | Ben SPIES | USA | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | 170.0 | +57.862 |
| 12. | 4 | 14 | Randy DE PUNIET | FRA | Power Electronics Aspar | ART | 169.8 | +59.963 |
| 13. | 3 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Power Electronics Aspar | ART | 169.1 | +1'11.200 |
| 14. | 2 | 77 | James ELLISON | GBR | Paul Bird Motorsport | ART | 169.1 | +1'11.458 |
| 15. | 1 | 54 | Mattia PASINI | ITA | Speed Master | ART | 169.0 | +1'11.828 |
| 16. | | 22 | Ivan SILVA | SPA | Avintia Blusens | BQR | 164.7 | 1 Lap |
| Not Classified |
| | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | USA | NGM Mobile Forward Racing | Suter | 160.4 | 13 Laps |
| | 68 | Yonny HERNANDEZ | COL | Avintia Blusens | BQR | 167.9 | 14 Laps |
| | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Came IodaRacing Project | Ioda | 164.4 | 20 Laps |
| Excluded |
| | 51 | Michele PIRRO | ITA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | FTR | | 0 Lap |
2012 MotoGP Championship Point Standings (after nine of 18 rounds):
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | Nation | Points |
|---|
| 1. | Jorge LORENZO | Yamaha | SPA | 185 |
| 2. | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | SPA | 166 |
| 3. | Casey STONER | Honda | AUS | 148 |
| 4. | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Yamaha | ITA | 108 |
| 5. | Cal CRUTCHLOW | Yamaha | GBR | 95 |
| 6. | Valentino ROSSI | Ducati | ITA | 82 |
| 7. | Stefan BRADL | Honda | GER | 75 |
| 8. | Nicky HAYDEN | Ducati | USA | 74 |
| 9. | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Honda | SPA | 73 |
| 10. | Ben SPIES | Yamaha | USA | 66 |
| 11. | Hector BARBERA | Ducati | SPA | 60 |
| 12. | Randy DE PUNIET | ART | FRA | 28 |
| 13. | Aleix ESPARGARO | ART | SPA | 26 |
| 14. | Michele PIRRO | FTR | ITA | 16 |
| 15. | Mattia PASINI | ART | ITA | 13 |
| 16. | James ELLISON | ART | GBR | 12 |
| 17. | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ioda | ITA | 9 |
| 18. | Colin EDWARDS | Suter | USA | 8 |
| 19. | Yonny HERNANDEZ | BQR | COL | 6 |
| 20. | Ivan SILVA | BQR | SPA | 5 |
| 21. | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | CZE | 4 |
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Enter to win an Orange County Choppers Custom Motorcycle
Since its inception in 1999, Orange Country Choppers has become a household name in the world of custom motorcycles.
The Orange Country, N.Y., custom shop headed by Paul Teutul Sr. continually churns out unique builds that provide customers with a one of a kind bike.
And now, the motorcycle cleaning and performance company Original Bike Spirits wants to make one of its Facebook fans a proud owner of an Orange County Chopper through a new contest - The Original Chopper Giveaway.
Originial Bike Products has partnered with OCC to give away a custom motorcycle to an OBS Facebook fan. By entering the Original Chopper Giveaway Custom, the winner will not only receive an OCC custom, but also paid round-trip to OCC Headquarters to receive the bike, and $5,000 for taxes and shipment of the bike home.
Visitors to OSB's Facebook page are invited to upload a picture or video illustrating what makes them and their bike an original for a chance to win the custom motorcycle. In addition to the custom motorcycle, Original Bike Spirits will also award weekly prizes such as OBS products and other giveaways.
Eric Bishop (Original Bike Spirits Marketing Specialist) says: "Each one of our customers is original and has one-of-a-kind stories to share about their bikes.
"Partnering with Orange County Choppers just made sense - each of their bikes is a custom, unique creation. The Original Chopper Giveaway will give our customers the chance to share their stories, connect with one another and, for one lucky winner, walk away with an OCC chopper."
The promotion will last through the summer, and participants can enter the giveaway daily during the duration of the promotion in order to receive multiple giveaway entries.
Eric Bishop says: "The Original Chopper Giveaway provides our customers with an opportunity to share personal memories or anecdotes about their bike, such as remembering their first ride or favorite routes, with the Original Bike Spirits' Facebook community.
"At OBS, we're incredibly passionate about motorcycles and our Facebook community shares our enthusiasm! This giveaway is a great way to celebrate our passion for motorcycles with our customers."
To learn more about the promotion or to enter The Original Chopper Giveaway, visit originalbikespirits.com or facebook.com/OriginalBikeSpirits. For more information about Original Bike Spirits or to find a nearby dealer, visit originalbikespirits.com. |
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2012 AMA Motocross
Spoiler Alert: 2012 AMA Motocross results from Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minn., listed below
The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing headed to Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minn., Saturday evening for round seven.
And when the action was complete, it would be Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey who took his fifth consecutive sweep of the season before a home crowd. Dungey was joined on the Spring Creek overall podium by MotoConcepts Suzuki's Mike Alessi and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jame Weimer, respectively.
After coming out of the gate at the front portion of the field, Dungey settled into fifth place at the conclusion of the opening lap of the first 450 Class moto. As the KTM rider began to work his way forward, MotoConcepts Suzuki's Mike Alessi assumed the lead and opened a small gap over the field.
Dungey picked off one rider per lap and took over second place on Lap 3, and then set his sights on Alessi. Dungey gradually eliminated his deficit to Alessi and passed the Suzuki-mounted rider on Lap 6, quickly establishing an insurmountable advantage and taking the win.
In Moto 2, Dungey wasted little time in asserting himself, capturing the holeshot and leading all 16 laps of competition. He crossed the finish line nearly 49 seconds over Alessi, in second, and celebrated with the supportive crowd. Dungey has become accustomed to winning at his home track at Spring Creek, standing atop the podium for the last five years. Today he secured his third straight victory at the facility in the 450 Class to go along with his back-to-back triumphs as a 250 Class rider during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Dungey now has won 10 consecutive motos in five rounds.
Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM SX-F 450) says: "I enjoy coming back (to Spring Creek), I spent a lot of time riding here as kid.
"To get a win was great, not just for me but the team as well, especially since everyone was here to watch. I approach every race the same as the one before, regardless of points. I've said it a lot; there's a lot of racing left and you have to be ready for each race itself. We just come in and hope to accomplish what we want to accomplish, always looking to improve."
Alessi finished second overall (3-2) for his fifth podium in seven rounds, while Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer finished third (2-3).
Dungey extended his lead in the 450 Class standings to 80 points over Alessi.
In the 250 Class, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac took advantage of the misfortune experienced by points leader, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider, Blake Baggett to claim his third win of the season.
In the 250 Class, Baggett was targeting his third consecutive overall win and got the day off to a strong start in the opening moto. After crossing the line in eighth at the conclusion of the first lap, Baggett stormed through the field, climbing his way into a four-way battle at the front of the field by Lap 5 with GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia, Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen, and Tomac.
The four riders paced each other for several laps, often alternating positions, but Baggett eventually moved into the lead on Lap 12, surpassing his rivals and cruising to the win.
In Moto 2, Baggett once again put himself in winning position, coming out of the gate in third and passing Tomac for the lead on Lap 6. However, Baggett encountered misfortune on the following lap, losing rear traction and dropping to seventh in the running order.
Tomac capitalized on Baggett's fall and extended his lead over Barcia in second, eventually winning the moto and securing the overall.
Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda CRF250R Motocross) says: "That first moto was a barn burner, we all just went at it. I needed some better starts and I got those this weekend. Blake and I were going at it (in the second moto), but he made a mistake. I was kind of lucky he fell where he did. I just took it from there."
Barcia posted back-to-back runner-up efforts to finish second overall, while Baggett rebounded to finish fourth in the second moto and claim third overall (1-4).
Although he missed an opportunity to gain some ground in the championship standings, Baggett still holds an 18-point lead over Barcia.
The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next Saturday, July 21, with round eight from Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Wash., and the Peterson CAT Washougal National.
2012 Spring Creek MX AMA Motocross 450 Class (Moto Finish):
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (1-1)
- Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (3-2)
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (2-3)
- Justin Brayton, Ft. Dodge, Iowa, Honda (4-4)
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (5-6)
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (12-5)
- Les Smith, York, S.C., KTM (11-9)
- Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ontario, Canada, Honda (15-7)
- Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki (6-28)
- Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Honda (14-14)
2012 AMA Motocross 450 Class Championship Standings:
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 336
- Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 256
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 244
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 209
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki, 187
- Justin Brayton, Ft. Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 167
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 151
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki, 150
- Brett Metcalfe, Mannum, Australia, Suzuki, 142
- Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki, 113
2012 Spring Creek MX AMA 250 Class (Moto Finish):
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (3-1)
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (2-2)
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (1-4)
- Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (4-3)
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki (6-5)
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda (5-7)
- Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (7-6)
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda (10-8)
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki (8-10)
- Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda (9-13)
2012 AMA Motocross 250 Class Championship Standings:
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 315
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 297
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 281
- Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 273
- Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 218
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 191
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 156
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M, Suzuki, 145
- Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 128
- Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda, 125
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2012 Mugello Moto2 Qualifying Results
Pons 40 HP Tuenti's Pol Espargaró recovered from a heavy crash in this morning's Moto2 practice to claim pole position for Sunday's race at the Gran Premio d'Italia TIM at Mugello ahead of Marc Márquez and Andrea Iannone in a tightly fought qualifying session.
Espargaró left it right until the end to post the fastest lap of 1.52'389, which moved Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol's Márquez into second, after the championship leader had lead up until the final minute.
Despite JiR Moto2's Johann Zarco setting the third fastest time of the session, he will start from 18th on the grid tomorrow, after being handed a 15 spot grid penalty by Race Direction. Zarco had been at fault for taking out Espargaró in the morning practice as he went into turn one too hot and slid into the Spaniard, which was subsequently ruled as riding in an irresponsible manner. His team did not lodge an appeal.
This moved Speed Master's Andrea Iannone up into third, putting an Italian on the front row of the grid, much to the delight of the home fans. NGM Mobile Forward Racing's Alex de Angelis put in yet another strong performance on his FTR machine to line up fourth, alongside Interwetten-Paddock's Tom Lüthi in fifth.
Lüthi had been the pace setter earlier in the day, yet could not repeat his feat in the afternoon. Tech 3 Racing's Bradley Smith completes row two, despite crashing out on his final hot lap.
Marc VDS Racing Team's Scott Redding qualified seventh, narrowly ousting Espargaró's teammate Esteve Rabbat into eighth. Italtrans Racing Team's Takaaki Nakagami rounds out row three, while Mapfre Aspar Team's Nico Terol had a good session at the Italian circuit as he finished tenth.
There were numerous crashes throughout the session with Tech 3's Xavier Siméon, Came IodaRacing Project's Simone Corsi, Redding's teammate Mika Kallio and Cresto Guide MZ Racing's Mike Di Meglio, S/Master Speed Up's Alessandro Andreozzi, SAG Team's Marco Colandrea, Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2's Ratthapark Wilairot, and Kiefer Racing's Max Neukirchner all coming off their bikes. Neukirchner was the only rider to suffer an injury, hurting his right hand. His condition will be assessed before warm-up Sunday morning.
2012 Mugello Moto2 Qualifying Results:
| Pos. | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time | Gap 1st/Prev. |
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| 1. | 40 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Pons 40 HP Tuenti | Kalex | 286.9 | 1'52.369 | |
| 2. | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol | Suter | 290.0 | 1'52.438 | 0.069 / 0.069 |
| 3. | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | JIR Moto2 | Motobi | 282.7 | 1'52.781 | 0.412 / 0.343 |
| 4. | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Speed Master | Speed Up | 285.8 | 1'52.835 | 0.466 / 0.054 |
| 5. | 15 | Alex DE ANGELIS | RSM | NGM Mobile Forward Racing | FTR | 288.4 | 1'52.883 | 0.514 / 0.048 |
| 6. | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | Interwetten-Paddock | Suter | 285.7 | 1'52.946 | 0.577 / 0.063 |
| 7. | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 282.5 | 1'53.029 | 0.660 / 0.083 |
| 8. | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Marc VDS Racing Team | Kalex | 278.2 | 1'53.059 | 0.690 / 0.030 |
| 9. | 80 | Esteve RABAT | SPA | Pons 40 HP Tuenti | Kalex | 287.4 | 1'53.090 | 0.721 / 0.031 |
| 10. | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 284.7 | 1'53.152 | 0.783 / 0.062 |
| 11. | 18 | Nicolas TEROL | SPA | Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 | Suter | 285.6 | 1'53.258 | 0.889 / 0.106 |
| 12. | 3 | Simone CORSI | ITA | Came IodaRacing Project | FTR | 285.3 | 1'53.266 | 0.897 / 0.008 |
| 13. | 77 | Dominique AEGERTER | SWI | Technomag-CIP | Suter | 286.0 | 1'53.319 | 0.950 / 0.053 |
| 14. | 72 | Yuki TAKAHASHI | JPN | NGM Mobile Forward Racing | FTR | 286.4 | 1'53.409 | 1.040 / 0.090 |
| 15. | 71 | Claudio CORTI | ITA | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 288.2 | 1'53.509 | 1.140 / 0.100 |
| 16. | 4 | Randy KRUMMENACHER | SWI | GP Team Switzerland | Kalex | 285.2 | 1'53.566 | 1.197 / 0.057 |
| 17. | 63 | Mike DI MEGLIO | FRA | Cresto Guide MZ Racing | MZ-RE Honda | 287.4 | 1'53.672 | 1.303 / 0.106 |
| 18. | 76 | Max NEUKIRCHNER | GER | Kiefer Racing | Kalex | 283.9 | 1'53.683 | 1.314 / 0.011 |
| 19. | 60 | Julian SIMON | SPA | Blusens Avintia | Suter | 281.8 | 1'53.715 | 1.346 / 0.032 |
| 20. | 88 | Ricard CARDUS | SPA | Arguiñano Racing Team | AJR | 281.1 | 1'53.722 | 1.353 / 0.007 |
| 21. | 49 | Axel PONS | SPA | Pons 40 HP Tuenti | Kalex | 282.1 | 1'53.787 | 1.418 / 0.065 |
| 22. | 36 | Mika KALLIO | FIN | Marc VDS Racing Team | Kalex | 288.8 | 1'53.984 | 1.615 / 0.197 |
| 23. | 24 | Toni ELIAS | SPA | Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 | Suter | 286.7 | 1'54.038 | 1.669 / 0.054 |
| 24. | 44 | Roberto ROLFO | ITA | Technomag-CIP | Suter | 284.9 | 1'54.164 | 1.795 / 0.126 |
| 25. | 8 | Gino REA | GBR | Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 | Suter | 279.4 | 1'54.513 | 2.144 / 0.349 |
| 26. | 19 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 276.6 | 1'54.726 | 2.357 / 0.213 |
| 27. | 95 | Anthony WEST | AUS | QMMF Racing Team | Speed Up | 285.5 | 1'54.802 | 2.433 / 0.076 |
| 28. | 14 | Ratthapark WILAIROT | THA | Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2 | Suter | 276.9 | 1'54.890 | 2.521 / 0.088 |
| 29. | 22 | Alessandro ANDREOZZI | ITA | S/Master Speed Up | Speed Up | 278.1 | 1'55.267 | 2.898 / 0.377 |
| 30. | 10 | Marco COLANDREA | SWI | SAG Team | FTR | 278.1 | 1'55.374 | 3.005 / 0.107 |
| 31. | 55 | Massimo ROCCOLI | ITA | Desguaces La Torre SAG | Bimota | 276.1 | 1'55.518 | 3.149 / 0.144 |
| 32. | 57 | Eric GRANADO | BRA | JIR Moto2 | Motobi | 275.2 | 1'56.337 | 3.968 / 0.819 |
| 33. | 82 | Elena ROSELL | SPA | QMMF Racing Team | Moriwaki | 273.5 | 1'57.081 | 4.712 / 0.744 |
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.jpg "2012 Mugello Moto2: Espargaro on Pole")
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