TOMIZAWA POLE FOR MOTO2

INAUGURAL Moto2 class winner Shoya Tomizawa will continue his early season charge from pole position in tomorrow’s Moto2 race, after his lap of 1m 44.372s secured him the top time in qualifying by just two-thousandths of a second from Julián Simón. The Japanese rider could count himself fortunate to have set his time shortly before he crashed with 20 minutes of the session remaining, but his hot lap remained intact. Hot on his trail was Mapfre Aspar rider Simón, with Toni Elías (Gresini Racing Moto2) and Yuki Takahashi (Tech3 Racing) completing a front row for Sunday’s race separated by less than a tenth of a second. Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Racing) secured fifth place at the head of the second row, which was also very tightly grouped, as Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing), Gabor Talmacsi (Fimmco Speed Up) and Sergio Gadea (Tenerife 40 Pons) all set times inside the top eight.
The third row, all of whom recorded lap times well within half a second of Tomizawa’s pole, will be comprised of Kenny Noyes (Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas), Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2), Anthony West (MZ Racing) and Yonny Hernández (Blusens-STX).

For comparison with the class Moto2 has replaced, here are the 250GP records for Jerez: 250GP Pole Record: Dani Pedrosa, Honda, 1m 42.868s – 154.80 km/h (2005). 2009 250GP Pole time: Alex Debon (Aprilia), 1m 43.028s – 154.40 km/h; 250GP Lap record: Alvaro Bautisata (Aprilia), 1m 43.338s – 154.10 km/h (2009, lap 15 of 26).

So, Tomizawa's pole time is 1.344 seconds slower than Alex Debon's 250GP pole from last year.

For the full Moto2 qualifying times, go to: http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/xx/2010/SPA/Moto2/QP/Classification.pdf?v1_be7ea3fa