Highlights

Motorcycling-Hayden on pole in Australia

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-09-16 13:54

PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia, Sept 16?- World championship leader Nicky Hayden will be on pole for the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix after a blistering finish to qualifying on Saturday.

The American Honda rider lapped the 4.44km Phillip Island circuit in one minute 29.02 seconds, the fastest time of the weekend, to eclipse Japan's Shinya Nakano, who was 0.23 adrift in second.

World champion Valentino Rossi was third fastest in 1.29.27 with Kenny Roberts Jr. fourth.

"It doesn't mean that much but it feels good to be fastest today," the 25-year-old Hayden told reporters of the fourth pole of his career.

"I need to find some better grip and better race pace. We've got some work to do no doubt."

Looming large behind Hayden on Sunday's front row will be the irrepressible Rossi, whose spectacular victory in Malaysia last weekend has firmly propelled the five-times top class champion back into the title frame.

"It was possible to get pole but I made a mistake on the final corner and I lost some time," said the Yamaha maverick, who is chasing a sixth successive victory at the circuit to the south of Melbourne.

"Sure Nicky is in front but we are close and we have a good setting for tomorrow."

Hayden's Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa, second in the title race, was 10th fastest in 1:30.08 in his best performance of the weekend as he continues to labour with the leg injuries sustained in a practice crash at Sepang.

Italians Marco Melandri and Loris Capirossi, the only other title contenders, were seventh and 13th respectively.

Nakano added another chapter to a successful weekend for the Kawasaki team after colleague Randy de Puniet of France had surprisingly topped the times in Friday's second practice session.

"This track is not our favourite so we are really happy to be on the front row," said the 28-year-old, who awaits his first pole after 93 MotoGP races.

"Since Friday we have had a good performance and been consistent. I hope we can have a great race."

Hayden leads the world championship from Pedrosa by 22 points with four races remaining. Rossi is third, 26 points behind the American.