Anthomy West storms to front in wet Indy practice

Kawasaki's Anthony West dominated both practice sessions during the opening day at a very wet Indianapolis circuit, putting his Ninja ZX-RR at the top of the timesheets in both practice periods to finish as the fastest rider overall.

The 27-year-old Australian was quick to get to grips with the 4.216km track, which is new to the MotoGP regulars and, as a result, spent the majority of the opening practice at the top of the standings, over two seconds ahead of the rest of the field. The Kawasaki pilot responded to challenges from reigning World Champion, Casey Stoner, and finished the one hour and a half long stint 0.117 seconds clear of second-placed Alex De Angelis, with the fastest time of the day of 1'53.034.

West's storming pace aboard his Ninja ZX-RR continued throughout the hour-long afternoon session, as he impressively led the field while conditions on track worsened. The Kawasaki pilot looked smooth and comfortable aboard his Bridgestone shod machine, and although none of the MotoGP competitors improved their times from the morning session, West still set a lap time nearly one second faster than closest rival, Chris Vermeulen.  A confident West is looking forward to qualifying tomorrow, for which the forecast is continued rain, as he looks to further refine his set-up around the slippery Indianapolis circuit.

Anthomy West - 1st - 1'53.034:
"This is a great way to start the weekend, especially after the results we've had recently. There's a lot of water out on the circuit, and it's a bit strange as there are quite a few changes of surface, but I've found my way around here quite easily, so I'm feeling happy. In some ways this track is a bit like those I used to ride on back home in Australia, because many of the circuits there have inconsistent surfaces, and I've found it relatively easy to adapt my riding style to suit the changes throughout a lap here. The bike is working well, and although we've had a few scary moments, I'm feeling pretty confident for tomorrow. It's promising that we can come to a new track, learn the lines quickly, and be able to put in good lap times quite comfortably."