Brno provides first pole of 2010 for Smith

Bradley Smith put in a masterful qualifying performance at Brno on Saturday to qualify in pole position for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic, setting a fastest lap of 2’07.146 to power himself to the top of the grid. It was the British rider’s first pole of the 2010 campaign after he had started on the front row for the five previous rounds leading into round nine.

Smith’s pace placed him 0.484s ahead of closest rival, team-mate Nico Terol, whose display was equally impressive given the fact that this is his first GP back from injury. There was almost a full second gap between Pol Espargaró (Tuenti Racing) and Smith as the Spaniard set the third best time of the session, and Championship leader Marc Márquez (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) did a sterling job to qualify in fourth and complete the front row having dislocated a shoulder in yesterday’s practice session and missing Saturday morning’s run.

Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo), Efrén Vázquez (Tuenti Racing), Randy Krummenacher (Stipa-Molenaar Racing) and Tomoyoshi Koyama (Racing Team Germany) all achieved second row grid positions. Johann Zarco (WTR San Marino Team) and Luis Salom (Stipa-Molenaar Racing) completed the top ten.

There were a number of crashers inside the final ten minutes as Krummenacher went down at turn 13, whilst Zarco and Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) were both involved in a fall at turn two. Wild card rider Ladislav Chmelik (Moto FGR) experienced a front-end fold at turn seven late on as well.