Stoner wins Portugal Grand Prix pole

By foxsports
Published

MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner won his 35th career pole position at the Portugal Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Australian rode his Honda around the 4.182-kilometer (2.599-mile) Estoril circuit in a session-best 1 minute, 37.188 seconds, for his first pole of the season.

Stoner's teammate Dani Pedrosa, who won in Estoril in 2011, had the second fastest lap while Cal Crutchlow of Great Britain was third.

Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will start Sunday's race in fourth place.

The session's quickest times came after it was temporarily stopped following a crash involving American Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet of France.