Vermeulen claims the pole for U.S. Grand Prix

TEAMCAR - Aussie rookie Chris Vermeulen (pic-front) grabbed the pole position for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, eleventh round of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (MotoGP) that is taking place at the Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California.

Home country racers Colin Edwards and Kenny Roberts Jr. completed the front row for tomorrow`s competition.

Vermeulen set 1.23:168 with the Rizla Suzuki to take his second pole position of the season after the one he achieved in Istanbul for the Turkish Grand Prix.

Two times winner this season Dani Pedrosa will open the second row, followed by John Hopkins and standings leader, Nicky Hayden, winner of this event in 2005.

Top ten places were filled by Casey Stoner in seventh, right in front of Shinya Nakano, Marco Melandri and current World Champion, Valentino Rossi, who ended far from the pole, at 0.879.