AUSTRALIAN MOTOGP
Date: Sunday 5 October Coverage: 125cc & 250cc races 0245-0515, BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website Race live: 0545-0700, BBC ONE and BBC Sport website Race repeat: 1605-1710, BBC ONE and BBC Sport website
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Casey Stoner delighted home fans as he qualified first for Sunday's Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island.
The Ducati rider, 22, revealed earlier in the week he faces a career-saving operation on an injured wrist.
But he went nearly four-tenths of a second inside the Australian track pole position record in 1:28.665 seconds.
Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo was second and Britain's James Toseland fifth, but new world champion Valentino Rossi starts 12th on Sunday after a crash.
American Nicky Hayden was third in Saturday's qualifying on the 2.74 mile (4.45km) circuit.
Stoner won the Grand Prix of Australia in 2007 and was crowned world champion.
But he can only battle for second in the title race this time with Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, who is 11 points behind, after Rossi wrapped up his sixth title last weekend in Japan.
Pedrosa faces a tough task after finishing qualifying a place behind Yamaha rider Toseland, who clocked 1:29.031.
Australian MotoGP qualifying result:
1 Casey Stoner (Aus) Ducati, 1:28.665
2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 1:28.734
3 Nicky Hayden (US) Honda 1:28.756
4 Randy de Puniet (Fra) Honda 1:28.808
5 James Toseland (GB) Yamaha 1:29.031
6 Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 1:29.277
7 Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 1:29.513
8 Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 1:29.558
9 Shinya Nakano (Jap) Honda 1:29.710
10 Alex de Angelis (San M) Honda 1:29.925
(BBC)
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