Stoner takes fourth pole in a row

Australian world champion Casey Stoner broke the lap record and took his fourth MotoGP pole position in a row at the German GP yesterday.

The Ducati rider, chasing his third win in succession today, lapped the Sachsenring circuit in one minute 21.067 seconds and well inside the pole record set by Spaniard Dani Pedrosa two years ago.

Honda's Pedrosa, who leads Italian Valentino Rossi by four points in the standings, was second and 0.353 slower than Stoner with Yamaha's American Colin Edwards completing the front row of the grid.

Rossi will start seventh on his Yamaha.