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BRNO, Czech Reputlic - Britain's Cal Crutchlow stunned the favourites in Saturday's qualifying to grab pole position for Sunday's Czech MotoGP.
The 27-year-old Yamaha rider clocked 1min55.527, a record at the 5.4km circuit in the southern Czech city of Brno for his second pole of the 2013 season.
"A fantastic job today," said Crutchlow, lavishing praise on his Yamaha Tech 3 team. "We did a good job at progressing every session. We've struggled this weekend but we seem to be getting better and better as the weekend goes on."
GOING FOR THE PODIUM
Crutchlow already dominated the free practices, clocking the fastest time in the third one on Saturday morning. In qualifying, he improved it by more than six-tenths.
"I look forward to rest; tomorrow, I hope, we can head for a podium."
Crutchlow scored his first MotoGP podium finish in Brno in 2012 - third. He finished that year fifth in the MotoGP standings, edging out eighth-ranked Spaniard Alvaro Bautista in qualifying.
Honda Gresini rider Bautista finished second, 0.227sec behind Crutchlow, after holding the circuit record for a few minutes himself.
"I'll try to make a good start and push as hard as I can," said the 28-year-old, adding that he had problems with rear grip in free practice.
"Today we found something that helped me a lot and in qualifying I (could) push so much," he said.
Bautista's compatriot and overall leader Marc Marquez, who won the previous three MotoGP's, was third fastest, 0.336sec slower than Crutchlow. Marquez said: "I'm just a little disappointed. I felt I was ready to fight for pole with Cal and Alvaro.
CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER
"On the first tyres I tried to push but on the second, when I tried to push a little more, there was too much traffic... but (on the whole) I'm quite happy, quite comfortable for tomorrow."
The 20-year-old Repsol Honda rider is leading the 2013 championship after 10 of 18 races with 188 points, 21 ahead of team mate Dani Pedrosa and 35 ahead of Yamaha's defending champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa will start fourth, Lorenzo fifth.
Pedrosa won at Brno ahead of Lorenzo in 2012; Marquez took the Moto2 victory before replacing Australia's Casey Stoner at Repsol Honda for 2013.
OTHER RACE POLES
A week earlier Marquez won at Indianapolis to become the first rookie to win three consecutive premier-class races since American Kenny Roberts in 1978, the year in which Roberts won the championship - a feat unrivalled by a rookie to the present day.
In Moto2, Japan's Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) will start from pole after finishing the lap in 2min02.202, the fastest time on both days.
In Moto3 Spanish Alex Rins (KTM) took pole with a 2min 07.622 lap, also the fastest time so far.
Qualifying times for Sunday's 2013 Czech MotoGP races
MotoGP
1 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 1min 55.527
2 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) +0.227
3 Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) +0.336
4 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) +0.341
5 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) +0.422
6 Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha) +0.487
7 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) +0.659
8 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) +0.950
9 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) +1.298
10 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) +1.452
11 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati) +1.928
12 Colin Edwards (USA/FTR Kawasaki) +2.865
Moto2
1 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 2min 02.202
2 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) +0.397
3 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) +0.397
4 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) +0.456
5 Sandro Cortese (GER/Kalex) +0.465
6 Jordi Torres (ESP/Suter) +0.488
7 Johann Zarco (FRA/Suter) +0.502
8 Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) +0.627
Moto3
1 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) 2min 07.622
2 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) +0.567
3 Alexis Masbou (FRA/FTR Honda) +0.837
4 Jack Miller (AUS/FTR Honda) +0.861
5 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) +1.017
6 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) +1.027
7 Jonas Folger (GER/KTM) +1.094
8 Arthur Sissis (AUS/KTM) +1.221
9 Efren Vazquez (ESP/Mahindra) +1.366
10 Miguel Oliveira (POR/Mahindra) +1.487
The 27-year-old Yamaha rider clocked 1min55.527, a record at the 5.4km circuit in the southern Czech city of Brno for his second pole of the 2013 season.
"A fantastic job today," said Crutchlow, lavishing praise on his Yamaha Tech 3 team. "We did a good job at progressing every session. We've struggled this weekend but we seem to be getting better and better as the weekend goes on."
GOING FOR THE PODIUM
Crutchlow already dominated the free practices, clocking the fastest time in the third one on Saturday morning. In qualifying, he improved it by more than six-tenths.
"I look forward to rest; tomorrow, I hope, we can head for a podium."
Crutchlow scored his first MotoGP podium finish in Brno in 2012 - third. He finished that year fifth in the MotoGP standings, edging out eighth-ranked Spaniard Alvaro Bautista in qualifying.
Honda Gresini rider Bautista finished second, 0.227sec behind Crutchlow, after holding the circuit record for a few minutes himself.
"I'll try to make a good start and push as hard as I can," said the 28-year-old, adding that he had problems with rear grip in free practice.
"Today we found something that helped me a lot and in qualifying I (could) push so much," he said.
Bautista's compatriot and overall leader Marc Marquez, who won the previous three MotoGP's, was third fastest, 0.336sec slower than Crutchlow. Marquez said: "I'm just a little disappointed. I felt I was ready to fight for pole with Cal and Alvaro.
CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER
"On the first tyres I tried to push but on the second, when I tried to push a little more, there was too much traffic... but (on the whole) I'm quite happy, quite comfortable for tomorrow."
The 20-year-old Repsol Honda rider is leading the 2013 championship after 10 of 18 races with 188 points, 21 ahead of team mate Dani Pedrosa and 35 ahead of Yamaha's defending champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa will start fourth, Lorenzo fifth.
Pedrosa won at Brno ahead of Lorenzo in 2012; Marquez took the Moto2 victory before replacing Australia's Casey Stoner at Repsol Honda for 2013.
OTHER RACE POLES
A week earlier Marquez won at Indianapolis to become the first rookie to win three consecutive premier-class races since American Kenny Roberts in 1978, the year in which Roberts won the championship - a feat unrivalled by a rookie to the present day.
In Moto2, Japan's Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) will start from pole after finishing the lap in 2min02.202, the fastest time on both days.
In Moto3 Spanish Alex Rins (KTM) took pole with a 2min 07.622 lap, also the fastest time so far.
Qualifying times for Sunday's 2013 Czech MotoGP races
MotoGP
1 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 1min 55.527
2 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) +0.227
3 Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) +0.336
4 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) +0.341
5 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) +0.422
6 Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha) +0.487
7 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) +0.659
8 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) +0.950
9 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) +1.298
10 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) +1.452
11 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati) +1.928
12 Colin Edwards (USA/FTR Kawasaki) +2.865
Moto2
1 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 2min 02.202
2 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) +0.397
3 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) +0.397
4 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) +0.456
5 Sandro Cortese (GER/Kalex) +0.465
6 Jordi Torres (ESP/Suter) +0.488
7 Johann Zarco (FRA/Suter) +0.502
8 Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) +0.627
Moto3
1 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) 2min 07.622
2 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) +0.567
3 Alexis Masbou (FRA/FTR Honda) +0.837
4 Jack Miller (AUS/FTR Honda) +0.861
5 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) +1.017
6 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) +1.027
7 Jonas Folger (GER/KTM) +1.094
8 Arthur Sissis (AUS/KTM) +1.221
9 Efren Vazquez (ESP/Mahindra) +1.366
10 Miguel Oliveira (POR/Mahindra) +1.487
