Marquez blasts to the top at Phillip Island

Marc Marquez has secured his fifth pole position at Phillip Island following an epic MotoGP™ qualifying session at the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2018.

With the threat of precipitation ever-present – rain flags were even displayed for a few minutes –Marquez’s pole-sitting lap of 1:29.199 was a bridge too far for his rivals in the quick-fire 15-minute session.

Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha, 1:29.509) and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 1:29.705) will join Marquez on the front row of the grid for the 27-lap race, while Andrea Iannone (Suzuki Ecstar, 1:29.712) will lead away row two.

Marquez, Vinales, Zarco and Iannone also took the first four qualifying spots at the 2017 Phillip Island MotoGP™ round.

Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar, 1:30.026) and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing Ducati, 1:30.140) filled positions five and six, ahead of Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha, 1:30.270), Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing Ducati, 1:30.328), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team, 1:30.519), Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 1:30.593), Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 1:30.640) and Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Team, 1:30.367).

QUALIFYING RESULTS HERE

Miller was pushing hard for a front row spot on his penultimate flying lap, but a massive front-end slide scuppered his chances.

Earlier, sensing that precipitation was on the horizon, Miller was the first out on circuit in the hope of cranking out a brisk lap time before anyone else. But it didn’t quite go to plan.

“I was hoping for a little bit more in qualifying, and you could see I was keen to get underway as I didn’t know whether the rain was coming in or not,” said Miller.

“That would have been good if the rain came, but I sort of missed my lap time with that window.

“Then with my second (rear) tyre I was pushing really hard and I had a couple of big moments – one at turn 12 which is one place where you don’t want to crash.

“And then I was on another good lap the next time around before losing the front going over Lukey Heights (turn nine). I had to hold the bike up with my elbow – I actually have to thank my elbow for saving me a couple of times!

“All those moments can be pretty scary, especially around Phillip Island.”

Despite the planets not quite aligning for the Aussie hard charger in qualifying, he will still start the MotoGP race from sixth spot, on row two and ready to make his presence felt from the outset.

“I’m kind of happy with qualifying, but of course I would have liked to have been on the front row,” Miller continued.

“However, given the circumstances, I was just happy to make it through qualifying in one piece.”

When asked about his expectations for the race, Miller said: “Hard to say really, but I want to stay with those top guys. A lot of the race will be about controlling the pace, and nobody will really make a dash until the last five or six laps.

“I will try to stay in there and save my tyre, and then take it to them in the last couple of laps. I am hoping for better conditions, for not only the riders by the fans out there.”

Australia’s second rider, Mike Jones (Angel Nieto Team Ducati) is 23rd on the grid after setting his fastest lap of the weekend (1:32.639) in Q1.

Italian Mattia Pasini has qualified in pole position for the Moto2 race,

Despite a late crash in the 45-minute qualifying session, Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team, 1:33.368) had already done enough hard yards to secure top spot on the grid.

Pasini was also on pole in Australia last year and, to continue the déjà vu theme, Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) will start alongside him again after the German set a best lap of 1:33.624.

Pasini will be hoping his recent Moto2™ pole-sitting curse won’t continue tomorrow, with the veteran failing to trouble the scorer in recent times when he has started from the sharp end of the field.

Spaniard Xavi Vierge (1:33.721) made it three different nationalities – and two Dynavolt Intact GP machines – on the front row of the grid, while the second row will be filled by Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing, 1:33.841), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo, 1:33.929) and the 2019 Moto-GP bound Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up, 1:33.951).

With windy conditions making it difficult t string together consistent fast laps, championship leader Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) was one to labour in 16th position – his worst qualifying result in 2018.

Australian Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) qualified in 15th, while last year’s Phillip Island Moto2™ winner, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo), was 20th.

Oliveira is the only rider who can deny Bagnaia the 2018 Moto2title, and is currently 37pts in arrears.

Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) cannoned into the back of South African Steve Odendaal (NTS RW Racing GP) at turn nine early in the session, hitting his head hard on the Phillip Island tarmac. He then sat out the balance of the session, but still qualified in ninth position.

Perth native Bryan Staring (Tech 3 Racing) qualified 27th out of 31 riders.

The 25-lap Moto2 race will be held at 2:20pm on Sunday.

Championship leader Jorge Martin has continued his mastery of the flying lap by taking his 10th pole position of the season.

After a number of riders took turns at the top in the 40-minute session, again it was Martin (Del Conca Gresini Honda) who showed his contemporaries a clean pair of heels when the heat was really on, his pole-sitting time of 1:36.591 coming on his 16th and final lap.

It was also Martin’s second successive Moto3 pole position at Phillip Island, and a crucial one as he battles for world championship honours with Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PreustelGP KTM) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Honda)  – who will both start tomorrow’s 23-lap race from well down the pack on rows five and six respectively.

Lining up alongside Martin on the front row will be Darry Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo, 1:36.848) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing, 1:37.117), followed by Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PreustelGP KTM, 1:37.357), Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider KTM, 1:37.465) and Philipp Oettl (Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing KTM, 1:37.540).

Meanwhile, the fastest rider from practice, Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0, Honda), qualified in 10th position.

Martin leads the Moto3 title on 204pts, ahead of Bezzecchi (203) and Giannantonio (175).

Glenn Allerton has come up trumps in a spectacular Saturday morning Superbike race,

On a wet Phillip Island circuit, Allerton (BMW), race one winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and reigning Australian champion Troy Herfoss (Honda) went at it hammer and tongs for the duration of the eight-lap race as they pushed – and sometimes went beyond – the levels of adhesion.

As expected, the excitement lifted to another level on the final lap as Allerton made his move on race leader Herfoss at turn 10. Bayliss also got past Herfoss moments later, setting up an all-too familiar Phillip Island drag to the finish line.

Allerton who just held on, defeating Bayliss by 0.017 seconds and Herfoss by 0.162 seconds in a thriller of the highest order.

It was the first win of the domestic Superbike season for Allerton, who was forced to sit out a large chunk of the 2018 Aussie title after a motocross training incident.

Meanwhile, Yannis Shaw (Kawasaki) came home with a wet sail to pass both Max Croker (Suzuki) and Alex Phillis (Suzuki) on the last lap, while Mark Chiodo (Suzuki) and Richard Hewson (Yamaha) saw out the top eight.

For full results, visit http://computime.com.au.

In a superb exhibition of Supersport 300 racing, Queenslander Seth Crump scored a stirring come from behind win after timing his final drafting run to perfection in the eight-lap race.

With the top seven riders separated by just 0.826 seconds – a portent of what could be on the cards in tomorrow’s world championship races – Crump (KTM) scored the honours ahead of fastest qualifier Hunter Ford (Yamaha) and Oliver Bayliss (Kawasaki).

Lachy Taylor (Yamaha) was next across the line, and actually led onto Gardner Straight before being swamped by his rivals on the run to the chequered flag – commonplace in Supersport 300 racing.

Luke Power (Yamaha), Dylan Whiteside (Kawasaki) and Zane Fiord (Yamaha) filled positions 5-7, with Ben Bramich (Yamaha), Mitchell Kuhne (Yamaha) and Luke Jhonston (Yamaha) completing the top 10 after their own rousing battle.

For full race results, visit http://computime.com.au.