Despite having never previously circulated Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, rookie MotoGP hero Marc Marquez set the Friday pace for the USGP.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: SPEED will provide two days of LIVE coverage from the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Catch Qualifying LIVE on Saturday, July 20 at 5:00pm ET and then tune into Sunday's LIVE race coverage starting at 4:30pm ET. #MotoGPonSPEED MotoGP's rising superstar Marc Marquez added another feather to his cap today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca by posting the fastest lap on the opening day of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix despite having never previously circulated the notoriously difficult circuit. The fact that the USGP stands alone as a Grand Prix race weekend devoid of an undercard presence meant that premier-class rookie Marquez -- a former 125cc and Moto2 champion -- was expected to struggle somewhat this weekend despite the spectacular form that sees him leading the 2013 MotoGP World Championship. With an idiosyncratic layout featuring multiple blind corners and radical elevation changes, at the very least the Spaniard would require the full weekend to work up to speed... or so it was thought. Instead, Marquez was instantly on the pace in the morning free practice, running third quick, and then stepped up to claim the top spot on the charts in FP2, clocking a 1:22.040 lap. Marquez's chief title rivals, Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha's defending World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo, were also under the spotlight on Friday. Both men are recovering from left collarbone injuries suffered one week ago at the Sachsenring and faced with a physical, left-hand oriented circuit. Despite coming off what was considered a less severe collarbone break, Pedrosa appeared to be suffering more than rival Lorenzo today. Pedrosa sat out FP1 and then managed only 11th best in the afternoon, running a 1:23.129. Lorenzo, meanwhile, continued to grow his tough guy reputation by taking part in both sessions, ultimately ranking sixth fastest, less than a half second behind Marquez. 'JLo' was originally widely expected to miss this weekend following two consecutive weekends of collarbone breaks and plates. However, the seemingly boundless determination and courage of the two-time series king has him firmly in the mix yet again. LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl was second best on the day, followed by an impressive Andrea Dovizioso on the official Ducati Desmosedici. Laguna genius Valentino Rossi was fourth, followed by the in demand Cal Crutchlow, who registered the best time in FP1. Aleix Espargaro resumed his prototype humbling with the seventh best time, ranking ahead of Go&Fun Gresini's Alvaro Bautista, two-time USGP winner Nicky Hayden, Tech3's Bradley Smith, and the aforementioned Pedrosa. American Blake Young, meanwhile, suffered a massive highside that brought out the red flag and halted the session for an extended period. With his Attack Racing CRT machine seemingly destroyed, Young's weekend could be destined to come to a premature conclusion. Tune into SPEED tomorrow at 5:00pm ET to watch LIVE coverage of qualifying for the 2013 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.
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